In a stunning turn of events, Brentford showcased their remarkable transformation by overcoming Everton with a resounding display, highlighted by Igor Thiago’s exceptional hat-trick. This match, held at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, marked a significant turnaround for Brentford, who had previously struggled in their away fixtures. Although Keith Andrews's team benefited from facing Everton at their lowest point this season, Thiago's outstanding performance propelled Brentford into seventh place in the Premier League standings.
This season, only three players in Europe’s top five leagues—Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappé, and Harry Kane—have outscored Thiago, underlining his impressive form. Interestingly, while Brentford has had a rough patch on the road, losing more away games than all but the bottom-placed Wolves, Everton’s dismal display offered Brentford the perfect opportunity to regain their confidence.
Upon entering the stadium, the atmosphere was rather subdued, mirroring the lackluster performance that would soon be displayed by David Moyes's squad. To their credit, Everton did start the game with some promise; Dwight McNeil forced a solid save from former Liverpool keeper Caoimhín Kelleher early on, following a well-placed layoff from Jack Grealish. A corner taken by McNeil saw James Tarkowski’s header cleared off the line by Thiago, providing a glimpse of potential danger.
However, that initial threat was short-lived; Everton failed to create any further chances until the fifth minute of stoppage time at the end of the first half, which was necessitated by a head injury to Kristoffer Ajer. The absence of key players undoubtedly stifled Everton’s creativity, yet it’s notable that they managed to secure a victory against Nottingham Forest earlier in the week. The contributions from Tyler Dibling and McNeil were minimal, leaving the home side without effective offensive options.
In stark contrast, Brentford exuded composure and structure, consistently threatening Everton’s goal. With a touch more accuracy in their final passes, the visitors could have easily extended their lead before halftime. Their breakthrough finally came six minutes into the second half.
Everton struggled to contain Thiago's strength and agility, and his first goal came almost effortlessly. The hosts became complacent following a foul appeal by Brentford forward Kevin Schade, leading to a careless pass from Tarkowski that was intercepted by Vitaly Janelt. Janelt responded with an exquisite first-time cross that found Thiago unmarked, allowing him to slot his twelfth goal of the season into the bottom corner.
Schade later had a chance to double the lead when he received a cross from Mikkel Damsgaard, but his shot was directed straight at Jordan Pickford. Moments later, Pickford made a crucial save to deny Thiago a second goal after Mathias Jensen set him up beautifully.
As for Everton, there was a flicker of hope when Grealish managed to evade Michael Kayode and deliver a cross for Thierno Barry, who attempted a diving header, or perhaps it was a shoulder attempt, that landed directly at Kelleher's feet. Janelt then blocked a follow-up shot from Keane. After witnessing a lackluster performance, Moyes opted to make changes at halftime, replacing Dibling and McNeil with Beto and Merlin Röhl. Dibling, who was Everton's most expensive summer signing at £35 million, has struggled to find form, which must be a growing concern for Moyes as Brentford continued to challenge him.
The prospect of a second-half revival for Everton quickly evaporated as Brentford struck twice in just 95 seconds. After a staggering 95 corners without finding the net, Brentford finally scored from their 96th attempt. Their captain, Nathan Collins, ghosted through the box to meet Janelt's delivery, heading home from close range beyond Pickford.
Just moments after, a mistake by Tim Iroegbunam allowed Jensen to exploit the Everton defense expertly. After nutmegging Keane, Jensen delivered a remarkable ball into Schade, who held up play for Thiago to take over, calmly finishing past Pickford—a move he would replicate for his hat-trick later on.
As the score climbed to 3-0, Everton showed some signs of life, perhaps due to the low bar set by their performance, when Beto deftly headed in from Grealish's left-wing cross. However, in their quest for a comeback, they often left themselves vulnerable to counterattacks, which ultimately cost them dearly. Brentford capitalized on this vulnerability when Röhl misplayed a cross directly to Collins, who set Thiago free on a run from deep within his own half. Showing the confidence of a striker in peak form, Thiago dispatched another calm finish past Pickford.
In stoppage time, Barry managed to score a consolation goal from another Grealish cross, but this merely served to sweeten the final scoreline for an otherwise disappointing Everton performance. The match highlighted both the potential of Brentford when they are on form and the serious concerns surrounding Everton's current struggles.
