Everton 0-0 Brentford report: Christian Norgaard's first-half red card not enough to inspire underwhelming Toffees
Everton faced the jeers of their supporters after they frustratingly finished with a 0-0 stalemate against Brentford, despite the visitors playing with just 10 men for more than half the match.
The Toffees took 27 shots against the Bees, who had lost all five of their away league matches this season. However, only five of those attempts were on target, and the only time they troubled Mark Flekken was with a fifth-minute flick from Dominic Calvert-Lewin. This means they went goalless for the third game in a row.
The biggest opportunity in the match went to the away team when Mathias Jensen set up Yoane Wissa just before the break. However, Jordan Pickford made a great save to keep the score at zero.
This happened just before Christian Norgaard received a red card, which was issued only after referee Chris Kavanagh was informed about Norgaard's high foot on Pickford while he was going in for a shot.
Everton: Pickford (7), Young (7), Tarkowski (6), Branthwaite (5), Mykolenko (6), Gueye (6), Doucoure (5), Lindstrom (5), McNeil (6), Ndiaye (7), Calvert-Lewin (5). Here's a revised version: Everton Player Ratings: Pickford scored a 7, Young also received a 7, Tarkowski got a 6, Branthwaite earned a 5, Mykolenko was rated at 6, Gueye and Doucoure both received a 6 and a 5, respectively. Lindstrom also received a 5, while McNeil was rated at 6. Ndiaye shone with a score of 7, and Calvert-Lewin finished with a 5.
Substitutes: Mangala (6), Beto (4).
Brentford: Flekken (8), Van den Berg (6), Pinnock (7), Collins (7), Lewis-Potter (8), Norgaard (5), Jensen (7), Janelt (7), Damsgaard (7), Mbeumo (6), Wissa (6). Here’s how the players rated: - Flekken stood out with an impressive score of 8. - Van den Berg received a score of 6. - Both Pinnock and Collins earned a solid rating of 7. - Lewis-Potter also impressed with another 8. - Norgaard had a more challenging game, reflected in his score of 5. - Jensen, Janelt, and Damsgaard each received commendable ratings of 7. - Mbeumo and Wissa both finished with scores of 6.
Substitutes: Schade (6), Thiago (7), Yarmoliuk (not applicable).
Man of the Match: Mark Flekken.
Kavanagh spent just a few moments checking the VAR review monitor before issuing a red card to the Danish player, who had never been shown a red card while playing for the Bees.
Everton couldn't capitalize on having more players on the field and struggled in the second half, not managing to force Flekken into making any significant saves.
Vitaliy Mykolenko missed a great chance set up by Ilman Ndiaye's assist in one of the few notable moments of the match. Even bringing in Beto to play alongside Calvert-Lewin didn't change the situation much.
After the Toffees experienced their fifth home game without a win out of six this season, the supporters at Goodison Park expressed their frustrations towards Sean Dyche and his team, who are still just three points above the relegation zone.
Analysis: Directionless Everton Struggles Continue
Ron Walker from Sky Sports:
Before Saturday's match, Sean Dyche urged Everton to focus on the fundamentals when facing Brentford. He was shocked that his plea went unheeded as the team delivered yet another lackluster performance, marking their third consecutive game without scoring.
The Toffees launched 27 attempts at goal against the Bees, but only managed to hit the target five times throughout the match, with just one shot that truly worried Mark Flekken.
The defense is gradually getting better, but they nearly fell behind 1-0 when both teams were still at full strength. However, they struggle to boost their scoring efforts in front of the goal.
This season, Everton has recorded three of the 30 lowest expected goals per shot figures from individual matches, out of over 230 games analyzed.
What else can Dyche accomplish? Does Everton have the players needed to generate more chances? Right now, Dominic Calvert-Lewin seems far from the top form he once had. While Dwight McNeil contributes to the team, he doesn’t consistently find the back of the net.
One of his strongest possibilities for success could be Iliman Ndiaye, who was the standout performer in the opponent's penalty area. However, it's a big responsibility to place on someone who isn’t a traditional striker and has only netted five goals in the top league throughout their whole career.
