Everton 1-0 Brentford: Idrissa Gueye secures Premier League safety
In-form Everton ensured their survival in the Premier League with three games to go with victory over lackluster Brentford.
Sean Dyche’s team took advantage of that Luton loses to Wolverhampton Earlier on Saturday, the result at Goodison Park allowed Everton to leapfrog Brentford into 15th place – 11 points above the relegation zone.
Idrissa Gueye was the shock winner of the match, scoring first-time into the top corner on the hour mark after reacting quickest to the Brentford defenders’ failure to clear the ball.
The first half witnessed a severe lack of quality, as neither team was able to shoot on goal. The host team’s midfielder, Abdoulaye Doucoure, was supposed to perform better with a direct shot that he fired wide of the goal from a distance of 10 yards.
The competition improved in the second half, and Everton’s English goalkeeper, Jordan Pickford, made an excellent save from the returning Ivan Toney.
At the other end, Everton were inches away from breaking the deadlock when Dwight McNeil’s thunderous shot from distance struck the crossbar, before Guy’s goal ensured the Blues retained their proud place in the top flight.
He did a good job for Daichi
Everton were thrashed 6-0 by Chelsea on April 15 and face a run of three successive home games that will make or break another turbulent season.
They have bounced back from that defeat at Stamford Bridge in style, beating Nottingham Forest, Merseyside rivals Liverpool and now Brentford, all by clean sheets.
The Toffees were last relegated from the first division in 1951, but they appeared in great danger this season after deducting two points totaling eight points and playing 13 league matches without achieving any victory.
Dyche’s men defeated Bournemouth on the final day of last season to maintain their lead, and also beat Crystal Palace from 2-0 down at half-time in the penultimate game of the previous campaign under Frank Lampard to secure safety.
Although the circumstances were less dramatic this time, it was just as important.
After the end of the match, Daichi entered the field and warmly praised all four corners of the field, knowing that this was a job well done under difficult circumstances.
The Blues still face an uncertain off-field future with their lengthy takeover by 777 Partners yet to be completed, but they can at least plan for next season knowing they will remain in the Premier League.
Gueye’s thumping goal was a worthy winner in a match that was tense for large parts, as it was another important goal from the Senegalese midfielder after he opened the scoring against Forest last Sunday.
The result could have been even more remarkable had McNeil’s thunderbolt landed in the net, while James Garner also hit the crossbar in stoppage time from a free-kick from wide of the field that almost went in.
Meanwhile, Brentford have had to endure a difficult season, but have also avoided any relegation threat despite this loss.
England striker Toney returned from a thigh injury and should have scored with his effort blocked by Pickford, and the Everton goalkeeper also made a good save from Keane Lewis-Potter’s shot to keep his 12th clean sheet of the season.
Player of the match
BranthwaiteJarrad Branthwaite
Everton
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Band number32Player nameBranthwaite
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Band number27Player nameGuy
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Band number7Player nameMacNeil
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Band number6Player nameTarkovsky
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Band number1Player namePickford
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Band number22Player nameGodfrey
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Band number16Player nameDucouri
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Band number8Player nameOnana
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Band number37Player nameGarner
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Band number5Player nameKen
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Band number28Player nameYoussef Al-Sharmiti
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Band number18Player nameyoung man
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Band number11Player nameHarrison
Brentford
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Band number22Player nameCollins
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Band number11Player nameWissa
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Band number12Player nameReguilon
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Band number19Player nameMbeumo
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Band number5Player namePinnock
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Band number8Player nameJensen
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Band number6Player nameNorgaard
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Band number20Player nameemployee
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Band number27Player nameJanellette
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Band number24Player nameDamsgard
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Band number17Player nameTony
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Band number23Player nameLewis Potter
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Band number1Player nameLet it be
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Band number30Player nameRoyerslev
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Band number9Player nameShade
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Band number33Player nameYarmoluk
Formations
Everton
formation 4-4-1-1
- 1Pickford
- 22Godfrey
- 6TarkovskyBooked in 74 minutes
- 32Branthwaite
- 18young man
- 11Harrison
- 27Guyreplace forOnanain 78′minutes
- 37Garner
- 7MacNeil
- 16Ducouri
- 28Ramalho El Shermitireplace forKenin 90+5′minutes
Alternatives
- 5Ken
- 8Onana
- 10Danjuma
- 12Nevis Virginia
- 21Andre Gomez
- 31Lonergan
- 51Warrington
- 58Chase
- 86Metcalfe
Brentford
formation 4-3-3
- 1Let it be
- 20employeereplace forRoyerslevin 84′minutes
- 22Collins
- 5Pinnock
- 12ReguilonBooked in 43 minutesreplace forShadein 77′minutes
- 8Jensen
- 6Norgaardreplace forYarmolukin 78′minutes
- 27Janellettereplace forDamsgardin 67′minutes
- 19MbeumoBooked in 90 minutes
- 17Tony
- 11Wissareplace forLewis Potterin 68′minutes
Alternatives
- 9Shade
- 13M Jorgensen
- 14Holy
- 15Onika
- 23Lewis Potter
- 24Damsgard
- 30Royerslev
- 31Valdemarson
- 33Yarmoluk
- to rule:
- Darren England
- Presence:
- 39,098
Live text
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End of the match: Everton 1, Brentford 0
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End of the second half: Everton 1, Brentford 0
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– Foul by Ivan Toney (Brentford).
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James Tarkowski (Everton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Mikkel Damsgaard (Brentford) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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– Foul on Abdoulaye Doucoure (Everton).
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First substitution, Everton. Michael Caine replaces Youssef El-Sharmiti.
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Corner, Everton. Shot by Ethan Pinnock.
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The attempt has been saved. A Brentford player’s right-footed shot from outside the penalty area was blocked by Kevin Sheedy in the bottom right corner. With assistance from Matthias Jensen.
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The attempt has been blocked. Brentford player Mikkel Damsgaard’s shot is successfully blocked by the goalkeeper, assisted by Yehor Yarmolyuk.
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Offside, Everton. Youssef Al-Sharmiti infiltrated.
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James Garner (Everton) hits the crossbar with his right foot from long range on the left from a direct free kick.
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Yellow card for Brian Mbeumo (Brentford) after a serious mistake.
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– Foul by Brian Mbeumu (Brentford).
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Dwight McNeil (Everton) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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– Foul by Mads Roerslev (Brentford).
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Abdoulaye Doucoure (Everton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Offside, Brentford. Yehor Yarmolyuk offside.
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Offside, Everton. Abdoulaye Doucoure offside.
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Brentford substitutions. Mads Roerslev replaces Christopher Agger.
