This often confounding Everton team is now up and running in terms of picking up their first victory of the season having finally found the cutting edge up front they’ve been missing
It was fleeting, ended by a wayward pass by the otherwise highly effective Dwight McNeil, but towards the end of this hugely satisfying performance against Brentford, Everton were treated to “Olés” from their travelling fans as they competently saw out a 3-1 victory at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Six days ago, this was a collection of players who, at times, seemed incapable of finding each other from five yards away and seemed paralysed when faced with the prospect of trying to play through Arsenal at Goodison Park. Thomas Frank’s Bees may not be of the Gunners’ title-chasing calibre but they’re a very competent team and came into this match week unbeaten, yet there were numerous times where the Toffees played neat triangles and advanced up the pitch in stark contrast to that last outing.
Such are the contradictions and vagaries of this Everton team that is now up and running in terms of picking up their first victory of the season and who finally found the cutting edge up front that was missing against the likes of Fulham and Wolves and, for the most part, the defensive solidity that was absent at Villa Park and Bramall Lane.
Indeed, there was much to admire and be confident about this display from Sean Dyche’s men and it established a blueprint for how the Blues can pick up the points they need this season to stay out of trouble at the bottom. Having two different but effective threats at centre-forward helps, as does having McNeil fit, Amadou Onana in the mood, James Tarkowski looking back to his best, Jarrad Branthwaite imperious at the back, Ashley Young being taken off set-piece duty, and James Garner offering all his versatility in midfield. Add in Seamus Coleman and Jack Harrison and not only does Dyche have options but he also has a very promising first XI if the majority of them can stay fit.
Today, he left the player that before today was his top scorer in all competitions, Arnaut Danjuma, on the bench, a decision that appeared, depending on your viewpoint, either questionably bold or nonsensical before the match but which was vindicated in the final reckoning.
Because this wasn’t the expected performance based on classic counter-attacking in the manner of Everton’s last win away from home, at Brighton in May. Instead, the Blues went toe-to-toe with Brentford and secured a win fashioned with domination in midfield, diligent pressing in the opposition half, aerial prowess and some lovely finishing.
They unsettled the Londoners and their fans with an early goal, weathered the setback of losing their lead with almost half an hour gone and with a bit more luck for Doucouré and more composure from Beto in the first half, Everton could have been out of sight by the halfway stage. As it was, they simply knuckled down, maintained the upper hand and got the job done in the second half.
Everton’s start was initially slightly ominous, though, with Ashley Young picking up a booking with just 40 seconds on the clock and Bryan Mbeumo drifting a free-kick wide of goal but the visitors were soon ahead when McNeil won a corner on the left.
Garner’s corner was cleared but Everton won the ball back and the midfielder curled it back in, Tarkowski rose to knock it down in the box to Doucouré. He had smartly rolled off his marker into space and then despatched a crisp half-volley across the goalkeeper and into the far corner to make it 1-0.
McNeil then latched onto Beto’s flick-on and missed the far post by inches with an early effort just before the quarter-hour mark but Everton would have two great chances to double their lead in the space of six minutes.
First, a poor clearance fell straight to Vitalii Mykolenko inside the penalty area but with his weaker right foot he could only shoot straight at Mark Flekken and then when Tarkowski picked Doucouré out with a raking pass into the box, the Mali international took it down and sliced a volley that agonisingly came back off the crossbar.
A minute after that, it was 1-1. The otherwise imperious Jarrad Branthwaite could only hack a loose ball to Vitaly Janelt just outside the Everton area and the German shaped to shoot before sliding it to Jensen whose drilled shot found the net via Jordan Pickford’s glove and the inside of the far post.
The Blues stuck to their task, however, and Dyche will feel as though his side should have gone into half-time ahead. The mercurial Idrissa Gueye slid Beto in with a slide-rule pass eight minutes before the break but the Portuguese scooped his right-foot shot wide of goal.
Then, after Gueye had given the ball away cheaply in his own half and Tarkowski had done well to prevent Keane Lewis-Potter from stealing in at the back post, the Senegalese played Beto in again but the move ended in familiar fashion with the striker’s cross-cum-shot sliding the wrong side of the upright.
Brentford had improved following a subdued and somewhat anxious start but it was Everton who looked the stronger of the two teams after the interval and McNeil had the first chance of the second period but shot at the keeper.
Beto then won a free-kick by touchline which Tarkowski met with another towering header but Amadou Onana couldn’t divert the ball inside the far post before the former Udinese striker dropped a header of his own a yard or so wide.
That would be Beto’s last significant involvement as he was withdrawn in the 63rd minute with the approval of the travelling fans ringing in his ears and four minutes later, it was 2-1 to Everton.
Young’s attempted cross was deflected behind for a corner, Garner swept the resulting set-piece to the edge of the six-yard box where Tarkowski had timed his run and leap to perfection to power it home.
The Bees might have hit back almost immediately were it not for an excellent rearguard action by Everton where first Calvert-Lewin blocked Ethan Pinnock’s shot from close range and then Tarkowski denied Christian Nørgaard amid a meleé of bodies in front of goal.
Then, with 19 minutes left, the visitors wrapped things up. Garner robbed Nathan Collins in a dangerous area from the defender’s perspective, looked up and threaded a lovely ball between two other defenders with the outside of his boot for Calvert-Lewin to advance and slot in off Flekken’s leg to make it 3-1.
Pickford got away with an awful clearance when referee Michael Oliver got in the way of Saman Ghoddos as he looked to try and find the empty goal from distance but, otherwise, Brentford looked well beaten and the closing minutes were little more than a formality.
This was timely for Dyche because after such a barren start to the season and last week’s alarmingly poor showing, the knives were starting to come out for the manager. Many would have been eyeing the upcoming home games against Luton and Bournemouth as must-win fixtures that offered the best chance of the team picking up its first win of the Premier League campaign so to have done it on the road will serve as a huge tonic.
Regardless of what happens in midweek in the Cup back at Villa Park, those two home games now carry less pressure but they will also be approached with more optimism now that the players have shown what they’re capable of. Today will provide a shot in the arm to confidence and the return of Calvert-Lewin adds another reason to be optimistic that the Blues can keep their heads above water this season, again with some luck on the injury front.
