Brentford 1-1 Everton: Final | O’Brien equalizer ensures a share of the spoils

Fulltime Thoughts - Everton keep their unbeaten run going, and now head off to the UAE for some warm weather training and a short break. Good effort today, created a number of openings for Beto, and deserved at least a point away at Brentford that they duly got.

90+4’ - O’Brien concedes a late throw, and the Bees will go to their routine long delivery into the box. JOB clears for another throw-in. Taken long, bounces about dangerously before Pickford jumps on it and clears.
There’s the final whistle, 1-1 the final score.

90+3’ - Young fights off a couple of players to win a throw-in near the corner flag. JOB will put in a long throw, cleared easily.

90’ - Collins in the book now as he fouls Beto who was about to bullrush past him. Harrison freekick somehow goes past a number of blue shirts and out for a throw, missed opportunity.

88’ - OH MAN! Beto still cannot beat Flekken! The striker ran onto a through ball behind the defence, easily shoved Pinnock away to get space and this time did try to chip the goalie, but it’s out for a corner. Alcaraz felt a cross was the better choice and let his feelings be known hoofing a ball away into the sky.
Deep corner, out for another on the left. This one pings about before Alcaraz gets under it and sends it skyward.

86’ - Everton counter through Harrison, he holds up the ball and finds Charly steaming, he tries an ill-advised shot from distance, saved easily.

84’ - O’Brien having a very busy day. His usage under Moyes is very similar to what the Scotsman had done with Joleon Lescott, giving him minutes at right back until a spot at the centrehalf position opened up.

80’- Yarmoliuk booked for tugging Alcaraz down as he looked to break. Deserved.

77’ - BIG J-O-B!! Everton equalize!! The Blues had attacked down the left, the counter looked to have fizzled out before the ball fall for Mykolenko to put in a deep cross and O’Brien launched himself in the air to slam home a towering header to make it 1-1.

74’ - Subs for the Blues. Iroegbunam and Young are on, with Gana and Lindstrom going off.

72’ - Bees threaten again, cross into the box from the right is cleared by the Blues.

69’ - Everton survive! Damsgard was allowed to run unchecked down the Everton right, and then he found Lewis-Potter to shoot, ball falls to Wissa and he slams home but he’s offside! Quick thinking by the Everton defender beyond the play to step into the goal there.

66’ - Two chances, with Charly involved in both. First he sets up Harrison with a difficult shot that is blocked, then his shot goes just wide of the right post.

57’ - Harrison gets past his man and crosses in, too close to the goalie that.
A minute later, the same thing again as Harrison delivers straight to Flekken.

55’ - Tarky to JOB on the right, and the Blues win a corner. Harrison tries his feat again, but into the side netting this time.
Schade was on the wrong side of an O’Brien foot there, needs medical attention now.

52’ - Myko drops a ball into the box, Alcaraz can’t fire off a shot, partly cleared and then Garner gets under his shot from distance.

46’ - Garner gets us underway and straightaway JOB wins a corner down the right. Harrison inswinger and oh goodness he almost scores, Flekken has to make a big save with Lindstrom challenging him at the front post.

Halftime Thoughts - Brentford might have had the better of the play, but Everton had the better chances, and yet it’s the hosts who go into the break with the lead, 1-0.

45+6’ - Enough time for Charly to put a shot wide before the halftime whistle.

45+4’ - Wissa shot on goal saved by Pickford.
Urgh, Brentford have scored just before the halftime whistle. Mbeumo’s header from a long throw comes off the bar and Wissa reacts quickest to throw himself in front of the ball to score the rebound. Wissa just wanted that more than O’Brien who was caught ball-watching there.

45’ - Charly eventually back on his feet, and four plus minutes to be added on here.

42’ - Ohh Beto! Runs onto a ball behind the Bees defence from Alcaraz, 1-v-1 versus Flekken again and once again the goalie wins the battle, parrying the shot away for a corner.
Nasty clash of heads from the corner, Charly and Mbeumo.

39’ - Oooh! Tasty battle developing here between Beto and Pinnock. First the defender does well to keep Beto from getting a shot off. Then from another Harrison ball Pinnock falls as does Beto, but the striker is first to recover and has a clear run at Flekken, tries to go around him and the goalie foils him! A chip should have done the trick there.

31’ - Lovely little run from Garner now, finds O’Brien in the right channel but his backheel to find the Swede’s run is cut out.

27’ - Two minutes of ball possession and mostly sideways passing results in a Beto volley from a cross down the right, well over.

25’ - Lindstrom with a delightful ball into the six-yard box, Alcaraz just under it as it arrives.
Now the Bees counter at pace and Schade pounces on an O’Brien error but Pickford quick off the line to mop up.

20’ - Wissa header straight at Pickford, and then Ajer heads wide. Bees’ pressure continues.

15’ - The Bees are piling on the pressure, Everton struggling to get the ball out of their own half here.

10’- Schade leads an attack from the left, cleared for a corner that Everton can clear.

7’ - Now Gana with a shot from distance, but can’t hit the target.

4’ - Both sides have had shots from distance, Lewis-Potter and Garner both missing the target.

1’ - Underway at the GTech.

Couldn’t describe tonight’s game better than this Blue did.

Everton - Moyes switches to Charly Alcaraz for this one. The bench looks a lot healthier too with Youssef Chermiti and Nathan Patterson making a return to the squad. No Abdoulaye Doucoure at all is a surprise.

(Edit: “Doucs’ wife is having a baby and he wants to be at the birth so, unfortunately, he’s not available tonight.” - Moyes)

Brentford - Bees pretty much have their best starting XI available.

Everton will be challenged with their thin squad as they play another midweek game, this time a trip to London to take on Brentford. The disappointment of failing to put Manchester United away at Goodison followed by the Blues getting shafted by the combination of the referee and VAR has been ringing out loud in the media the last few days.

While David Moyes confirmed the club had contacted the referees’ group PGMOL, there is little the Blues can do about it now.

Brentford for their part have turned things around with two wins on the trot, and sit in 11th just six points ahead of the Blues.

Competition: Premier League Matchweek 27

Date and start time: Wednesday, February 26 at 11:30 a.m. PT / 2:30 p.m ET / 7:30 p.m. BST

Stadium: Gtech Community Stadium. Brentford,, England, United Kingdom

Capacity: 17,250

Weather: 43°F/6°C, cloudy, 20% chance of showers, 7 mph winds

TV: Peacock - United States; discovery+, TNT Sports 5 - United Kingdom; Fubo - Canada, beIN Sports Premium 2, SuperSport Laliga ROA, SuperSport GOtv LaLiga, JioCinema, Canal+ live,

Radio: evertontv

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Gamethread: There will be no live blog for this game, with our coverage continuing after the final whistle with the match recap and reaction.

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Information from LiveSoccerTV.com

The Blues and Bees fought out a 0-0 stalemate earlier this season at Goodison, after performing the double versus Thomas Frank’s side last season, winning 3-1 away and then 1-0 home.

Moyes has two wins and five defeats to the Bees while in charge of West Ham United.