Idrissa Gueye netted a 60th minute winner as Everton beat Brentford 1-0 at Goodison Park to secure Premier League survival.
Gueye smashed in a 60th minute winner into the top-left corner after he latched onto a deflection of Jack Harrison’s cross.
Their third win in six days lifted Everton into 15th position in the table and onto 36 points, albeit one point above Brentford who slipped to 16th but with both teams now safe with three games left.
Speaking post-match to Sky Sports, Everton defender – James Tarkowski praised his teammates for their performances with three consecutive clean sheets.
“It’s been amazing. It’s been some week. Three wins. Today is the toughest game of the three. The lads turned up again. Incredible.”
Following Luton’s defeat at Wolves in the mid-afternoon kick-offs, Everton knew that a third home win in six days would secure their Premier League survival whilst Brentford began the game with their safety now assured.
Both teams though struggled to create much clear-cut quality in a quiet first half as Brentford’s Sergio Reguilon fired wide from a fifth minute corner clearance.
Dwight McNeil then went up the other end fired wide across goal barely a minute later, evading Youssef Chermiti’s reach at the far right post on the latter’s first league start for Everton.
In fact much of the first half was dominated by the goalkeepers and defences of both clubs as Jarrad Branthwaite blocked Brentford’s Mathias Jensen’s 20th minute shot, after Jensen had picked up Vitaly Janelt’s cutback pass.
Come half-time, Everton ended the goalless first half as the marginally better team after Harrison’s 42nd minute shot was blocked by Nathan Collins, before McNeil’s rebound shot from a cleared corner was blocked and Tarkowski put the follow-up shot wide.
Abdoulaye Doucoure then flicked a volley shot wide for the Toffees three minutes later as neither team converted a first-half shot onto target before the break.
Brentford eventually produced the first notable shot onto target as Jensen played a long diagonal pass forward for Toney, but the England international could only hit his shot into Jordan Pickford, who made a crucial block.
Everton soon got back on top as McNeil struck the crossbar in the 53rd minute but their recent up-turn in form soon continued.
Seconds before the hour mark, Jack Harrison whipped in a cross which deflected off Branthwaite and a couple of Brentford defenders, with the ball falling for Gueye to smash into the top-left corner to put Everton on the cusp of survival.
Everton could of assured their safety six minutes later as McNeil picked up Branthwaite’s knockdown header, but the ex Burnley winger fired wide across goal and narrowly evaded the bottom right corner.
Brentford responded with a double substitution which almost paid dividends in the 77th minute, with Keane Lewis-Potter free to cut in from the left but his shot was flapped away by Pickford.
Chermiti missed a huge chance to extend Everton’s lead in the 84th minute as he latched onto a through ball, but flicked his shot wide under pressure.
Sean Dyche’s Toffees clung on to claim victory and have secured their top-flight status for another season, whilst Thomas Frank’ Bees have lost all seven away trips to Northern-based clubs this season.
What’s Next?
Everton head to relegation-battling Luton on Friday 3 May at Kenilworth Road, with kick-off scheduled for 8pm BST.
Brentford host Fulham in a West-London derby on Saturday 4 May at 3pm at Gtech Community Stadium.
Teams
Everton: Jordan Pickford, Ben Godfrey, James Tarkowski, Jarrad Branthwaite, Ashley Young, Jack Harrison, Idrissa Gueye (Onana 78′), James Garner, Dwight McNeil, Abdoulaye Doucoure, Youssef Chermiti (Keane 90+5′)
Substitutes: Michael Keane, Amadou Onana, Arnaut Danjuma, Joao Virginia, Andre Gomes, Andy Lonergan, Lewis Warrington, Mackenzie Hunt, Jenson Metcalfe
Brentford: Mark Flekken, Kristoffer Ajer (Roerslev 84′), Nathan Collins, Ethan Pinnock, Sergio Reguilon (Schade 77′), Mathias Jensen, Christian Norgaard (Yarmoliuk 78′), Vitaly Janelt (Damsgaard 67), Bryan Mbeumo, Ivan Toney, Yoane Wissa (Lewis-Potter 68′)
Substitutes: Kevin Schade, Mathias Jorgensen, Saman Ghoddos, Frank Onyeka, Keane Lewis-Potter, Mikkel Damsgaard, Mads Roerslev, Hakon Valdimarsson, Yehor Yarmoliuk
Referee: Darren England
Leave a Reply