Brentford look way off the pace as Everton end decades-long wait for win at the Bees
Brentford (1) 1 Jensen 28
Everton (1) 3 Doucoure 6, Tarkowski 67, Calvert-Lewin 71
James Tarkowski came back to haunt his old club with the second half header which put the Toffees on course for a first win of the season - and their first at Brentford for 71 years.
Everton were full value for the win on a day when the Bees performed well below par and had been lucky to go in all-square at the interval.
Soon after Tarkowski's blow, sub Dominic Calvert-Lewin was set free by James Garner after Nathan Collins had been dispossessed trying to work the ball up to half way. and the striker finished tidily.
The result means the Bees are still looking for their first home win after four games at the Gtech - three of them draws.
It never rains but it pours. In a week when Rico Henry was ruled out for the rest of the campaign with an ACL injury, the last thing Thomas Frank needed was another wounded soldier.
Kevin Schade carries many hopes in the continuing absence of Ivan Toney but he fell to the turf in agony during the warm-up, pulling a groin muscle after firing a left-foot shot at goal while off-balance.
Keane Lewis -Potter was drafted in to plug the gap and a fabulous early run - only halted by a foul on the edge of the box - signalled the intent not to allow misfortune to descend into self-pity.
But Everton were ahead before long when the very-impressive Abdoulaye Doucoure pounced on a downward header by Tarkowski to half-volley crisply past a static Mark Flekken.
There should have been more for Sean Dyche's men.
Dwight McNeil almost added a second after bursting through after a headed flick-on from Beto - only to fire narrowly wide of the far post. An Ethan Pinnock error gifted a chance to Vitalii Mykolenko, which was hit straight at Flekken. Then Doucoure smacked a shot against the crossbar after a turn inside the box.
Against all the odds, the Bees drew level - the 17th home game in a row where they have found the net in the league - when a composed pass from Vitaly Janelt picked out Mathias Jensen on the right edge of the box and the Dane's low shot crashed in off the far post.
It was as good as it would get for the second-best Bees, who managed to make previously-ailing visitors feel a surge of renewed confidence.
The Toffees almost regained the lead towards the end of a rip-roaring first half when Beto scooped an Idrissa Gueye pass over an advancing Flekken, but it missed the target.
Lewis-Potter should have scored too after darting to the far post and missing a low cross from Bryan Mbeumo when it looked easier to score.
The first-half's blood and thunder gave way to more mundane fare after the break, but the Bees still looked off it, struggling to get a grip, and it was the Toffees who revived their winning narrative with a two-goal burst.
First Tarkowski rose highest to nod in a corner from McNeil. Not long after, it was game, set and match as Calvert-Lewin put away the clincher.
Bees: (4-3-3) Flekken - Hickey (Ghoddos 73), Collins, Pinnock, Roerslev (Ajer 61) - Jensen, Norgaard, Janelt (Onyeka 61) - Mbeumo, Wissa, Lewis-Potter (Olakigbe 89)
Toffees: (4-5-1) Pickford - Young, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko - Garner, Gueye, Onana (Danjuma 77), Doucoure, McNeil - Beto (Calvert-Lewin 63)
