Ex-Chelsea misfit denies Brentford three points as Everton poach a vital point in their own Champions League quest

By Football Reporter

Brentford 2-2 Everton

Goals: Igor Thiago 3', 76' & Beto 26', Dewsbury-Hall 90+1

Brentford saw their hopes of Champions League football dashed following a 2-2 home draw with Everton on Saturday.

Chelsea flop Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall made probably his biggest ‘contribution’ to his ex-side by denying their Champions League rivals from west London all three points.

All while boosting the Toffees’ own chances of a top-five finish.

With a win, the Bees could have been level on 49 points with Liverpool as the Reds were entertaining Fulham later today.

And they would have been one point above the Blues who are tasked with avoiding to blow the title race open again when Man City come to town tomorrow.

Igor Thiago scored either side of Beto’s equaliser to take his tally to 21 Premier League goals for the Bees.

That’s more than anyone has ever managed for the club in a single campaign.

Yet wasn’t the club supposed to struggle after the triple departures of Thomas Frank, Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa?

Those gloomy early-season predictions look foolish now with hindsight. 

Yet despite being the better side throughout regular time (and twice being denied by the crossbar) Brentford’s spirited display didn’t give them maximum points following Dewsbury’s 91st-minute (out-of-nowhere) equaliser.

Brentford took the lead in the third minute after Jordan Pickford tripped Kevin Schade in the area.

New-Brazil international Thiago then set the tone three minutes in by making no mistake from 12 yards.

Beto equalised when he headed home Ilimane Ndiaye’s meticulous delivery. But the goal should probably have been chalked off after Lewis-Potter had been wrestled done by O’Brien in the build-up.

It looked like a comfortable Brentford victory when Michael Kayode bombed forward before letting fly from outside the box. His strike inadvertently flicked off off Thiago before wrong-footing Jordan Pickford.

Yet KDH gave the home side a bitter pill to swallow when he buried a close-range rebound in stoppage-time.

It could have been three points. It’s only one. And it will probably feel like zero. But all is not lost for the Bees who share 7th place with today’s opponents with both sides crossing their fingers and toes for Fulham and Man City to do them a ‘favour.’

The glass might be half-empty today but 32 games in it's half-full. Against all expectations.