With the anticipation building ahead of the Thursday's release of the 2022/23 Premier League fixtures, we've taken a look at some of the biggest opening day games in the club's history.
Albion 0 Arsenal 4
- Division One
- Saturday 18 August, 1979
Albion’s first ever top-flight game saw the Gunners visit Hove and it attracted a sell-out crowd of 33,500 to the Goldstone. The Seagulls began brightly, with Gerry Ryan going close, but it was the visitors who broke the deadlock on 33 minutes when Frank Stapleton hammered home from 25 yards.
Arsenal doubled their advantage five minutes later when Sunderland headed home from close range, and he grabbed his brace shortly before half-time with a fierce effort that stung the hands of keeper Graham Moseley. Albion were more compact after the break but conceded a fourth when Andy Rollings gave away a penalty, which was tucked home by Liam Brady. “It was like watching one of those Clint Eastwood Westerns, when the guns come out blazing and Clint always wins,” said boss Alan Mullery after the game. “The guns were firing here, and they belonged to Arsenal.”
Albion 6 Mansfield Town 0
- Division Three
- Saturday 7 August, 1999
After a two-year absence as tenants at Gillingham, the Seagulls made an emotional return to Brighton at their new ‘temporary’ home of Withdean Stadium. The game was just 15 minutes old when David Kerr was red-carded for a foul on Albion’s Jamie Campbell and the floodgates then opened. New boy Darren Freeman made the best possible start to life with his hometown club by scoring twice before half-time.
Roared on by a 5,882 crowd, Rod Thomas then added a third before Freeman completing his hat-trick with 20 minutes remaining. Sub Aidan Newhouse also found the target twice in the last 15 minutes, but it was Freeman who captured the headlines. “I remember seeing my dad’s face in the crowd,” he recalled. “It was the sort of face that was really proud, you know, ‘That’s my boy!’ It was my favourite moment playing for the club.”
Albion 2 Doncaster Rovers 1
- Championship
- Saturday, 6 August, 2011
As League One champions, Albion were on the crest of a wave as they begun life at the new American Express Community Stadium. The buzz around the city built up all week and it climaxed with a tremendous, emotional crescendo as the players emerged from the tunnel. Sadly, the game didn’t quite hit the same heights and the Seagulls fell behind to a Billy Sharp goal six minutes before half-time.
Whether it was the enormity of the occasion or the step-up in quality of opposition, the Seagulls couldn’t quite find their mojo – until new boy Will Buckley was introduced with 15 minutes remaining. Having netted the equaliser with 83 minutes on the clock, he then grabbed a dramatic, last-gasp winner as he latched onto a superb ball from Craig Noone before opening up his body to net past keeper Gary Woods. “It was just an incredible feeling to see it go in,” said Buckley. “It’s nice to be remember by the Brighton fans so fondly for that moment.”
Albion 0 Manchester City 2
- Premier League
- Saturday, 12 August, 2017
Albion couldn’t have asked for more tougher opposition for their debut Premier League fixture than Manchester City. Pep Guardiola’s side included all their big hitters, including Sergio Aguero, David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne, and they dominated possession as expected. Indeed, they had 78% of the ball but Albion’s rear-guard stood firm until the 70th minute when Silva played in Aguero, who buried the ball home.
Lewis Dunk then headed Fernandinho’s cross into his own net five minutes later as City made sure of the points. The Seagulls still left the field with their heads held high against a side that would finish the campaign with the title and 100 points. “It was a real eye-opener,” said Dunk. “You’d look around and Aguero would be nowhere to be seen, then he’d pop and be in behind you in a flash. It’s also hard work chasing the ball around for 90 minutes but it was a good experience and one we’ll learn from.”
Watford 0 Albion 3
- Premier League
- Saturday, 10 August, 2019
Graham Potter’s reign as Albion head coach got off to the best possible start with a resounding victory at Vicarage Road. The Hornets had finished 11th in the table the previous season and reached The FA Cup final, but Albion dominated for long spells and took the lead in the 28th minute when Abdoulaye Doucoure turned a Pascal Gross pass into his own net.
The hosts started the second half on the front foot, but Albion made it two on 65 minutes when sub Florin Andone tapped home Davy Propper’s cross from close range. New signing Neal Maupay had been introduced into the fray alongside Andone, and the former Brentford man also found the target – after a VAR check – to put the game out of reach with 13 minutes remaining. “To score three away from home and not concede is a dream," Potter said. “There is a really good foundation from what has been done previously – our job now is to get better.”