Brighton and Hove Albion 4 Luton Town 1
Goals from Solly March, Joao Pedro from the spot, Simon Adingra and Evan Ferguson send Albion top of the Premier League
Only Newcastle United or Aston Villa can now keep Albion from an historic first day’s perch.
At first, Luton looked accomplished and like they could give Albion problems.
But Brighton plugged away until the final whistle and ended with a scoreline to put the transfer saga surrounding Moises Caicedo firmly in the shade.
An unmarked March headed in the opener nine minutes before half time from six yards out. He rose to meet an inswinging cross from Kaoru Mitoma after he was given time and space on the left.
Albion’s record signing, Pedro, doubled Albion’s lead in the 71st minute, converting a penalty after being brought down by Hatters captain Tom Lockyer.
Ten minutes later, Carlton Morris slotted home from the spot at the other end after a Lewis Dunk handball, setting up a tense finale.
But Adingra capitalised on a dreadful error from Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu four minutes later and, in the fifth minute of added time, Evan Ferguson made sure of the Seagulls’ emphatic victory.
The build up to the match was dominated by the news that Albion had accepted a British record transfer fee of about £111 million from Liverpool for star midfielder Caicedo.
But a move to Merseyside is by no means certain amid reports that the Ecuador international would prefer to join Chelsea.
The 21-year-old was absent from the Amex Stadium as his current club started their first campaign to feature European football in commanding fashion.
Luton were back in the top flight for the first time since being relegated from the old First Division in 1992. But they were second best at Falmer and could have lost by more as Danny Welbeck, Pascal Gross and Ferguson each struck the woodwork.
With Caicedo seemingly heading for the exit, Brighton handed debuts to Mahmoud Dahoud, James Milner and Pedro.
Travelling fans booed every touch by Pedro after the Brazilian forward’s £30 million transfer from Luton’s bitter rivals Watford.
He could have opened the scoring inside five minutes but skewed the ball wastefully wide of a gaping goal.
The two clubs were facing each other for the first time since the southern final of the Football League Trophy in 2009, with their only previous top-flight meetings coming during the 1982-83 campaign.
Luton did the double over Albion by an aggregate score of 9-2 back then but today they remained on the back foot, albeit the hosts appeared susceptible to counter-attacks.
After March nodded Brighton in front, the advantage was almost instantly wiped out as Hatters forward Morris thumped a header too close to home goalkeeper Jason Steele from a Ryan Giles corner. Welbeck then hit the base of the right post at the other end.
Despite limited possession, Luton, a non-league club as recently as 2014, were far from overawed in the first half and went into the break with reason for encouragement.
Gross fired against the outside of the left upright from a wide free-kick early in the second period as Roberto De Zerbi’s side attempted to extend their lead.
Brighton were in need of a cushion and it arrived 19 minutes from time when Pedro tumbled under Lockyer’s challenge. As he had done twice in pre-season, he fired into the right corner from 12 yards.
Albion looked set to ease to victory on the back of last season’s club record sixth-place finish which secured a Europa League place.
Yet Morris’s successful 81st-minute penalty after a cross from substitute Jacob Brown struck the elbow of Dunk briefly brought back the tension.
But the Ivory Coast winger Adingra, who was loaned to Belgian club Union Saint-Gilloise last season, thumped the ball home just four minutes later after Mpanzu inexplicably failed to clear.
Ferguson then rattled the right post with a fine curling effort. The Republic of Ireland international was not to be denied a place on the scoresheet and duly slid home Pervis Estupinan’s low cross deep into added time.
