Richarlison and Allan stood out as Everton clinched a 4-1 win over Brentford at Goodison Park to reach the FA Cup fifth round on Saturday.
Everton dominated the proceedings for the most part and were the deserved winners in the end. But the first half was bereft of quality, with chances coming few and far between on both ends of the pitch. The opening goal came from the head of substitute Yerry Mina, who beat his marker Rico Henry to nod in Demarai Gray’s corner.
The hosts were two to the good just two minutes into the second half, as Richarlison struck a first-time shot with purpose after Allan found him on his run. But Brentford found a way back into the game when Ivan Toney converted a penalty after being brought down by Jordan Pickford. Unfortunately for the Bees, that is where their fightback ended.
Everton reopened the two-goal cushion just past the hour mark when Mason Holgate luckily found the ball coming towards his head before directing it into the goal. The Toffees consolidated their position after that, before rounding off the win late on with a thumping strike by Andros Townsend. The win earned Everton a place in the FA Cup fifth round, and The Hard Tackle now runs the rule over Frank Lampard’s men.
Jordan Pickford: 6/10
Pickford did not have much to do, as Brentford only threatened in fits and starts. But the Everton goalkeeper made one smart stop to deny Sergi Canos. In the second half, he nearly undid all the good work from his team by giving away the penalty that Ivan Toney converted, but there was no harm done in the end.
Mason Holgate: 7/10
??????? Mason Holgate against Brentford:
? 57 Touches
? 33 Passes
? 8/13 Long Balls
? 1 Goal
? 1/1 Take-ons
? 3/5 Ground Duels
? 2 Clearances
? 2 TacklesCalm and composed. ? #EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/XzGOvt2FAg
— Mozo Football (@MozoFootball) February 5, 2022
Installed on the right side of the Everton back three, Holgate was a solid customer in defence and kept a check on Sergi Canos smartly. The 25-year-old won three duels while completing two interceptions. Most importantly, Holgate popped up to score from close range to ease the pressure on Everton in the 62nd minute.
Michael Keane: 7/10
Back in the starting lineup for Lampard’s first game in charge of Everton, Keane played the sweeper role with elan. The Englishman completed three clearances and two interceptions while also winning 100 per cent of the duels he contested. He also started the move for Richarlison’s goal in what was a solid display.
Ben Godfrey: N/A
Godfrey’s evening lasted just 13 minutes as he was taken off after picking up a heavy knock in the early exchanges.
Seamus Coleman: 6/10
The formation change should have played to Seamus Coleman’s strengths, but the Everton captain could not make this opportunity count. Instead, the veteran defender struggled to carve out openings in the final third while completing 80 per cent of his attempted passes. He needs to do better, considering Nathan Patterson is waiting in the wings.
Allan: 8/10
With Abdoulaye Doucoure unavailable, Allan had the onus on him to keep things tight in the middle of the park. The Brazilian did solidify things in midfield, winning three duels while completing several clearances, interceptions and tackles. Allan also set Richarlison up for his goal, finding his compatriot on the run in behind the Brentford defence.
Super ball that from Allan. And Richarlison finishes with aplomb. pic.twitter.com/zlMwenhU6c
— Trent Cini (@tjcini_39) February 5, 2022
Andre Gomes: 7/10
Doucoure’s absence gave Gomes the golden opportunity to make an impression, which is what he did. The Portuguese international circulated the ball smartly, completing 83 per cent of his attempted passes while winning an impressive nine duels.
Vitaliy Mykolenko: 6/10
Mykolenko did not see the ball as much as he would have liked, attempting only 21 passes. While he misplaced only three of them, the Ukrainian international could not carve out openings in attack, although he did show some promising signs in his link-up with Demarai Gray.
Anthony Gordon: 6/10
Gordon was a bright spark in the initial exchanges and was whiskers away from scoring with an early effort. But his influence waned as the match wore on, even though he completed most of his attempted passes and even created a decent chance. It was still a job well done.
Richarlison: 8/10
With Dominic Calvert-Lewin unavailable due to an injury, Richarlison spearheaded the Everton attack against Brentford. The Brazilian took some time to get going and was not in his element in the first half. But Richarlison started the second period with a bang, scoring brilliantly from the edge of the box after Allan fed him the ball. He also played two key passes but misplaced half of his attempted passes.
Demarai Gray: 7/10
Gray was a lively presence in the final third and linked up well with Richarlison for much of the game. The 25-year-old completed all but four of his attempted passes while also creating a couple of chances. One of those earned him the assist for Yerry Mina’s goal.
SUBSTITUTES
Yerry Mina: 7/10
Yerry Mina gets the first goal of the Lampard era @Everton! ?#EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/PGRVruqkSn
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) February 5, 2022
Yerry Mina endured a roller-coaster ride in this game, scoring the opener for Everton while also playing his part in the build-up to Holgate’s strike. But he also had a few nervy moments against Ivan Toney and should have dealt with the Brentford striker better before he won the penalty versus Pickford.
Jonjoe Kenny: 6/10
On for Mykolenko, Kenny helped see the game out in the final 20 minutes.
Andros Townsend: 7/10
Townsend did not have many opportunities to showcase his abilities, but he buried his chance when it came his way, with his thumping strike beating David Raya with ease.
Cenk Tosun: N/A
A late introduction, Tosun barely touched the ball in the final minutes.
Alex Iwobi: N/A
A late introduction, Iwobi did not have much time to make an impact, but did open up space for Townsend for the late goal.
