Dewsbury-Hall rescues point for Everton at Brentford

11th Apr 2026 | Source: BBC

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall scored a dramatic injury-time equaliser as Everton twice came from behind to secure a point against Brentford, which kept both sides' hopes of European qualification in the balance.

Igor Thiago coolly converted from the penalty spot to give the Bees an early lead at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Beto got Everton deservedly back on level terms with a glancing header despite claims from Brentford of a foul in the build-up.

Thiago put the Bees back in front when he deflected Michael Kayode's effort beyond Jordan Pickford - his 21st goal of the season.

However, Dewsbury-Hall netted in added time during a torrential shower to give the Toffees a share of the points with a clinical low finish.

The result means Brentford and Everton are both on 47 points, with the Bees a place above the Toffees in seventh courtesy of superior goal difference.

Brentford were awarded the early penalty after Kevin Schade was brought down following a rash challenge from Pickford as the Everton goalkeeper tried to narrow the angle.

Pickford dived the right way but there was too much power on Thiago's spot-kick and it nestled in the bottom-left corner of the net.

Everton regained their composure and Jarrad Branthwaite's long-range effort flashed past the post, while Caoimhin Kelleher produced a smart double save to deny Idrissa Gueye and Beto.

The Toffees got a deserved equaliser just before the half-hour mark when Jake O'Brien won the ball back on the byline and fed Gueye, whose pin-point cross was headed home by Beto.

Brentford hit the bar with headers from Schade and Nathan Collins either side of half-time, before they seized the upper hand again in a tense second half.

Kayode's direct run caught Everton's defence on their heels and his shot brushed enough of Thiago's thigh to change the path of the ball and wrong-foot Pickford.

But Dewsbury-Hall salvaged a point when he dispatched a low shot into the corner of the net after Iliman Ndiaye's initial shot had been blocked by Kayode.

Brentford analysis: Talisman Thiago remains the key

The battle to qualify for Europe is getting tight at the business end of the season, and after four consecutive draws the Bees might reflect on this result as an opportunity missed.

Yet as the margins get finer, they have a player in Thiago to provide the cutting edge and cool head required to keep them in the hunt in what remains of the campaign.

The 24-year-old, who bagged a hat-trick in Brentford's away win over Everton in January, scored the Bees' fastest goal of the season when he struck from the spot after three minutes.

It ensured he also became the first Brazilian player to reach the milestone figure of 20 goals in the Premier League.

His 21st goal was decidedly more fortuitous, but it meant he now has the best haul by a Brentford player in a Premier League season - overtaking a record jointly held by Ivan Toney (2022-23) and Bryan Mbeumo (2024-25).

It's not just his goals that are crucial either - against Everton he dropped deep and tried to create openings for his team-mates.

Given he had to wait until he was 17 to sign for a club, having faced several rejections at trials around Brazil, Thiago is not the kind of player to coast to the finish.

He could help Brentford secure European football for the first time in their history and potentially earn a spot in Carlo Ancelotti's World Cup squad, having scored his first goal for Brazil during the recent international break.

Everton analysis: Dewsbury-Hall delivers in classic Moyesian display

This Everton fightback was vintage David Moyes.

They may have shown more pragmatism than their travelling supporters would have preferred in London, but it was a savvy approach against a Brentford side that posed a serious threat on the counter-attack.

Moyes' players rolled up their sleeves and demonstrated the resilience and opportunism required to keep their European hopes alive.

The stakes were high in what felt like a genuine six-pointer, and defeat would have been a setback.

Instead, they remain firmly in the mix, with confidence intact heading into next Sunday's pivotal Merseyside derby.

Dewsbury-Hall embodied that spirit, continuing his emergence as a key figure under Moyes.

The 27-year-old's late equaliser took him to 10 direct goal involvements this season - seven goals and three assists.

That is two more than his previous three campaigns in the competition combined, when he registered three goals and five assists in 72 appearances.

There are still areas for concern, however.

Pickford needs to rediscover his composure. Since joining Everton in 2017, only Jose Sa has conceded more Premier League penalties than Pickford's six.

The immediate reaction of Branthwaite, who berated his goalkeeper following the foul on Schade, spoke volumes.