Brentford keep Everton at arm’s length after Christian Nørgaard’s red card

Challenges are mounting for Sean Dyche just as the Friedkin Group is poised to become Everton's new owner. The manager clearly sensed the increasing frustration among fans at Goodison Park after Brentford managed to secure their first away point of the season, even while down a player for 53 minutes. Their ease in achieving this outcome highlights the struggles of Everton's offense.

Brentford's skipper, Christian Nørgaard, received a red card in the 41st minute after inadvertently catching Jordan Pickford's knee with his studs. Manager Thomas Frank stated that the club will probably challenge the ruling. He was furious at that moment, but securing their first clean sheet of the Premier League season, especially under these circumstances, helped improve his spirits.

Goodison Park grew quieter as Everton's performance continued to falter, looking more lost against a full team of opponents. They've now recorded five draws in their last eight league matches and haven't scored in three games. A challenging December is on the horizon, featuring matches against all four top teams, Ruben Amorim's first league match at home as Manchester United's manager, as well as facing a reinvigorated Wolves and Nottingham Forest.

Dyche commented on the boos that followed the final whistle, saying, “They can express their frustration towards anyone they choose. They anticipate victories from us, and I share that expectation. It’s on us to enhance our performance compared to today. We need to create more game-changing opportunities, but we failed to do that. This has been an ongoing issue here. While many managers can make quick changes through financial means, we don’t have that option, so we’re committed to ongoing development.”

Before the match began, Brentford had accumulated 16 points, all earned at their home ground, the Gtech Stadium. Their strong performance at home stood in sharp contrast to their struggles away from it, putting Frank’s squad in a challenging position right from the start. Everton created numerous opportunities and applied significant pressure, but they were unable to take advantage of these chances before halftime. Once again, under Dyche’s management, their inability to convert opportunities into goals and a lack of finishing skill hindered their efforts. Mark Flekken, the goalkeeper for Brentford, also played a crucial role in thwarting their attempts.

Flekken made an impressive reflex save to stop Dominic Calvert-Lewin from putting Everton ahead early on, as he attempted to redirect Idrissa Gueye's low shot. Both Iliman Ndiaye and Dwight McNeil had good chances, with McNeil having three attempts in total. However, Flekken came through once more, thwarting Calvert-Lewin again when he found space behind the defense.

Everton's ongoing struggle to find that decisive finishing touch created an all-too-familiar feeling of unease at Goodison Park. Meanwhile, Brentford seized the opportunity, but Pickford made a crucial save to stop Yoane Wissa from scoring, thanks to a great pass from Mikkel Damsgaard.

The visitors were showing signs of improvement until a decision by the video assistant referee resulted in them being reduced to ten players. At first, it seemed like a tough call for Nørgaard to receive a red card. He and Wissa were trying to play the ball as Ethan Pinnock’s header came into the Everton box, where they were free to score. However, neither got a touch on the ball when they could have found the net. Unfortunately, Nørgaard’s raised studs caught Pickford’s right knee as the Everton goalkeeper went down to block the shot. The midfielder's challenge was high, and it was clear he didn’t make an effort to avoid hitting Pickford’s knee.

Chris Kavanagh, who went to the pitch-side monitor, issued a red card for a serious foul. The moment was replayed on the large screens, sparking outrage among the Brentford fans. Frank also got involved in the protests and earned a yellow card for his increasing frustration.

"The Brentford manager firmly stated that it wasn't a red card. He pointed out that Christian was focused on the ball and there was no aggression or intent to harm Pickford. If the rules imply that this warrants a red card, then those rules must have been altered. He mentioned that he would need to inform his players they can’t leap to score in the six-yard box."

Everton struggled to make the most of playing against a team with 10 men and nearly faced a setback when Keane Lewis-Potter launched a counterattack. Pickford managed to stop his low shot, but Mathias Jensen failed to capitalize on the loose ball, missing from 18 yards. Vitalii Mykolenko had a chance to score but sent his shot sailing over the bar after receiving a pass from Ndiaye. Beto, who came on as a late substitute looking to save the game, had an opportunity to secure a win in injury time, but Pinnock made a crucial block. Meanwhile, Brentford celebrated a well-earned point in front of their ecstatic supporters, while elsewhere, boos echoed in discontent.