Everton now have just one win in 10 games
The early season upstart gave a huge boost of confidence to Everton but soon the injury bubble burst and there was a stone-cold reality check for Rafa Benitez. With the 1-0 loss to Brentford, Everton now have just one win in the last 10 games.
Another frustrating outing where Everton lacked the required bite in the final third, missing Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison dearly. The Toffees controlled the game and moved forward but just couldn’t penetrate in the Brentford goal area. The chance creation wasn’t smooth and any chances created were simply dead in the final third.
Rafa Benitez made three changes as Abdoulaye Doucoure returned, Salomon Rondon started and Alex Iwobi came in for Demarai Gray. Iwobi played behind the striker meanwhile Anthony Gordon and Andros Townsend were tucked in at the flanks.
The sixth loss of the Premier League campaign puts the Toffees in 14th position as pressure starts mounting on Rafa Benitez. Some might even start questioning his player preferences as the Spaniard did not bring on any striker despite having Cenk Tosun, Lewis Dobbin and Ellis Simms on the bench. With the Merseyside derby up next, Everton are in deep waters and in worst possible shape to face their archrivals.
Everton player ratings vs Brentford
Jordan Pickford – 6.5
Jordan Pickford was fairly involved in the play in the opening stages, collecting long balls and punching the high balls around the goal area. Ivan Toney sent Pickford the wrong side and scored from the penalty spot after a spot kick was awarded after VAR intervention.
He did not put a foot wrong in the whole game and was very unfortunate to concede via a spot kick. Pickford was authoritative and smart in his area and kept things under control.
Defence:
Seamus Coleman – 5
Seamus Coleman had one of the games to forget. He did get forward but most of the times his passes were intercepted or cut out by Brentford. Going forward, he left spaces to exploit which Ivan Toney and Brayn Mbuemo did with ease. There was no meaningful chance creation from his side and it was evident that he was struggling in the last phases of the game.
Michael Keane – 5
Defensively, he was sound, and his tussle with Ivan Toney was one to watch. The Englishman won six duels and made some important interceptions. When Brentford allowed Everton to have the ball, Keane was often the driving force from Everton’s half to the Brentford half, supporting the midfield and keeping himself available as a passing option. However, he didn’t have the answer to some of Brentford’s counter attacks.
Ben Godfrey – 5
This weekend, the defence wasn’t to blame as Ben Godfrey and Keane did a decent job. Godfrey seemed anonymous for a few periods in the game. Godfrey used his strengths well against Toney which helped the Toffees in not conceding more.
Lucas Digne – 5
Lucas Digne was constantly involved in the attack but neither of his crosses or sequences of attacking play carried the desired level of threat. Digne’s free kick was also questionable as his direct effort was way over the bar and away from goal.
Abdoulaye Doucoure returned to the team after his metatarsal injury
Midfielders:
Allan – 5
Allan was a doubt ahead of the game as he picked up a muscle strain in the last game but the Brazilian was given the green light and he started alongside his partner in crime, Abdoulaye Doucoure.
Allan had an intense battle with Frank Onyeka as Brentford pressed and tried to create numerical superiority. The former Napoli man did win some duels in the second half as the Royal Blues pushed in search of an equalizer.
Abdoulaye Doucoure – 5
Abdoulaye Doucoure returned to the starting lineup after missing four games due to a stress fracture. The Frenchman looked a bit rusty, understandably so, as he played a couple of misplaced passes, in turn gifting the possession to Brentford.
Made a certain goal saving contribution, regaining the ball in the Everton goal area but never looked in his complete element. Doucoure lost the ball 14 times and was not up to the mark with his passing. He did get high up the pitch to support the Everton attack but his efforts did not come to fruition.
Andros Townsend – 4
After the sizzling start to his Everton career, this performance could easily be termed as Andros Townsend’s worst performance in the Everton shirt. He started on the right and Alex Iwobi started behind Rondon. Townsend gave away a penalty even though the foul wasn’t intentional, it was a careless approach.
He was booked for another offence and was never in tune with his crossing. His crosses were varying and lacked accuracy. He was brought off for Demarai Gray in the second half.
Anthony Gordon – 5
If there’s one Everton player who was giving it all and trying to make a difference every time Everton had the ball, it was Anthony Gordon. The 20 year old took on defenders and executed some fine dribbles but lacked the finishing product and often ran into traffic.
Gordon looked energetic and combined well with Digne but the combination often fizzled out before completion and the threat was minimized. He was dangerous but still lacked the final touch.
Salomon Rondon again failed to make an impact
Attack:
Salomon Rondon – 4
Salomon Rondon had a mild start to the game with not many clear cut chances but the Venezuelan came incredibly close to scoring immediately after Brentford took the lead but Alvaro Fernandez made a fantastic close range save to deny Rondon.
Despite having Rondon, Everton seemed to be toothless in attack. Despite having a focal point in Rondon, Everton struggled in the final third. Rondon could’ve been awarded a penalty as his shirt was pulled up in the box.
Alex Iwobi – 4
Alex Iwobi had some moments where he looked to have made some difference but it didn’t pan out in Everton’s favour. The Nigerian didn’t produce anything effective. Iwobi had joint highest three key passes but none of the chances he created had much effect and were not capitalized upon.
Substitute:
Demarai Gray – 6
Demarai Gray was easily Everton’s best player despite the fact that he just featured for 25 minutes. Darted some dangerous crosses but there was no one at the other end who could capitalize on them. His bursts of pace and energy from the right side really troubled Brentford but his chance creation went in vain.
How would you rate Everton’s performance?