Everton finally find their first win of the Premier League Campaign with a scintillating 1-3 win at the GTech Community Stadium.
Five wins into the season and Sean Dyche and company were on the road at Brentford for match week 6. Everton made one change from the side that lost 0-1 in an uninspiring performance at home to Arsenal, as James Garner was brought in in place of Arnaut Danjuma.
Despite only having scored 2 goals through the first 5 matches, Everton came out and demonstrated the attacking prowess that advanced metrics suggest has been unlucky not to produce more goals. The visitors won an early corner, James Garner floated it in only for it to be cleared out. However, he recycled the ball well back into the box and James Tarkoski met it with his head. The center back had the awareness to find Doucoure, who smashed home on the half-volley only 6 minutes in to send the away end in to raptures and put Everton up 0-1.
Ten minutes later it could have been two as Beto continued to demonstrate his deft aerial presence. He won it well and laid it into the path of Dwight McNeil, who unfortunately would end a well timed run by dragging his effort just wide of the Brentford goal. Then, only 6 minutes later in the 21st minute, Everton perhaps had their best opportunity to add a second. McNeil whipped in a low cross that eventually found its way to Mykolenko in the box, however, the Ukranian left-back could only strike his right footed volley form close range directly at the keeper, a huge let off for the hosts.
Sean Dyche’s men continued to show their attacking dominance as Doucoure hit the crossbar in the 27th minute, but would come to rue their missed chances only one minute later. In a demonstration on how cruel football can be, Brentford would go down the other end and equalize through Matthias Jensen, whose whizzing strike into the low corner was upheld following a brief VAR check to ensure he was onside. The match was level at 1-1.
Brentford would control the next 10 minutes, as it seems that Everton heads had fallen off, but it was the new man from Udinese who had a chance to put Everton back in front in the 37th minute. Idrissa Gueye did brilliantly to play in Beto, and one on one the striker could somehow only scoop the ball wide of goal from close range, another massive let off for the hosts. Brentford would threaten once more before the half, but an assured divine interception from Tarkowski would neutralize the threat and send the match into halftime level at 1-1.
Everton came out of the second half the better side, as they had started the match, and Dyche turned to his bench for the first time in the 63rd minute, bringing on Calvert-Lewin for Beto. The #14 had another industrious day where he lacked everything but the goal, in an encouraging effort that shows surely goals are coming. However it wasn’t to be his day, but it was to be the #6’s.
Everton won a corner in the 67th minute, and McNeil swung a beautiful ball in that was thundered home by Tarkowski for his first goal since Dyche’s first match against Arsenal, this one once again coming at a pivotal time for the blues. However, Everton weren’t done and struck again only 4 minutes later to the delight of a delirious away end. James Garner, who had an absolutely brilliant afternoon, did excellently to take the ball off Brentford in their own half before playing an incisive through ball between the lines. Calvert-Lewin was on the end of it to finish sublimely through the legs of the Brentford keeper to open his account for the season and put Everton well in control in the 71st minute.
Danjuma would replace Onana in the 77th minute, and Everton would see the match out with ease, securing a majorly important first win of the season lifting the blues up to 15th in the league table. It was a day where everyone played well, with fantastic performances from every man in the midfield, with special flowers for Doucoure and James Garner. Mykolenko continues to look more assured in recent performances, and the new man Beto seems to have everything but the league goal in his bag for the toffees so far. Add all that to a brilliant goal from the fan favorite #9, and it seems Everton supporters finally have a performance to be proud of.
Sean Dyche and Co. have a trip to Aston Ville midweek in the EFL Cup before welcoming Premier League newcomers Luton Town to Goodison Park on Saturday afternoon.
UTFT!
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