Match Report

Everton's protracted bid to secure Premier League safety continues after a harrowing home defeat to Brentford that hinged on another moment of refereeing injustice just 18 minutes into the match.

The Blues were leading 1-0 when a stonewall penalty was ignored at one end and Jarrad Branthwaite was sent off for a clumsy but unwitting denial of a clear goalscoring opportunity at the other and the Bees were able to capitalise in the second half even though Richarlison's penalty had made it 2-1 at half-time.

Salomon Rondon also saw red late on for an ugly tackle on Rico Henry, ending Everton's hopes of salvaging what could have been a hugely important point in the context of the relegation battle which remains unresolved heading into the final week of the season.

With Yerry Mina already ruled out and Ben Godfrey not yet ready to return, Lampard lost another senior centre-half in the build-up to the match when Michael Keane fell ill. That meant Branthwaite having to start at the back alongside Seamus Coleman and Mason Holgate.

In midfield, Fabian Delph and Donny van de Beek were missing through injury and Allan was apparently struggling with a knock even though he was named among the substitutes, so André Gomes lined up with Abdoulaye Doucouré while Dominic Calvert-Lewin made a rare start up front.

Everton started well and might well have been ahead inside the first 5 minutes. Anthony Gordon's flick-shot was saved by David Raya and Richarlison was there to meet the rebound but planted his header wide of goal.

The Brazilian then stretched to meet a cross from Alex Iwobi but steered it wide while Ivan Toney flashed a header narrowly over from a free-kick for Brentford.

The hosts took the lead in the 10th minute, however, with a scruffy goal that initially looked to have been scored by Richarlison but ultimately proved to be Calvert-Lewin's.

Gordon was chopped down by Mads Bech Sørensen and stepped up to take the resulting free-kick that he bobbled to the near post, Richarlison helped it on and it brushed off Calvert-Lewin's chest before finding the inside of the post.

Eight minutes later, though, the game turned irrevocably in Brentford's favour. A clear pull on Richarlison's shirt by Kristoffer Ajer went unpunished in the visitors' box and when the ball was launched forward for Toney to chase, Branthwaite tangled with the striker and brought him down as the last man.

That meant an instant dismissal for the young defender and 72 long minutes for Everton to try and protect their lead. They would lose it eight minutes before the interval after Christian Eriksen, who had seized control of the contest, barely missed with a free-kick and both Iwobi and Gomes had had to make important interventions in their own penalty area.

Gomes himself would test Raya with a crisp 30-yard shot but when Vitalii Mykolenko got back to concede a corner in front of the Gwladys Street and the set-piece was initially repelled, the ball was whipped back in to the back post by Toney where Wissa fired it back across goal and benefitted from a decisive deflection off Coleman that diverted into the goal.

Brentford had three opportunities to turn the match on its head when Henry's volley was saved by Jordan Pickford, Eriksen picked Toney out with a ball over the top but Pickford also foiled him before Mbeuno's effort was fisted away by the keeper.

The game was heading into the break when Pickford launched the ball forward for Calvert-Lewin to flick on, Richarlison was felled by Bech in the box and this time referee, Michael Oliver, pointed to the spot but, controversially, elected not to show the Dane a second yellow card.

Richarlison stepped up and sent Raya the wrong way before rapping the ball down the middle to send the Toffees into half-time with a 2-1 lead.

The Brazil forward came very close to teeing Calvert-Lewin up for a second when his cross from the left just eluded the England striker following excellent anticipation by Iwobi.

At the Park End, Pickford punched Eriksen's cross away and then repelled the Danish midfielder's free-kick but, in the 62nd minute, Brentford levelled the game again.

Gordon stopped Henry's cross to concede a corner but, when the set-piece was fired in from the Bees' left, Wissa stooped to flick it on at the near post, sending it sailing over everyone and into the far corner.

Two minutes later, it was 3-2. Gordon lost track of a deep cross from the Brentford right and Henry rose unchallenged to head past Pickford and silence what had been a boisterous and expectant Goodison Park crowd at kick-off.

Lampard withdrew Gordon and Gomes in favour of Demarai Gray and Jonjoe Kenny and Doucouré had an excellent chance to make it 3-3 with a far-post header but he botched the contact somewhat and Raya batted it behind.

Then, after Eriksen had narrowly missed from 20 yards and Lampard had played his last card in the form of Rondon, the Venezuelan destroyed the prospect of any late drama when he went in with both feet and scythed Henry down, prompting a straight red.

Holgate cleared off the line to prevent Eriksen making the scoreline worse before the final whistle blew on an emotional, angering, roller-coaster match that leaves Everton still searching for a decisive victory that would assure their survival in the top flight.

Lyndon Lloyd

Matchday Updates

Everton went ahead early through a flukey goal claimed by Calvert-Lewin, only to have Branthwaite and then Rondon dismissed as they twice gave up the lead to Eriksen's brilliant orchestration for the vsitors.

Other results earlier this afternoon meant that a win would keep Everton above Leeds Utd and outside of the relegation zone in the three-way battle for 18th place, with two more games to play.

Everton are without Fabian Delph after he was ruled out with a muscle injury. Allan is only on the bench with Gomes getting a starting berth.

Ben Godfrey and Donny van de Beek are still out injured. Demarai Gray is dropped to the bench. Dominic Calvert-Lewin starts for the first time in more than a month, while Jarrad Branthwaite makes only his third start with Mina, Godfrey and now Keane all out (Keane ill overnight).

Another packed and highly vocal Goodison Park did their utmost to create a tremendous atmosphere leading up to Gordon's kickoff. Everton got the all forward well and Mykolenko won the first corner. Mykolenko sliced the clearing header wide.

A long ball forward for Everton is headed on by DCL, Richarldion touching t on to Gordon whose chip is patted up by Raya, Richarison heading the rebound inches wide of the post. A glorious chance that should have been a goal.

A silly free-kick is given up at the other end in a very lively start, Ekiksen's brilliant ball in headed just over by Toney. Bak at the other end and Richarlisn waves his foot at a high ball from iwobi, driving it wide.

Gordon did well to get around the back but a typical cross from him, defended behind, and the corner delivery not good enough. A tremendous one start to the age for both sides. Gordon, gambled on a sandwich move and went down dramatically, winning a free-kick and a yellow card for Sorensen.

From the free-kick, Richarlison bobbles it into the Brentford net, with Calvert-Lewin claiming it brushed off his chest before crossing the line! A tremendous start as just reward for the fantastic Goodison crowd.

In the Euphoria, Everton's players had to buckle down and stay alert as Brentford looked to benefit parasitically on the crowd noise filling Goodison Park.

Richarlison claimed his shirt was pulled but Brentford cleared the ball and Branthwaite tangled with Towney and was immediately shown the red card as the last defender. The VAR made no move on Richarlison's claim, and so the red card stands.

Eriksen fired the resulting free-kick superbly over the wall and inches wide of the post. Reduced to 10 men, Everton resorted to regard action as Brentford looked to take advantage. No changes from Lampard.

Doucore did well to start a break but Norgaard decided to stop him for a yellow card. the free-kick from Pickford was ridiculous, straight out of play.

But the mistakes were starting to appear in the depleted defence, Iwobi coming across to clip a dangerous ball inches over the Everton bar. In the next Brentford attack, Gomes played a clearance straight to Jensen who struck it across goal.

Richarlison collapsed dramatically under pressure, staying down for ages and getting his wrist well wrapped for good measure. Gomes produced a nice strike on target from a long way about that drew a fine leaping save by Raya.

But from a Brentford corner, they kept the ball alive and Wissa'a cross clipped off Coleman past Pickford for an equalizing own-goal.

DCL tried to advance with the ball and was taken out by Ajer (yellow card). From the free-kick, Gordon could not fashion a shot but Doucour'é's was miles off target. Meanwhile, Jensen got his shot on target at the other end, forcing a Pickford save.

Mykolenko went on a great run but Richarlison could not get out of a four-man cul-de-sac. At the other end, a fantastic ball over the top from Eriksen was met well by Towney but Pickford anticipated well. Then Jensen fired in a wicked curler that Pickford got across superbly to save well.

Richarlson challenging in the Brentford area, feels a touch from one of two centre-halves and collapses in a heap. Michael Oliver incredibly says penalty. Richarlison insisted on taking it, stutter-step, and scored.

What an incredible half of crazy mad-cap football!

The second half began with Brentford looking to take advantage of the extra man. But Iwobi had other ideas, stealing possession for Richarlison to advance and cross in perfectly for Calvert-Lewin except he was inches behind the ball.

It was helter-skelter stuff as Everton looked to defend with yellow shirts scampering this way and that, Eriksen behind everything, Pickford launching himself to punch the ball away dramatically.

For Everton, Calvert-Lewin was doing his best to get underneath the aerial clearances but it was a thankless pursuit as Brentford kept pushing the Blues defence back and it was a lottery where the ball would end up..

Iwobi gave up a dangerous free-kick delivered superbly again by Eriksen, and somehow defended away. But Mykolenko somehow getting sucked in by Toney grabbing his shirt, and feigning a head-butt but nothing more given after the VAR check.

An outrageous piece of ball control by Richarlison on his shoulder from a superb crossfield pass from Iwobi was spoilt somewhat when he passed it straight to a yellow shirt.

Brentofrd forced a corner, Eriksen again whipping in a tremendous ball that Wissa got underneath and scored from the narrowest of angles despite Richarlison's attentions.

Brentford kept attacking and Henry got behind an excellent cross, powering past Pickford, to finally give Brentford the lead.

Everton tried what they had not been doing, attacking with 10 men, but the situation was increasingly desperate as they had allowed the genius that is Christian Eriksen the freedom of the field to conjure up attack after debilitating attack.

Gordon did well to intercept but DOucouré passed straight to a defender, and Brentford fashioned another attack, Henry mis-hitting his shot.

Richarlison did well to force a corner, ridiculously sent out of play by Mykoleno, as Gordon was replaced by Gray and Kenny replaced Gomes.

Everton almost created an attack but Richarlison was offside. Pickford wellied the ball miles upfield with no-one anywhere near it. Kenny played the ball straight to a Brentford man and they launched yet another attack, Mbuemo skying it over.

Richarlison did well to draw a foul in an advanced location, the free-kick fired over to Dououré who headed down and up off the post. The corner was decent from Gray but still no real chances on goal for the Blues, Iwobi chipping the ball poorly into Raya's arms.

Everton's passing in possession was shockingly poor, Coleman giving up the ball far too easily as they tried again to build something, Pickford again launching the ball way too far.

Everton's passing was just shocking, Eriksen getting a chance to shoot surprisingly wide. Rondo came on in place of Coleman for the last effort to rescue something from this Greek tragedy if a disaster.

Demarai Gray tried to work something onto the Brentford area but it was blocked. Rondon and Richarlsin tried to blunder their way forward, as Everton provided pressure unseen since the first 20 minutes. Was it too little, too late?

An astounding moment where Rondon, went in with a ridiculous challenge and was sent off to a second red card for Everton, after he was on the field for less than 5 minutes.

Brentford swarmed the 9 men of Everton, Holgate miraculously heading away a great shot from Eriksen with Pickford well beaten as 4 minutes of added time were signalled.

Everton how had to think only of defending to hold the scoreline, Brentford smelling late blood.

Kick-off: 4:30 pm, Sunday 15 May 2022 on Sky Sports

Everton: Pickford, Mykolenko, Holgate, Branthwaite [R:18'], Coleman (84' Rondon [R:88']), Iwobi, Doucoure, Gomes (72' Kenny), Gordon (72' Gray), Richarlison, Calvert-Lewin.
Subs: Begovic, Allan, Davies, Dele, Price, Welch.

Brentford: Raya, Henry, Nørgaard [Y:27'], Jensen, Wissa (75' Roerslev), Toney, Jansson, Mbeumo, Ajer [Y:17'] (59' Dasilva), Eriksen, Sørensen [Y:8'] (46' Janelt).
Subs: Lössl, Canós, Jeanvier, Peart-Harris, Baptiste, Stevens.

Michael Kenrick

We were never going to do it the easy way, were we?

I headed over quite early as I wanted to catch up with the Ruleteros Society, who were celebrating their 20th year at the Ship and Mitre in the city centre. I couldn’t find them, however, and was sat having a beer and some lunch reading a magazine when who walks in but Andy Burnham. I sat and chatted to him and his friend for 30 minutes or so before Gaz arrived, picking me up and parking up at around 2:45 pm. What a nice fella, and great Evertonian.

We bought a few beers from an off-licence and made our way to join the masses on Goodison Road. It was a brilliant atmosphere there, almost festival-like. We were too far away to really see the team bus arrive, but it was good fun nonetheless.

When the team arrived there were blue flares everywhere. Dan had purchased a few and handed them out to us. I opened mine up and then dropped it, and in scurrying around to pick it up I managed to get a face-full of blue smoke. Once the fanfare had died down somewhat I looked over at Dan and said “Eh Dan, you’ve got a bit of that blue stuff in your hair there”. He just laughed and said “You should see you!”

I took a look at myself on my phone and my whole face was covered in blue. Like a Smurf. I had to go and wash my face and we made our way to The Spellow, though not without what felt like every passer-by, of which there were literally thousands, all laughing at my expense. You could only laugh back, so ridiculous was it. “Aye lad, you’ve got some blue on you there” I heard several times.

Once cleaned up, such was the queue at the bar, we went straight into the ground for a beer before the game. With no phone signal down there, I didn’t actually get the team news until we took our seats just a few minutes prior to kick-off. I had no idea that Michael Keane was missing with illness, Jarrad Branthwaite replacing him… for 18 minutes at least.

I was also surprised to see Andre Gomes recalled in place of the injured Fabian Delph. I thought Allan was a safer bet but I’m loath to criticise Frank for trying to be positive. And Dominic Calvert-Lewin came in to replace Demarai Gray. I certainly had no complaints with that either. It felt a bit more like a 4-4-2 to me than the 5-4-1 we have become more accustomed to lately… maybe it was a bit of both.

The crowd were fabulous, as too were the players. We started very brightly and were right on the front foot, causing problems and creating opportunities. Richarlison passed up a decent chance though it wasn’t long until we scored. Great pressing from Anthony Gordon forced the mistake from Mads Bech Sørensen.
Anthony took the free-kick himself, it looked as though Richarlison had shanked it in though it turns out that Dominic Calvert-Lewin managed to get the last touch. Despite the result, who knows, maybe that’ll be an important goal. Dominic seems to be quite the purple-patch goalscorer, maybe this is the beginning of a few more goals in the last two games. Here’s hoping.

Everton were in complete control of the game, were easily the better team and the crowd were buoyant. And then out of nowhere, a big hoick upfield and, in the blink of an eye, Ivan Toney was the wrong side of Jarrad Branthwaite. They collided and Michael Oliver quickly released the red card from his pocket. Goodison Park was stunned. I don’t think Jarrad felled intentionally, but if you allow your striker to get the wrong side of you, you’re asking for trouble, and though I was upset at the time, having seen it back you can’t complain at the decision.

Being at the other end of the pitch I wasn’t aware of the foul in the penalty area on Richarlison by Kristoffer Ajer. Back in the car on the way home later, Dan, who has a significantly better view than me in the Top Balcony, was saying he thought it was a foul at the time, while we looked at a few photos of the incident.

It wasn’t until I later saw Match of the Day that I realised the scale of the injustice. If you watch the replay, you’ll see that Michael Oliver has a very clean view of the incident, and why he didn’t point to the spot, I don’t know. Nevertheless, why isn’t the VAR telling him to go and have a look at it? I mean, it's acceptable to have one of our players booked and then the VAR get involved and change it to a red card instead, so why not this?

This had an enormous impact on the outcome, and twice this season against Brentford a clear shirt pull in the penalty area has been ignored both by match and VAR officials. We would likely have been 2-0 ahead with 11 vs 11, but instead it's 1-0 10 vs 11. It’s a real outrage and as we’re all aware, it’s far from the first time we’ve been wronged by officiating this season.

Brentford’s equalising goal was as frustrating as it was preventable. We’d cleared the first ball from the corner, and I felt Andre Gomes didn’t cover himself in glory in not reaching the second ball. You sensed danger as the ball just wouldn’t clear. I wondered how Yoanne Wissa’s drive made it all the way through and into the net. It was only when I saw it later on the highlights that I realised it was actually a cross that deflected in from Seamus Coleman. It was very unlucky, but I felt preventable in that we had the chance to clear our lines. Fortune wasn’t our friend.

Then, to add to the drama, we were awarded a penalty which Richarlison duly converted to put us back ahead. Watching him do that slow stuttering run-up was a real nerve-shredder, followed by an explosion of joy. Everton ahead of the break. Time to take a deep breathe… or a gulp of cider in my instance.

I thought we were keeping our shape well in the second half, given we’d had to reshuffle. Seamus Coleman and Mason Holgate were digging in at centre-back and Alex Iwobi was doing just fine at right-back. It was a flat 4-4-1 basically. As we were protecting a lead, I was advocating replacing Andre Gomes with Allan to give us more bite in midfield, but we were doing okay, and almost scored a third when Dominic couldn’t quite connect with Richarlison’s fizzed centre.

And that’s what makes the manner of the goals we conceded all the more frustrating. I’d probably credit Brentford with a good set-piece than complain at Everton’s defending for the first goal. It was a clever move, one which they’d clearly noticed a chink in our armour from defending corner kicks. A good ball from Christian Eriksen and a brilliant near-post header from Wissa. I suppose it's the sort of goal that would likely only go in once in every ten as a lot needs to go right for that to find the corner, but fair enough, it did. 2-2.

Brentford’s third, and ultimately winning goal however was an awful one to concede, simply dreadful. Anthony Gordon completely lost focus and switched off. Young players. They learn the hard way but that was really slack and we paid the biggest penalty.

There was plenty of huff and puff from there on in, and the crowd kept pushing the players on, but there was to be no fairytale ending. On the contrary, our nightmare was sealed when substitute Salomon Rondon got himself sent off inside 4 minutes of coming on, for a brainless lunge on Rico Henry. I presume that’s the last we’ve seen of him.

I was a little perplexed by Frank Lampard’s substitutions. I could see what he was trying to do in getting Alex Iwobi higher up the pitch and central, but I felt that Dele Alli would have been worth a go. That all said, it was a failure to award us a penalty and individual mistakes which have cost us in the game. On another day, we might have won easily.

I was pretty angry on the way home, though once I’d finally caught up with the highlights, I immediately felt a bit more positive. We really didn’t get the rub from this one, either with officiating decisions or with luck. The Coleman own-goal was unpreventable. Things could have been so different.

So on we go. We’ve still got another crack at home. If we can keep 11 men on the pitch, we’ll be alright.

Man of the Match: Richarlison.

Paul Traill

Match Preview

Everton are back at Goodison Park this weekend for the penultimate home game of the season looking for a victory that could secure Premier League football for next season.

The Blues face Brentford a match moved to 4:30pm on Sunday and, depending on how Leeds United fare at home to Brighton in a 2pm game, Frank Lampard and his players might know what is required to guarantee safety by the time they kick off.

Leeds will have only one fixture left after this weekend, a trip to the Brentford Community Stadium so the Blues would need to better the Lilywhites' result by at least a point to effectively save themselves given the large disparity in goal difference.

Everton will be without Fabian Delph after he was ruled out with a muscle injury. The midfielder returned from a long injury lay-off a month ago to bolster the midfield at an important time but three games in 11 days to start May have taken their toll and the 32-year-old won't be available this weekend.

That should mean an automatic return to central midfield for Allan who came on as substitute for Delph in the closing stages of Wednesday's goalless draw at Watford. The Brazilian has been among the subs in recent matches as Frank Lampard has kept faith with the Yorkshireman and Abdoulaye Doucouré in the middle.

Lampard suggested in his press conference ahead of the game against the Bees that both Ben Godfrey and Donny van de Beek have been training and have a chance of being involved.

Van de Beek hasn't featured for a number of games now due to illness and a groin injury picked up in training and is expected to be fit for the match against Crystal Palace on Thursday of he doesn't make it for Sunday while Godfrey has been out since tweaking a thigh muscle in the warm-up before the Anfield derby last month. The defender is rated by his manager as the more likely of the two be fit this weekend.

It's likely that Lampard will keep faith with the bulk of the team that has done so well in recent games to return seven points from a possible nine but may take fatigue into account where someone like Demarai Gray or Anthony Gordon are concerned.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin's cameo off the bench at Watford in midweek might indicate his readiness to finally start which would present Lampard with an opportunity to try two up top.

Kick-off: 4:30 pm, Sunday 15 May 2022 on Sky Sports
Referee: Michael Oliver
VAR: Darren England
Last Time: Everton 6 - 1 Brentford (Division 2, February 1954)

Predicted Line-up: Pickford, Coleman, Keane, Holgate, Mykolenko, Allan, Doucouré, Iwobi, Gordon, Richarlison, Calvert-Lewin

Lyndon Lloyd

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