Brighton finished 16th in the Premier League last season, winning just nine of their 38 matches, but Graham Potter’s side have already put two victories on the board in 2021-22, opening with a 2-1 success at Burnley on the opening weekend before recording a 2-0 victory over Watford last weekend.
The Seagulls also ran out 2-0 winners over Cardiff City in the second round of the EFL Cup on Tuesday night, meaning that confidence should be flowing at the Amex.
Brighton have boosted their transfer budget this summer by selling Ben White to Arsenal for £50m, and the club are expected to make at least one more major signing before the transfer window closes, with Enock Mwepu, Kjell Scherpen and Kaoru Mitoma their only arrivals thus far.
Potter’s side only recorded four home Premier League victories last season, and they will have to improve their results at the Amex if they have ambitions of pushing towards the top half of the table.
Brighton played out a goalless draw with Everton in the corresponding match last term, but they have lost two of their last three matches against the Toffees, who should also be in full confidence.
Everton, meanwhile, opened their 2021-22 Premier League campaign with a 3-1 victory over Southampton on August 14 before claiming a point in a 2-2 draw with Leeds United last weekend.
The Toffees twice led at Elland Road through Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Demarai Gray but were pegged back on both occasions; there were again plenty of positive signs from the Merseyside outfit, with Benitez overseeing a strong start, boasting two wins from three matches.
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Indeed, Everton were also in EFL Cup action against Huddersfield Town on Tuesday night, recording a 2-1 win over the Championship outfit courtesy of goals from Alex Iwobi and Andros Townsend.
Benitez’s side will know that another positive result on Saturday afternoon would lead them nicely into their next match after the international break, which comes at home to Burnley on September 13.
The Toffees have been relatively quiet during this summer’s transfer window, but Gray’s arrival from Bayer Leverkusen looks to have been an inspired signing, with the 25-year-old impressing thus far
