Everton 2-1 Southampton: Theo Walcott and Richarlison give Toffees victory over Saints
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Richarlison had scored two goals on his Everton debut last weekend
Everton held off a resurgent Southampton side to mark Marco Silva's first competitive home match as Toffees boss with victory at Goodison Park.
Theo Walcott provided the reward for early pressure when stabbing home from a rehearsed free-kick after 15 minutes, latching onto Morgan Schneiderlin's disguised pass.
Walcott then turned provider as Richarlison doubled the lead, battling his marker and sending a header thumping past Alex McCarthy for his third Everton goal in two games.
Before the break, Jordan Pickford produced a remarkable sprawling save to deny Danny Ings when his own error had left the striker an open goal to aim at.
But the former Liverpool man did find the net nine minutes after half-time when turning home from a clever Mario Lemina flick at James Ward-Prowse's corner.
Ings was totally unmarked in the six-yard box, and his goal opened a far more positive period for Southampton, but it was Walcott who should have sealed the points for Everton with 20 minutes to play.
The 29-year-old was played in by a delightful Gylfi Sigurdsson improvised flick, but fired horribly wide from inside the box.
Instead it was a slightly nervy end to a game that should have been far more comfortable Everton, with Pickford punching a fierce Ward-Prowse free-kick clear of his near post as Southampton pressed for a later equaliser.
A good new start - and more to come?
Last week's 2-2 draw away to Wolves already gave Everton fans a flavour of what to expect from Silva's time in charge. There was much more adventure than was observed under Sam Allardyce - even playing with 10 men against a team that is expected to be competitive in England's top flight.
At Goodison on Saturday, Everton once again impressed going forward, and especially impressive was Richarlison. The Brazilian was once again lively and full of tricks, linking well with those around him as Silva's side conjured seven shots on target in all.
Perhaps most impressive however was the way in which Everton responded to Southampton dragging themselves back into contention - by continuing to attack.
Saints had come back into the game from a distant position after Ings' goal, but the persistent quality of Everton's play going forward ultimately saw them leave the pitch as deserved winners, applauded by their fans.
They should have added at least a third goal, but that reaction was a world away from the previous home match here - a 1-1 draw with a Southampton side battling for survival on 5 May, when there were boos at the final whistle.
That result sealed an eighth-placed finish for Allardyce's team in the league. Can Everton hope for more this year?
A clue may lie in the several high-profile signings who are yet to feature this season. Yerry Mina has a minor foot injury, Andre Gomes is still recovering from a hamstring problem and Bernard is not quite match fit - so there may well be much better still to come.
Saints work hard but fall short
Southampton shared a tight opening draw at home to Burnley last week - where McCarthy produced several impressive stops.
England manager Gareth Southgate was at Goodison Park on Saturday, reportedly, external to watch the 28-year-old, but there was little the keeper could have done to stop either of Everton's goals.
Instead, the man who caught the eye for Southampton was Ings. He spent much of the afternoon chasing down lost causes, on more than one occasion managing to draw danger from a situation that seemed comfortably in Everton's control.
It was his hard work that earned the corner from which he scored - stretching to spill an over-hit Lemina pass back into a dangerous position and forcing Everton to turn behind. And he would have found the net in the first half were it not Pickford's stunning save.
On the balance of play, a draw for Southampton would have been kind. Everton were the better side, but there were still a few bright points for manager Mark Hughes to reflect on, not least the industry of his new striker, an injury-plagued 26-year-old who has only played once for England, back in 2015.
Man of the match - Richarlison (Everton)
The 21-year-old Brazilian showed some fabulous touches - and plenty of willingness to battle for the ball too
Richarlison's run and Ings' jinx - the stats
Everton are unbeaten in their past 14 home league games against Southampton (W10 D4), since a 0-2 defeat in November 1997.
Southampton have won just two of their past 14 Premier League games, drawing five and losing seven.
Everton's Theo Walcott has scored and assisted in a Premier League game for the first time since January 2013, for Arsenal against West Ham.
Richarlison has scored three goals in his opening two Premier League games for Everton, more than he did in his last 31 for Watford (two).
He is only the third player to net three goals in his first two Premier League appearance for Everton (after Romelu Lukaku in September 2013 and Brian McBride in January 2003).
Danny Ings has scored three goals against Everton in the Premier League (in six games), more than against any other side.
What the managers said
Everton manager Marco Silva, speaking to BBC Sport:
"It was a good first half, we started really well but after they scored the game looked different for us.
"We kept going in the same way, but the second half it was a bit different, we had to manage it in a different way, and we are working hard on defending better on set pieces.
"But really we deserved these three points."
Southampton boss Mark Hughes speaking to BBC Sport:
"For the most part we did OK, I thought we had the better general play and chances created. Unfortunately we found ourselves two down.
Saints couldn't get any momentum going - Hughes
"It was not a particularly poor first half and the second half we got a goal back which was important. It was a very stop-start game and the referee allowed it to be fragmented."
On goalscorer Danny Ings: "I am delighted he is off the mark and get the momentum building. His transition to be a Saints player will be very smooth."
On a late challenge by Pickford on Ings: "The keeper is lucky to stay on, he carries on with his boot. I am surprised the referee did not see that or it warrant any further punishment. It was a little bit like his [the referee's] performance."
What's next?
Everton travel to Bournemouth for a 15:00 BST kick-off on Saturday, when Southampton host Leicester.