Everton

Everton

Premier League • England

Everton implode with own goal, two red cards helping Brentford heighten their relegation fears

Yoane Wissa celebrating with Brentford teammates after scoring against Everton

Everton spurned the chance to secure their Premier League safety when masterminding their own downfall against Brentford.

Everton roared out of the traps with the Goodison faithful in full voice. Anthony Gordon came close to giving the Toffees the perfect start when forcing David Raya into a smart, reaction stop. Richarlison reacted quickest to latch onto the looping rebound, but headed agonisingly wide under pressure from Rico Henry.

Alex Iwobi was causing havoc down the right with Frank Lampard’s words clearing ringing in his players’ ears. But for an errant Ivan Toney header, the opening 10 minutes were all Everton.

And right on the stroke of the ten-minute mark, Brentford’s resistance was broken.

Richarlison darted to the near post and got something on a dangerous set-piece delivery. Dominic Calvert-Lewin appeared to get the final touch off his chest, with the Bees’ back-line powerless to prevent the ball nestling in the bottom corner.

The match swung in the 19th minute when Everton saw a hearty penalty appeal turned down before seeing Jarrad Branthwaite red carded ten seconds later.

Kristoffer Ajer had more than a handful of Richarlison’s shirt inside the area, though referee Michael Oliver saw nothing doing. One long ball up field then sent Toney away before Branthwaite clumsily tangled legs with the goal-side attacker.

As the last man, his marching orders were inevitable after VAR curiously opted not to bring play back for the clear shirt pull on Richarlison.

Brentford quickly assumed the vast bulk of possession and levelled the scores with a touch of fortune after 36 minutes.

Toney’s rifled cut-back across the face of goal found no takers, though Yoane Wissa picked up the scraps. The forward sought to whip the ball into a dangerous area and saw his cross deflect off the head of Seamus Coleman to leave Jordan Pickford grasping at thin air.

Brentford continued to be in the ascendancy until contributing to their own downfall in added time.

Mads Sorensen misjudged a bouncing ball and connected with Richarlison with his knee. The Brazilian assumed responsibility from the spot and calmly tucked his spot-kick straight down the middle to make it 2-1.

Calvert-Lewin came within inches of chesting home his second of the day after the break. But aside from that brief foray into Brentford’s half, the 10-man Toffees were being forced further and further back.

Two minutes that put Everton in the mire

An equaliser felt inevitable and it soon came from Wissa. And making matters even worse for Lampard’s men, the go-ahead goal soon followed.

Wissa nipped in at the near post ahead of Richarlison to loop a magnificent header into the far corner. Less than two minutes later, Rico Henry gave Anthony Gordon the slip before nodding home Christian Norgaard’s accurate cross.

That quickfire double knocked the stuffing out of both Everton’s crowd and fans. And with Christian Eriksen increasingly influential, the chances of finding an unlikely equaliser were quickly fading.

Substitute Salomon Rondon was introduced with hopes high of making an impact. Unfortunately, his only impact was on Rico Henry’s shin when recklessly diving in two-footed. His straight red card for violent conduct will rule him out for Everton’s run-in.

Reduced to nine men, Everton were powerless to overturn their 3-2 defeat.

Everton Salomon Rondon Jarrad Branthwaite Yoane Wissa

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