Nick Ware

Sun 28 November 2021 16:21, UK

Everton are now winless in seven Premier League games after Sunday afternoon’s 1-0 loss at the Brentford Community Stadium.

Ivan Toney’s first-half penalty was the difference between the two sides as Brentford were the beneficiaries of a VAR check on Andros Townsend’s on Frank Onyeka, while Everton will feel aggrieved after a perceived tug on Salomon Rondon’s shirt went unpunished in the same half.

The Blues dominated the second period but were unable to create too many clear-cut chances as the Bees held firm to leapfrog their opponents in the table.

Here, Goodison News has rated the Everton players out of 10 for their performance in West London.

Jordan Pickford – 6

Made a few decent saves but could he start catching balls rather than punching them? A bit more certainty in the penalty area would provide more stability among his defenders.

Seamus Coleman – 4

Poor in possession and is now offering very little in terms of attacking thrust down the right. If he wasn’t club captain, and there was another capable right-back at the club, his place would be in severe doubt. But the lack of competition for places just highlights the current shambles at Everton.

Michael Keane – 5

Not his worst game, but his lack of pace sees him horribly exposed on occasions.

Ben Godfrey – 5

Not quite at his imposing best of last season, but that’s hard in this Blues side that lacks any real authority. Tough battle to contain Toney, something Virgil van Dijk discovered for Liverpool in their 3-3 draw at the same venue.

Lucas Digne – 4

Where’s the real Digne? What’s happened to the pinpoint deliveries of seasons gone by? Okay, the loss of Dominic Calvert-Lewin from the side has negated Digne’s threat, but even his shooting has been extremely wayward. Time to take him off set-pieces, particularly free-kicks.

Allan – 5

Wouldn’t have guessed he was battling at the top of Serie A a few seasons ago while Onyeka was a teenager in the Danish league. Failed to impose himself.

Abdoulaye Doucoure – 6

Sloppy on his return from injury, but perhaps that’s to be expected. His vital challenge in the first half to prevent what looked like a certain one-on-one bumps his rating up.

Andros Townsend – 4

One can call the penalty unlucky, but a player of his experience should know by now the dangers of raising your foot in the penalty area. Failed to pose any real threat going the other way.

Alex Iwobi – 5

Like others, not his worst game as he showed some energy in the middle. But if Iwobi isn’t showing any creativity in these sorts of games, when will he?

Anthony Gordon – 6

His pace was helpful in the first half as the Blues launched into a couple of coutner-attacks but there was a lack of end product about his game today. Not helped with the absence of Richarlison and Demarai Gray (from the starting XI) as more pressure was thrust on his young shoulders.

Salomon Rondon – 5

The Venezuelan deserved a penalty in the first half, and who knows whether he would have taken and scored it, boosting his confidence no end. At least he was in the right areas today, but failed to convert any of his shots on target during the first half.

Substitutes

Demarai Gray – 7

Lively during his appearance from the bench after coming into the match rated as extremely doubtful. Pace troubled the Bees and was constantly creating, with one particular cross very inviting but with no one on the end of it to tap home.

In other Everton news, Jeff Stelling has mooted a Blues move for this record-breaking forward live on Sky Sports.

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