Brentford 1 – 1 Everton
Beto’s goalscoring prowess deserted him tonight and it came down to Jake O’Brien to rescue a point at Brentford with a very fine diving header.
David Moyes makes a change with Charly Alcaraz starting for Everton, Abdoulaye Doucoure is not on the bench because his wife is having a baby but both Nathan Patterson and Youssef Chermiti make a welcome return from their respective injury absences.
The home side got the game underway, getting forward and winning an early throw-in. A long-range striker from Lewis-Potter flew past Pickford’s post. Going the other way, Garner’s first effort was bizarrely spooned high and wide. Mykolenko then tried to release Beto without success.
There was some decent Everton play until Gueye decided he too should try a silly shot at goal from way too far out. Gueye was fouled but the turnover was waved on by the referee. Tarkowski needlessly played the ball into touch and Schade drove in on goal, forcing a corner. Tarkowski redeemed himself, heading the ball clear.
Lewis-Potter caused more trouble and Schade forced another corner that required some considerable defending, Everton penned back. Branthwaite tried to release Mykolenko but he completely mis-hit the ball and The Bees surged forward, Branthwaite saving a corner at the expense of a throw-in.
Brentford eventually worked the ball well to the far post but Wissa could only head into Pickford’s grateful hands. The Blues finally got forward but Mykolenko was denied possession.
A great turnover and Alcaraz drove forward, Lindstrom crossing, but it flew over Beto and Alcaraz could do nothing with it at the far post. Schade almost stole the ball off O’Brien. But Everton were getting a lot more of the forward play although Beto had no real chance to convert a difficult volley.
Ajer did well to stop Harrison overlapping, but Alcaraz did not control the ball well. A nice move into the Brentford area saw an interesting backheel from O’Brien that was unfortunately wayward.
Brentford worked another foray forward; more firm defensive work was required, with Mbeumo putting in a tempting cross toward the far post.
A Harrison cross to O’Brien seemed to be a good set-up for Beto coming in but he was rather easily put off by the defender. End-to-end and Brentford couldn’t quite shape the shit before Beto gets away from Pinnock but one-on-one, he makes it far too easy for Flekken to snatch the ball.
Brentford attacked again but the Blues cleared the ball and Collins wellied high and wide. Beto again got free one-on-one again after a very smart header forward by Alcaraz but this time his shot hit Flekken’s arm and got just enough of a deflection to touch it past the post.
From the corner, there was a nasty clash of heads between Mbeumo and Alcaraz, with the Everton man flat out — but eventually both were able to run off for the enforced (ridiculous!) 30-second sin-bin on the sideline.
Wissa was given space to shoot but Pickford palmed it away. But from the long throw-in bounced before Mbeumo was allowed to head it onto the bar and Wissa easily nodded the falling ball over the line.
Really a shocking goal for the Blues to give up on the verge of half-time as Alcaraz shows he too can shoot stupidly from a ridiculous distance away from goal.
O’Brien won an early corner after the restart, the brilliant delivery from Harrison almost going straight in before it hit O’Brien on the line — who seemed to have no idea what just happened!
Everton had some possession but just allowed themselves to be pushed all the way back to Pickford. Lindstrom crossed in, then the ball fell at Alcaraz’s feet but he could not react and the ball came out to Garner who decided he too should show everyone how badly he could shoot.
O’Brien was very strong competing with Schade and incorrectly winning a corner. Harrison’s corner this time was pitiful as the referee saw an infringement by the attacking side.
The hour-mark approached as Everton tried but failed to work an opening, Moyes with very little on the bench to affect the outcome. Harrison’s cross was deflected into Flekken’s hands. Another Harrison cross was delivered too close to Flekken.
Lindstrøm was bundled over by Lewis-Potter, but Pickford’s free-kick soon came right back to him. Gueye Lindstrom and Beto tried an intricate move through the middle that broke down. Mykolenko was next to cross straight to Flekken.
Lewis-Potter got a good cross past O’Brien to the far post but Pickford was there for the following header. Garner and Harrison did well to let Alcaraz work a dangerous shot that flew just wide.
Alcaraz drove forward with intent but rather generously played it to Harrison, whose low shot was well blocked. by Ajer. Alcaraz tried another shot from way out that bobbled wide.
Brentford seemed to just walk through the Everton defence for Wissa to score his second but thankfully it was flagged offside. A Brentford free-kick was headed wide. Then Tarkowski almost got into trouble. Brentford built again but were repelled, with Everton failing to really threaten as Moyes finally made his belated changes on 75 minutes.
But with very little seemingly happening, Mykolenko picked out the giant Jake O’Brien who stooped to conquer with a fine header that flew past Flekken. That goal certainly enlivened the pace of what had been a flat game at times, both sides now determined to find a winner.
Everton had a good spell with the ball, Brentford on the back foot. It was then Everton’s turn to defend until they forced a break, Alcaraz stretching as he fired the ball at Flekken.
Brentford looked to have fashioned a dangerous chance but again Everton turned it over and Beto was again put through one-on-one but again Flekken got a hand to his attempted lob.
It led to a couple of corners and again a wayward shot from Alcaraz ended the move. Beto was body-checked by Collins, winning a late free-kick but Harrison’s ball in evaded Tarkowski at the far post.
Iroegbunam wins a throw-in by the corner flag but Wissa heads it clear. Everton tried to get the ball up to Beto again in the last minutes but it would not fall for him.
Brentford had a late throw-in of their own that saw O’Brien edge his man aside, screams for a home penalty waived away, and that’s how it ended.
Brentford: Flekken, Ajer (81′ Kayode), Collins [Y:90+1′], Pinnock, Lewis-Potter, Janelt, Yarmoliuk [Y:80′], Damsgaard, Schade (76′ Maghoma), Mbeumo, Wissa.
Subs not Used: Valdimarsson, Carvalho, Mee, Konak, Ji-Soo, Morgan, Arthur
Everton: Pickford, Mykolenko, Branthwaite, Tarkowski, O’Brien, Harrison, Garner, Gueye (75′ Iroegbunam), Alcaraz [Y:89′], Lindstrom (75′ Young), Beto.
Subs not Used: Virginia, Begovic, Patterson, Keane, Chermiti, Sherif, Heath.