Sticky Toffee Puddings
Booed off after seventh game without a win – and it’s Mersey rivals up next for Benitez’s . . .
The away end’s banner said it all. ‘We demand nil satis nisi optimum,’ it read, referring to the everton motto since 1938. ‘It’s about time our club did too.’ Those with a GCSe in Latin may know that phrase translates as ‘Nothing but the best is good enough’. Right now, everton are at their worst.
Supporters aren’t happy. They haven’t seen their side win since September 25. This trip to the Brentford Community Stadium was their seventh outing without victory.
At full-time, everton’s players stood with hands on hips. As captain Seamus Coleman led the team towards the Toffees fans, they were greeted by V signs.
Rafa Benitez didn’t bother making the walk to the away end. Probably a wise move, considering the reception he would have received.
‘Rafa out’ was trending on Twitter after the game. he is under pressure and next they have Liverpool at Goodison Park on Wednesday. That could get ugly.
‘We can understand the frustration of the fans because we are also frustrated,’ Benitez said. ‘Today you cannot complain about the effort of the players.
‘The reality is the team are giving everything on the pitch. I can understand the frustration but you cannot complain about effort. It’s a question now of confidence and missing players. You could see what we are capable of doing at the beginning of the season.
‘The connection between fans and players last year was not great but at the beginning of the season it was fantastic. That is what we are looking for again.
‘In terms of effort, they gave everything. I cannot blame any players. I cannot point fingers at any players. They tried their best, all of them.’
For Brentford, this was another good day under Thomas Frank. Ivan Toney scored the winner in the first half, his fourth Premier League goal this season.
At Frank’s pre-match press conference on Friday, he had said his striker was ‘the best penalty taker in the world’. he didn’t disappoint his boss here.
‘he proved it again today, against (Jordan) Pickford, who is a good goalkeeper in terms of saving penalties,’ Frank said. ‘If you want to be good at something and maintain the level, you need to practise it. And Ivan is practising it every single day. That’s why he’s good.
‘We are a newly-promoted club, playing against everton who have invested heavily in the last years. This was a big, big, big win. A massive win.’
Brentford scored their goal in the 24th minute. The ball was bouncing in the penalty area and just as Frank Onyeka went to head it, he received a kick to the face from the high boot of Andros Townsend.
Surprisingly, referee Darren england didn’t point to the penalty spot immediately. Instead it took VAR Jonathan Moss recommending he visit his pitch-side monitor before england realised it was a clear foul on Onyeka, who had stayed down, holding his head.
Toney took the spot-kick. Pickford moved ever so slightly to his left and that was all Toney needed as he scored to his right.
That’s 13 scored out of 13 taken in a Brentford shirt for Toney, more than any other player in the top four tiers of english football since the start of last season.
The hosts’ celebrations were almost cut short when, less than a minute after taking the lead, Salomon Rondon had only Alvaro Fernandez to beat. Thankfully for Brentford, the goalkeeper got down to deny everton the equaliser.
Pickford had to make saves, first to stop ethan Pinnock’s header making it 2-0 and then to deny Bryan Mbeumo from finding the bottom corner.
Benitez (right) was up and down in the dugout, frustrated. Anthony Gordon had arguably been the best player on the pitch, always looking to create down the left-hand side, and england boss Gareth Southgate was here to see it, too. But everton could not find a way through.
In first-half stoppage time, Rondon had his shirt pulled in the box by Charlie Goode as a cross from Townsend came in, but neither the referee nor VAR thought anything of it. They might have taken more of an interest if everton’s players had appealed for the penalty.
Benitez sent his side out for the second half a good few minutes before Brentford’s. Once back underway, Rondon lashed a volley goalwards which looked certain to go in, until it was blocked by Christian Norgaard. Other than that, though, Fernandez was rarely troubled. Brentford looked comfortable containing everton, who introduced Demarai Gray for the final stages as they desperately tried to find an equaliser. They couldn’t find one, and so to a soundtrack of jeers from their travelling support, everton left as losers. BRENTFORD (3-5-2): Fernandez 7; Goode 7.5, Jansson 7.5, Pinnock 7.5; Canos 7 (Wissa 87min), Onyeka 7.5, Norgaard 7 (Baptiste 70, 6), Janelt 7, Henry 7 (Roerslev 77); TONEY 8, Mbeumo 7.5. Scorer: Toney 24 (pen). Booked: Onyeka, Canos, Jansson, Mbeumo. Manager: Thomas Frank 7.5. EVERTON (4-4-1-1): Pickford 6; Coleman 6, Godfrey 5.5, Keane 5.5, Digne 6.5; Townsend 5 (Gray 70, 6), Doucoure 6, Allan 5.5, Gordon 6.5; Iwobi 5.5; Rondon 5.5. Booked: Townsend, Rondon, Godfrey. Manager: Rafa Benitez 5. Referee: Darren England 6. Attendance: 16,957.