Everton were back in action after a 3-week break and were still half-asleep as they went behind to an early penalty for Brentford at the GTech Community Stadium on Saturday afternoon. A good contest ensued wth Everton pulling goals back through Beto and then Dewsbury-Hall in added time, with both teams still level on points in the chase for Champions League places.
Grealish and Alacaraz are the only expected absentees, Branthwaite replacing Keane, with Armstrong and Aznou missing out.
Pickford was called into action early as Schade came around Pickford, who fouled him... Foul, yellow card and penalty in the first minute! Thiago drove the spot-kick home to give Brentford an early lead.
The Blues were totally shell-shocked and had no immediate answer to this huge setback. But Everton finally got forward, Ndiaye benefiting from a turnover and Beto‘s shot deflected behind. The corner from McNeil was cleared.
Everton’s play continued to be scrappy, Gana giving the ball away, and the Blues were reticent to press too hard in recovery.
Dewsbury-Hall drove forward through the middle with McNeil, but Beto was well marshalled and could only push his marker for a foul. Branthwaite then stepped forward, Brentford backing off, and from nothing he lashed a shot just wide.
Everton were not pressing the home side at all and a wicked ball in almost caused havoc. Everton got upfield and Dewsbury-Hall fired a brilliant cross that Beto stretched for but missed. From a throw-in, a snapshot from Gana forced a great save from Kelleher, whose parry out to Beto forced another save, along with the offside flag. Everton should have scored.
Some great work out wide from O'Brien forced his way past Potter that Brentford wanted a foul for but the ball back to Gana saw a lovely first-time cross that Beto nodded it at the far post. Blues back in the game!
Some good pressure from Brentford needed decent clearances until Tarkowski was fouled. It got a bit physical, Gana in with a brilliantly timed tackle to stop Thiago progressing. But it was more open, although Gana mistimed his tackle on Jensen.
It had taken the best part of 30 minutes but Everton were getting a lot of the ball, but Brentford mounted a good counter, Jensen seeing a chance and firing a tremendous shot that was going just inside the post, Pickford launching himself for a super fingertip save. Nothing came of the corner.
Brentford stayed high and another difficult cross forced Mykolenko to concede another corner. The delivery was superb Pickford saving Schade's header off the bar but then down to make another instant save from Ouattara before Branthwaite had to block desperately to prevent Thiago from scoring.
More Brentford pressure saw Ouattara move ahead and ready to shoot but his shot excellently blocked. Everton responded, a ball in testing Kelleher with Ndiaye in attendance. Another good cross in from McNeil saw Beto sandwiched.
Another drive forward by the all-Blues threatened again. The blues were working hard to try and create something, another great cross in from McNeil forcing good contact from Kelleher.
A great cross in from Brentford was headed away strongly by Branthwaite before the extra 5 minutes were up.
Second Half
The Bees kicked off the second half and drove forward until they encountered Tarkowski. Garner committed his first foul and was booked for it. A tremendous delivery from Jensen, Collins heading it onto the crossbar.
Brentford continued to have the most of the ball and kept pressing forward, Everton having to defend deeply. When they did turn it over, a loose pass lost possession again.
Brentford had to block again another Schade shot from a backheader off Thiago. At the other end, Ndiaye danced in from the left but lost the ball but it was worked around; however, O'Brien's throw went behind. McNeil tried to find Ndiaye with an ambitious crossfield ball that also went beyond him and behind.
From a midfield free-kick, Garner played a brilliant ground ball for Beto to run onto but he was a fraction late and Kelleher gathered it ahead of him. Everton seemed to have weathered the post-half-time onslaught.
Dewsbury-Hall got possession and drove a great ball down the wing to Ndiaye who came inside and shot, his deflected effort blocked by Kelleher's foot as he readjusted brilliantly to deny a certain goal.
The intensity was increasing as both sides felt one more goal could swing this tense affair, Brentford attacking with vigour. Jensen fired a shot high over Pickford's goal.
McNeil almost released Beto before he picked up the ball again but his shot was blocked and Brentford were on the attack again. It was all hands in Everton's penalty area, as Jensen put in a long throw that Beto half-cleared.
Pickford bowled it forward and it looked like Dewsbury-Hall had to score but he chose to pirouette, and it gave Kelleher the chance to block him. That led to three changes by Moyes with a quarter-hour left.
But the changes unfortunately had the opposite effect, Thiago scampering in unchallenged and Kayode deflecting his shot past Pickford. Oh dear!
George had room to shoot but his aim was seriously wayward as Eveton tried to counter but were too slow in the build-up and easily thwarted. George finally got behind the line but his cross did not reach Barry. He tried again and Ndiaye's header won a corner but that was cleared.
A great Everton move down the left saw a fierce shot from George parried behind by Kelleher, who also cleared the corner away, Brentford looking to break. But time was running out for the Blues, with only 3 minutes added on.
Everton drew everyone back for a long throw and had no one forward when Branthwaite cleared. But they did work their way forward, Ndiaye playing it back for Ob'rien to shoit but his shot was blocked out to the left where Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall fairly hammered it in from a narrow angle. Great goal.
Lewis Potter was determined to get The Bees ahead, though and a brilliant bit of work saw his teasing cross glance off Schade, and it was enough to put Thiago off as the ball would have fallen niceely for him at the far post.
But that was the last bit of action and well-earned draw for Everton that looked a bit unlikely after that dreadful start.
Brentford : Kelleher, Lewis-Potter, Collins, Van den Berg, Kayode, Jensen, Yarmoliuk, Schade, Damsgaard (46' Nelson), Ouattara, Thiago.
Subs: Valdimarsson, Pinnock, Ajer, Donovan, Bentt, Shield, Stephenson, Owen.
Everton: Pickford [Y:2'], O'Brien, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Gana (74' Iroegbunam), Garner [Y:47'], McNeil, Dewsbury-Hall, Ndiaye (74' George), Beto (74' Barry).
Subs not Used: Travers, Patterson, Keane, Dibling, Coleman, Röhl,.
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