Brentford and Everton played out an entertaining 1-1 draw at the Gtech Community Stadium, as the Bees and Toffees both had big chances to take all three points.
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Anthony Gordon put Everton ahead with a fine goal as the young winger could be heading to Chelsea in the coming days, but he put his boyhood club ahead.
However, Brentford hit the woodwork three times and missed several chances and it looked like they may not get anything from the game. Vitaly Janelt popped up with the equalizer as Brentford got the point they deserved.
Brentford now have five points from four games, while Everton have two points and are still searching for their first win.
What we learned from Brentford vs Everton
Woodwork denies buzzing Bees: Thomas Frank will be cursing his luck after this game as Brentford should have won at a canter. They hit the woodwork three times and Bryan Mbuemo was guilty of missing a big chance in the first half too. Had the Bees been more clinical, they could have scored four goals in back-to-back home games. Instead, they are ruing missed chances.
Toffees slick on the counter as long ball works: It wasn’t pretty but Frank Lampard wanted his side to look high up the pitch early and often and it worked. That is exactly how Gordon got his goal, how he could have scored another and Amadou Onana and Demarai Gray both also went close. They are still yet to win in the Premier League this season and this is their worst start in 12 years. Not having a fit striker has hit Lampard’s side hard but with Dominic Calvert-Lewin coming back soon, perhaps they can mix up their style of play a little and try to dictate the tempo of the game.
Gordon adds value to transfer fee: He may not be at Everton for much longer but Gordon added a few more millions to his price tag with this display. He underlined just how important he is to the Toffees and was the only player who looked like he believed he could score a goal and make something happen. Everton have to keep Gordon but if he wants to leave, then Lampard has a busy few days to line up replacements.
Tactical focus
Brentford’s press caused Everton lots of problems but the Toffees were very direct themselves and had a clear plan to play out of it. When it worked they looked very dangerous but the only reason Brentford didn’t win this game was because they missed so many chances. It really is as simple as that. The Bees bullied Everton but somehow this beautiful game doesn’t make any sense.
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Stars of the show
Ivan Toney: Hit the post with a header and ran Everton’s defense ragged as his teammates couldn’t make the most of their chances either. Never stopped running.
Anthony Gordon: A superb goal and came close on a few other occasions as he showed exactly why Chelsea are willing to spend over $70 million to sign him. He will be a huge loss for Everton.
Amadou Onana: Excellent in midfield as he broke up play and did his best to stop Brentford pouring forward. Almost scored too. What a signing he looks like.
What’s next?
Brentford have a London derby at Crystal Palace on Tuesday, Aug. 30, while Everton play at Leeds on the same night.
How to watch Brentford vs Everton live, stream link and start time
Kick off: 10am ET, Saturday
TV Channel: PeacockOnline: Stream via NBCSports.com
Key storylines
Brentford lost a pulsating clash at Fulham but they could have easily won it after storming back from 2-0 down to make it 2-2. VAR calls, close calls and being undone by an Aleksandar Mitrovic header was their downfall. Brentford are the heavy favorites to win heading into this game and Frank’s side must now cope with increased expectation levels given how well they played against Manchester United in their 4-0 win in their opening home game of the season.
As for Everton, Lampard needs reinforcements and he may lose key winger Anthony Gordon. Chelsea continue to chase the 21-year-old and it seems inevitable that Gordon will be leaving Goodison Park in the final days of the transfer window. Everton have a real lack of options in attack given Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s injury and that is the main problem for Lampard early in the season. Their narrow defeats to Chelsea and Aston Villa showcased they are more resilient and they showed that to grab a point at home against Forest despite being second best for most of that clash.
In-form players to keep an eye on
Brentford’s Ivan Toney has started the season really well and he continues to have a formidable partnership with Bryan Mbeumo up top. They will look to stretch this Everton defensive line and press them high up the pitch.
Everton have sat back and soaked up plenty of pressure so far this season and Jordan Pickford has had a lot of work to do. Anthony Gordon has looked as bright as ever but will this be his final game as an Everton player?
Brentford team news, injuries, lineup
Kristoffer Ajer, Sergi Canos and Ethan Pinnock all remain out for the Bees.
🚨 𝙏𝙀𝘼𝙈 𝙉𝙀𝙒𝙎 🚨
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) August 27, 2022
⬅ Zanka replaces Jansson
© Nørgaard captains the side#BrentfordFC | #BREEVE pic.twitter.com/keXksGGW2z
Everton team news, injuries, lineup
Andros Townsend, Yerry Mina and Ben Godfrey all remain out for Everton for the foreseeable future. Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Abdoulaye Doucoure won’t be back until mid-September, while Andre Gomes is getting closer to a return.
Your starting XI to take on Brentford! 👇#BREEVE pic.twitter.com/HirxaRHHpA
— Everton (@Everton) August 27, 2022