Moments missed from Everton's dramatic 2-2 draw with Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium
Going to Brentford in a head-to-head as both teams chase European qualification, Everton ensured they remain level on points with the west London side after equalising for the second occasion through Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in stoppage time.
Brentford had twice taken the lead through Igor Thiago, who followed his hat-trick at Hill Dickinson Stadium in January with a third-minute penalty, which was cancelled out by a 26th-minute Beto header, and a fortuitous 76th-minute strike.
But the Blues grabbed what could proved to be a crucial point when Dewsbury-Hall pounced in the 91st minute.
You knew all that, though, didn't you? But here are some potential moments missed from the dramatic clash at the Gtech Community Stadium...
Tarky v Thiago
The final whistle is usually the cue for handshakes and to put the tussles of the previous 90 plus minutes behind you, but at Brentford it prompted Everton captain James Tarkowski to continue the battle with home striker Thiago.
There was plenty of finger-pointing and crossed words as Tarkowski appeared to take the Brazilian to task.
While it was a competitive, full-blooded contest given what was at stake and the Blues skipper gives as good as he gets in that respect, he looked like he had some scores to settle over the way the hosts’ ace marksman – whose brace took his Premier League tally for the season to 21 and five against David Moyes’ men – threw his weight around.
Tarkowski had been chasing rookie referee Farai Hallam, taking charge of just his third top-flight contest, around earlier after some challenges he took exception to and there was one in particular by the touchline where the dugouts and press box are located which particularly caught the eye.
Thiago had already caught James Garner with force before he caught the newly-capped England international with what was a naughty shove after the ball was out of play.
Given that Tarkowski is already something of a pantomime villain with many fans at his former club Brentford considering that as one of their players, amid a series of transfer bids, he refused to turn out in a match against Sean Dyche’s Burnley as a 23-year-old in 2016, a fortnight before the Mancunian returned to his native North West by making a move to Turf Moor, he was clearly unconcerned about making new friends in this corner of the capital.
As Everton superfan Dr David France declared on the Royal Blue podcast just the day before this game, Tarkowski is a warrior who acts like a minder for his team-mates on the pitch and he’ll be missed in that respect once his playing time with the club comes to an end.
Crucial toss
It seems Tarkowski had sensed danger before the game had even begun. Taking part in the pre-match toss as part of his duties as captain, he could be seen pointing up at the sun that was shining brightly in the eyes of the players facing that way.
Unfortunately, the Everton skipper didn’t call correctly and his opportunity to switch ends was lost. On a day in which a swirling wind around the Gtech Community Stadium was also causing problems, the Blues found themselves conceding a penalty just a couple of minutes into the contest as Jordan Pickford and his defence seemed to struggle to adjust to the glare.
Although it’s a smart venue, as one of the smallest in the Premier League, Brentford’s home can be particularly exposed to the elements.
This correspondent was once given a behind the scenes tour for the ECHO, travelling to London to also visit Tottenham Hotspur as Everton built their new stadium, and was told that the Bees deliberately stuck the away supporters at that same end so they – not the bulk of the regular patrons – would be left shielding their eyes.
Garner disputes booking
As already mentioned, man in the middle Hallam was on just his third Premier League assignment. He cautioned Garner for a challenge on Dango Ouattara early in the second half but the Everton midfielder was unimpressed by the decision.
Taking to Instagram, the Birkenhead-born player wrote: “Tough point away from home! Also the worst yellow card I’ve ever received.”
Also on social media, the Blues’ stoppage-time saviour Dewsbury-Hall wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “Don’t count us out… see you next week.”
Mistaken identity
Considering the cosmopolitan, multicultural nature of the Premier League these days, with the competition attracting top talents from all around the world, it’s staggering that some rival stadium announcers still can’t get the name right of arguably the most valuable player in the Everton squad.
As a ball-playing, left-sided centre-back who is both comfortable in possession and physically imposing, Jarrad Branthwaite is a potentially generational talent if he can now keep himself fit after an eight-month lay-off with hamstring injuries earlier this season.
The man this correspondent has dubbed ‘The Carlisle Kaiser’ has been one of Everton’s main men for over two-and-a-half years now but still the man on the microphone at the Gtech Community Stadium couldn’t get his name right.
He was guilty of the same mistake his opposite number at Old Trafford made a couple of seasons ago by describing the Blues defender as “Gerard Braithwaite.”