Idrissa Gueye is proving the hosts' most likely source of a goal at the minute.

That Everton corner is nodded out to the edge of the box and the defensive midfielder winds up an effort, only to send it bobbling well wide of the Stoke goal.

Name in lights there, for a moment.

Idrissa Gueye and Morgan Schneiderlin are coming so deep to pick up the ball at times, it looks easy for Stoke to just sit in and stop them breaking through.

Of course, as soon as I say that Michael Keane goes on a rampaging run from full-back and ends up in the right-wing position.

It results in a corner...

First shot on target for Everton after 20 minutes!

It comes from an unlikely source, with Idrissa Gueye finding space and driving towards the Stoke area before unleashing a low drive that's scooped up by Jack Butland.

One for the stats, at least.

Conor McNamara
BBC Radio 5 live commentator

Both teams have started with the in-vogue three-man central defence system Everton have Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the right wing-back position. He's normally an attacking player and has already been caught out a few times by Stoke's Erik Pieters overlapping on the visitors' left wing. Wayne Rooney was given a huge cheer when his name was read out over the loudspeakers at the start. The biggest cheer of all Everton's five new signings. Rooney is rolling his sleeves up and getting stuck in as well, his most meaningful contribution so far was a defensive diving header to clear away a Stoke corner.

Image source, AFP

Idrissa Gueye tracks Xherdan Shaqiri's snaking run across the box like a game of playground tag.

The Potters hold on to possession and win a free-kick from another overzealous Wayne Rooney challenge.

Kurt Zouma takes the short pass. The Chelsea loanee fancies himself on the edge of the Everton area, a neat step over, head up, cross to come... and that's well over-hit.

Xherdan Shaqiri is like a little pitbull, bouncing defenders around and winning free-kicks.

He opts to take the set-piece from the left touchline, too. It's only nodded out as far as Joe Allen and the Welshman gets two bites at an effort from outside the box, but finds a wall of blue in front of him.

Testing one for Jack Butland. Xherdan Shaqiri gives his goalkeeper a bit of a hospital back-pass and it's bouncing around awkwardly.

Guess who's there to close him down? It's Wayne Rooney... sniffing around and forcing the keeper to clear out of play.

Leighton Baines finds Sandro Ramirez with the throw. He turns and manages to find space for a shot, but that's skewed wide from the new signing.

Image source, AFP

It's Stoke who are knocking it around better early on and a smart move from the Potters sees Joe Allen release Mame Biram Diouf down the right.

He looks to chip one across goal and Jordan Pickford is forced to push it away for a corner. Diouf finds himseld buried in advertising hoardings.

Wayne Rooney heads out for a corner, and then meets the next set-piece with another header to clear the danger.

Morgan Schneiderlin - ruining team-sheets throughout the season by opting for No.2 on his shirt - is calm and composed in the middle of midfield for Everton, but the Toffees then give it away cheaply.

Goalkeeper Jack Butland collects and finds loanee Kurt Zouma, who then picks out Everton keeper Jordan Pickford...

Rusty?

Oooo. Xherdan Shaqiri winds up his pinger and looks for a 70-odd yard diagonal pass, but Michael Keane just gets a toe to it inside the box and the ball runs through to fellow new Everton signing Jordan Pickford.

Wayne Rooney is having a moan... he's snapped at the heels of Darren Fletcher and given away a free-kick. 13 years away from the club and he's not lost any of that bite.

Image source, Reuters

Have to say the Goodison Park pitch is looking wonderful, but no patterns in the grass of course following that new FA ruling.

The Everton groundstaff have opted for traditional squares - and that's your pitch update for today complete.

Here we go!

It's the visitors who get this one under way.

Right then, it's almost time... let's have a quick glance at those starting line-ups again.

Everton XI: Pickford, Keane, Jagielka, Williams, Baines, Schneiderlin, Gueye, Klaassen, Calvert-Lewin, Rooney, Sandro.

Stoke XI: Butland, Pieters, Zouma, Shawcross, Cameron, Fletcher, Allen, Diouf, Shaqiri, Bojan, Berahino.

Dion Dublin
Former Leicester & Man Utd forward on Final Score

It'll be difficult for Everton this season as they've lost their main source of goals. They have improved their defence but I think overall the Toffees will just fall short of the European places.

Ronald Koeman has spent money in the summer, and as a result he'll be under additional pressure this season. But so he should be - he's the manager of Everton Football Club.

Anyway, as a player Koeman was perfectly capable of handling pressure...

Phil Jagielka and Ryan Shawcross are having right old good natter in the tunnel as the players prepare to stroll out on to the Goodison Park turf...

The Everton songs are in full flow over the tannoy, there's that start-of-the-season anticipation in the air - but how will both sets of supporters be feeling come full-time?

Pat Nevin
Ex-Chelsea winger at Stamford Bridge for 5 live Sport

If Everton have the money and the oomph to get Gylfi Sigurdsson I wouldn't bet against them getting top six.

Stoke manager Mark Hughes is not expecting a friendly environment...

"Everyone is fed up of friendlies, and we just all want the season to start now," he said.

"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."

Can you smell that? Everton manager Ronald Koeman has a whiff of something...

"You smell and feel the motivation of the players to start this Saturday. That is a good signal for everybody," he said.

"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."

Dion Dublin
Former Leicester & Man Utd forward on Football Focus

Wayne Rooney is not the prolific goalscorer that he was. He's been creating more chances than most and he's been all over the pitch.

Get him in the box. I don't care how old he is, he's got so much to offer. It's great business by Everton.

Conor McNamara
BBC Radio 5 live commentator at Goodison Park

Image source, BBC Sport

I saw a lot of these No.10 shirts on the way into the stadium.

Wayne Rooney has endured a lot of boos ringing in his ears on his visits back to Goodison Park over the years.

His appearance at Duncan Ferguson's testimonial here softened things a lot. He played in Everton blue that day and was warmly received.

Today Rooney returns to competitive action for his boyhood club. It looks like he will start up front with another new signing Sandro Ramirez.

A Rooney goal today would complete a fairytale return. It's very much a new look Everton with new signings Pickford, Keane & Klaassen all starting.