Everton have opened their Premier League campaign with a 1-0 victory over Stoke City at Goodison Park.
Wayne Rooney scored the only goal of the game in first-half stoppage time, marking his Toffees return in style.
Blues debutante Jordan Pickford also made a significant contribution, pulling off a dramatic save late on to keep out a goal-bound effort from Xherdan Shaqiri.
Find out how the action unfolded with our minute-by-minute text commentary below.
2.01pmHello and welcome to our live text coverage of the Premier League clash between Everton and Stoke City, a match which marks the start of the new domestic campaign for both sides. Is there anything more exciting? First stop, team news...
2.03pmEVERTON XI: Pickford; Jagielka, Keane, Williams; Calvert-Lewin, Schneiderlin, Klaassen, Gueye, Baines; Rooney, Sandro
2.05pmSTOKE XI: Butland, Cameron, Shawcross, Zouma, Pieters, Allen, Fletcher, Diouf, Shaqiri, Krkic Perez, Berahino
2.06pmHere's Everton's subs and formation...
⚽️ | #EFC's starting XI to face @stokecity...
— Everton (@Everton) August 12, 2017
Subs: Stekelenburg, Mirallas, Martina, Besic, Davies, Holgate and Lookman.#EFCmatchday pic.twitter.com/Yyo3f0W25t
2.07pmAnd Stoke's subs...
📝 #SCFC SUBS v @Everton: Grant; Johnson, Tymon, Choupo-Moting, Adam, Crouch, Ramadan.
— Stoke City FC (@stokecity) August 12, 2017
2.07pmLet's start with the home side Everton, one of this summer's big spenders. They have handed Premier League debuts to goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, defender Michael Keane, midfielder Davy Klaassen and striker Sandro Ramirez. Meanwhile, Wayne Rooney makes his first league start for the Blues in 13 years. Ah, sweet nostalgia!
© Offside
2.10pmIn all truth, Rooney is something of an unknown quantity at this stage of his career. He struggled to cut it at Manchester United last season, so there's a huge question mark surrounding his usefulness to Ronald Koeman. However, with the pace of Sandro to support him up top, Rooney might just surprise a few people.
2.14pmThe role of youngster Dominic Calvert-Lewin will raise a few eyebrows today. Koeman has bizarrely deployed him as a right wing-back in the continued absence of Seamus Coleman, despite signing Cuco Martina as cover in that position. Martina starts the afternoon on the bench.
2.18pmOver to visitors Stoke, and they've also handed out a couple of debuts. Veteran Darren Fletcher will add some experience to the middle of the park, while on-loan Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma also makes the first XI. Fellow summer recruit Max Choupo-Moting starts on the bench.
2.21pmThis man, Saido Berahino, still has a few critics to answer this afternoon after question marks surrounding his fitness were raised last season. Stoke boss Mark Hughes has declared that he is "in great shape" and deployed him as his main goal threat at Goodison Park.
© SilverHub
2.25pmIt's a new-look Everton side with high expectations around it following Koeman's summer spends, but there are many question marks surrounding it. How will they cope without the lorryload of goals Lukaku brought to the table? Is Rooney past it, and have the new players gelled with one another during pre-season?
2.28pmELSEWHERE! Everton's city rivals Liverpool have just opened their Premier League campaign with a 3-3 draw at Watford. We'll have a full-time report on that game for you in just a moment.
2.31pmAmazingly, the first five shots on target in that match were all goals! Let's hope we're in for finishing just as clinical at Goodison this afternoon.
2.33pmEverton may be three league games unbeaten against today's opponents, but opening-day fixtures have always been a source of frustration for them. They have drawn them in all of their last four campaigns, and haven't won one since defeating Manchester United on this ground 1-0 in 2012-13.
2.35pmStoke don't have quite the same illustrious top-flight history as Everton, though this is their 10th consecutive season in the division. Opening days haven't treated them kindly at this level either, having drawn three and lost five of the last eight.
2.37pmRecent stats are very much in the Blues' favour as the Potters have won away from home just twice in 2017. Everton, meanwhile, have scored more goals at home than any other side this calendar year - but it should be pointed out that Romelu Lukaku netted most of them!
2.40pmPREDICTION! After pouring over all of the stats, I'm going with a 1-0 win for Everton. Stoke certainly won't make it easy for them and this new-look Toffees side will still be finding its feet, but I think the home side's extra quality will help them edge it.
2.43pmEven in the latter stages of his playing career, Rooney is still breaking records!
4837 - Wayne Rooney will set a new Premier League record for the longest gaps between two apps for the same team (4837 days). Return. pic.twitter.com/PnftRsithY
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) August 12, 2017
2.44pmI think Davy Klaassen is the man Stoke need to keep quiet this afternoon. I've watched him a few times in pre-season, and he's the man who pulls the strings creatively in the final third. Rooney and Sandro will be looking to him to provide the service and the Potters must cut out the supply chain.
2.50pmPre-match quotes from the two managers coming up now...
2.50pmKOEMAN: "You smell and feel the motivation of the players to start this Saturday. That is a good signal for everybody. Saturday will be a difficult game. We followed Stoke in pre-season, they had a lot of games. They have made some changes to their team, they lost Marko Arnautovic and brought in some new players. Playing Stoke City is always a battle, home or away."
2.51pmHUGHES: "Everton have got a good side and they've spent money from letting good players go, perhaps similar to Southampton a couple of years ago. It's always a close game when we play Everton - a draw and they won by a single goal last season. There is always a turnover of players at this stage and you don't know until you start playing where you are." (via BBC Sport).
© SilverHub
2.55pmJust minutes to go ahead of kick off now and the expectation around the packed-out Goodison Park is palpable.
2.56pmHere are the other Premier League matches going ahead this afternoon...
Chelsea vs. Burnley
Crystal Palace vs. Huddersfield
Southampton vs. Swansea
West Brom vs. Bournemouth
Brighton vs. Man City
1 minKICK OFF! The match is underway and Goodison Park is a cauldron of noise. Welcome to the Premier League season 2017-18!
2 minEverton try to start something from their own half as Keane plays the ball long to Calvert-Lewin, but Darren Fletcher anticipates the move and makes the interception. Moments late, Xherdan Shaqiri attempts a ball over the top to Bojan in the box, but the slightest of touches from Keane sends it back to his goalkeeper.
5 minStoke apply some pressure as Erik Pieters plays a long, menacing pass into the box. There would have been takers, but Pickford comes flying off his line and makes a confident punch, clearing the danger.
7 minThe Potters have settled into this match quicker than Everton, who have given the ball away on a couple of occasions already. Morgan Schneiderlin was the guilty party early on, but Sandro has just done the same in the Stoke half. The Blues don't look too comfortable with this formation, with many of their players roaming from their positions aimlessly.
8 minGeoff Cameron breaks along the right, and for a moment, it's hearts in mouths for Everton as he appears to be through on goal unopposed, but the linesman's flag stops him in his tracks.
10 minStoke power forward as Joe Allen threads a pass through to Mame Diouf. He thumps a cross towards the near post, forcing Pickford to punch behind for a corner. Wayne Rooney, of all people, puts the initial corner behind for another, and then clears the second one more assuredly.
13 minEverton have their first shot on goal, but it fails to trouble Butland between the Stoke sticks. Rooney gains possession on the edge of the box and squares a pass to Sandro. The Spaniard twists and attempts to carve out space to shoot, hitting it on the turn, but skewing it wide.
15 minJoe Allen has a swing at the other end, but Ashley Williams gets his body in the way of it and absorbs the shot. Everton attempt to break after clearing the danger and make it all the way to the final third before an offside flag foils Sandro's advance.
17 minStoke are working more effectively as a unit then Everton, anticipating each other's movements and causing Everton some nervy moments in their own half. It's painfully obvious many of these Toffees players aren't accustomed to playing together just yet, but they need to start gelling quickly.
20 minMame Diouf is proving useful for the visitors this afternoon, tracking back when required to support the Stoke defence. Everton have just had another half-chance through Idrissa Gueye, not usually known for his attacking prowess. The anchor man won the ball in midfield, broke forward and let fly, his low shot easily smothered by Butland.
23 minKoeman's side are lacking fluidity and don't really look like they have a gameplan, but good play from Sandro at the byline wins them a corner. The cross eventually finds its way to Gueye on the edge of the box and he swipes at it, skewering it wide through a congested 18-yard box and out for a goalkick.
27 minPhil Jagielka, whose distribution is usually spot on, fluffs his lines in the Stoke half and fails to pick out Rooney with a simple pass, which goes out for a Stoke throw. I'm not sure what Koeman was thinking with this lob-sided system. His players have struggled to execute it so far.
29 minBOOKING! The first booking of the game goes to Stoke's Joe Allen, and it's an easy one for the referee. The midfielder went in hard on Rooney and missed the ball, taking his legs from under him.
32 minKoeman might want to rethink this three-at-the-back system at half time as he doesn't really have the players for it in the absence of Seamus Coleman. Calvert-Lewin is being played out of position in the right wing-back spot - perhaps Cuco Martina, who is on the bench, would be a more natural fit there.
34 minGood pressure from Stoke as Xherdan Shaqiri gets in on the right and puts Jagielka under all kinds of pressure. The veteran defender holds him off at first, but Shaqiri manages to put a low cross into the box, which strikes Morgan Schneiderlin and bounces out for a Stoke corner. Moments later, the Potters are back on the front foot through Bojan, whose shot goes high and wide.
38 minSolid defending by Geoff Cameron thwarts Everton as they attempt to conjure something in the final third. Rooney and Sandro swap passes, but Cameron intercepts and clears as the Toffees pair try a one-two.
40 minThe Blues power forward again, this time through Calvert-Lewin on the right flank. Erik Pieters holds him off but can't prevent the corner. Everton throw everyone forward for the set piece, but the pressure is snuffed out when Ashley Williams commits a foul in the opposition's penalty area.
43 minMark Hughes has set out a solid stall here and it's really doing its job. They're keeping Everton at bay and putting them under a bit of pressure at the other end. He'll be the more pleased out of the two managers, while Koeman is almost certain to do some tinkering at the interval.
45 minGOAL! Everton 1-0 Stoke City (Wayne Rooney)
45+1 minIt's a dream second Premier League debut for Wayne Rooney, who nods his side in front in first half stoppage time following a blistering team move. Davy Klaassen and Sandro were both involved in the build-up before Calvert-Lewin swung in a cross from the right for Rooney to head in from close range - 1-0 Everton!
45+1 minHALF TIME: Everton 1-0 Stoke City
3.50pmThe first half felt like a slog for lengthy periods for Everton as their new-look side got to grips with an unfamiliar formation, but it's Ronald Koeman's Toffees who head into the break a goal to the good.
3.54pmStill writing the headlines, it's Wayne Rooney on his Everton debut who scored it, powering a header beyond Jack Butland in first-half stoppage time. The scoreline is a tad unfair to Stoke, who have impressed so far this afternoon and aren't to be taken lightly in the second period.
3.55pmHere are the other half time scores in the Premier League...
Chelsea 0-3 Burnley
Crystal Palace 0-2 Huddersfield
Southampton 0-0 Swansea
West Brom 1-0 Bournemouth
3.56pmNo need to point out that the stand-out scoreline there is champions Chelsea trailing 3-0 to Burnley at half time. They were booed off in the first period and have had Gary Cahill sent off - is this a sign that we're in for a crazy Premier League season?
46 minKICK OFF! We're back underway at Goodison Park and Stoke go for it right from kick off. Saido Berahino powers forward and blazes a shot wide seconds after the restart - a warning shot from the Potters there!
47 minEverton made one change at the back, throwing on Cuco Martina for Ashley Williams and switching to four at the back, a more familiar setup for the Toffees as they attempt to consolidate their position in the match.
51 minThe home side appeals for a pen as Butland clatters into Calvert-Lewin in the box, poleaxing the winger but getting a strong hand to the ball and putting it behind for a corner. To be fair, there was nothing in the challenge. Butland went for the ball and got it.
53 minJagielka is losing the battle against Xherdan Shaqiri, unable to keep up with the Stoke man's lightning feet. Shaqiri loses his marker and crosses into the box, Michael Keane the man to deal with it. Moments later, Calvert-Lewin is within an inch of going clean through on goal, but Kurt Zouma produces a last-ditch challenge to put him off.
56 minA wonderful dinked pass from Rooney sends Baines clear on the left flank. The left-back squares a pass to Klaassen, who arrives in support, but his chip shot is an unorthodox one. The Dutchman gets plenty of height on it, but no power, allowing Butland to claim easily.
58 minSHOT! Good pressure and tenacity from Stoke in the final third, with Joe Allen and Saido Berahino pressing the Everton defence. The move ends when Darren Fletcher unleashes a screamer from 20 yards out, his low strike flashing past the post. Close!
60 minSUBSTITUTION: Come the hour, come the man - and the man is youngster Tom Davies. The box-to-box midfielder comes on to replace Davy Klaassen, who had a relatively quiet Premier League debut.
63 minAnother great pass from Rooney slices the Stoke defence in half and sends Calvert-Lewin through on goal, with only Ryan Shawcross to beat. The winger user his skill to move into space before Sandro arrives in support. The Spaniard's cross is intercepted in the box and scrambled clear.
66 minXherdan Shaqiri's free kick finds its way into the box, but Pickford, who looks like a safe pair of hands, comes off his line and collects. Everton try to break along the right flank through Martina, but the move grinds to a halT when Gueye commits a foul.
68 minExceptional link-up play from Davies almost creates an opening for Everton. He releases Sandro on the left and the Spaniard's attempt at a cross eventually finds its way to the feet of Martina. He swings a lofted pass into the six-yard box, but it's headed clear.
69 minSAVE! It's Rooney pulling the strings again as his pass picks out Calvert-Lewin's run. The youngster takes a touch before pulling the trigger, drawing an impressive save out of Butland, who turns the ball behind for a corner, which Everton fail to take full advantage of.
72 minSUBSTITUTION: It's a Stoke debut for summer recruit Maxim Choupo-Moting, who comes on for Bojan as Stoke go in search of a way back into this game.
75 minNervy moments for the Blues as Mame Diouf retains possession inside the box. He's initially held off but manages to set himself up for a bicycle kick, while Peter Crouch looms large to feed on any scraps. Pickford is off his line, but the offside flag saves Everton's bacon.
77 minSUBSTITUTION: Everton's final change sees Sandro replaced by Belgian winger Kevin Mirallas. It's been a solid debut for the Spaniard, but Mirallas's introduction has given the Blues fresh legs in the attack.
79 minIt's not been a bad second Premier League debut for Everton's Rooney in all honesty...
300 - Wayne Rooney's now been involved in 300 PL goals (199 goals, 101 assists); only @alanshearer has been involved in more (324). Legends. pic.twitter.com/tbcsm2jBIK
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) August 12, 2017
83 minStoke are still very much in this and they're refusing to lie down. A long ball from Allen reminds Everton that they must remain on their toes in these closing stages - it goes straight through to Pickford, who claims, but the desire and attacking intent is still there from the visitors.
85 minBOOKING! Cuco Martina goes into the book for hauling down Mame Diouf.
87 minThe visitors continue to ask questions of Everton as Crouch's deflected shot ends up behind for a corner. Mark Hughes's side fail to do anything with it, but they're the ones pressing in the closing stages.
90 minA minimum four minutes of stoppage time will be played here... time is running out for Stoke.
90+3 minWHAT A SAVE! Xherdan Shaqiri almost produces a moment of magic at the death, unleashing a strike that is bound for the top corner but Pickford pulls off a wonderful save at full stretch to preserve Everton's lead. That's why they paid so much for him! Heroics there.
90+4 minFULL TIME: Everton 1-0 Stoke City
4.56pmEverton start their Premier League campaign with a slender victory over a battling Stoke side, and it's Wayne Rooney who will dominate the back pages after netting their winner during his second Premier League debut for his boyhood club.
4.58pmHere are the other full-time scores from this afternoon's Premier League matches...
Watford 3-3 Liverpool
Chelsea 2-3 Burnley
Crystal Palace 0-3 Huddersfield
Everton 1-0 Stoke
Southampton 0-0 Swansea
West Brom 1-0 Bournemouth
4.59pmAnd that concludes our live commentary of the game at Goodison Park, but stick with Sports Mole for our ongoing cover of all of this weekend's biggest football fixtures. Many thanks for reading.
