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Since the start of last season Brentford's Ivan Toney has scored all 11 of his penalties in league games - more than any other player in the top four tiers of English footballBrentford ended a five-match wait for a Premier League win with a home victory over Everton which extended the struggling Toffees' own winless run to seven games.
Ivan Toney coolly slotted in a 24th-minute penalty, awarded after Andros Townsend's high challenge on Frank Onyeka was reviewed by referee Darren England on the pitch-side monitor.
The goal ignited a largely uneventful start to a meeting between the two clubs rooted to the bottom of the Premier League's form table.
Salomon Rondon was denied an immediate equaliser by Bees goalkeeper Alvaro Fernandez at close range and Abdoulaye Doucoure produced a superb tackle to thwart Vitaly Janelt at the other end moments later.
Everton dominated following half-time but Rondon - replacing the suspended Richarlison in attack - saw an attempt blocked and Iwobi shot straight at Fernandez as the visitors chased an equaliser to no avail.
The hosts climb to 12th in the table after surviving intense late pressure at the Brentford Community Stadium - above Rafael Benitez's side, who slip to 14th.
- Reaction to Brentford v Everton, plus the rest of Sunday's Premier League action
- Go to the Brentford page
- Go to the Everton page
Brentford pile pressure on Benitez
Both sides had managed to claim only a single point from their past five league matches - two fewer than any other side in the division.
But the table paints a far rosier picture for Brentford following this result. Having put an end to a four-game losing run with a draw at Newcastle last time out, the promoted side sit seven points clear of the relegation places heading into December.
It is the Bees home form in particular which will have concerned manager Thomas Frank before kick-off, with just four points to show from six games since promotion.
Yet, despite failing to win in front of their own supporters since beating Arsenal on the opening day, Toney oozed confidence as he stepped up for his penalty - the 25-year-old taking two steps and maintaining eye contact with Pickford as he rolled the ball into the bottom left corner.
It proved to be Toney's only touch in the Everton box all game, but it was enough to put the game beyond a toothless opposition.
Winless in their last 35 away league games when trailing at the break, a stuttering Everton side were unable to launch a second-half comeback and consequently find themselves on their longest winless run since April 2016.
Their dip in form has been stark. Benitez's men were fifth in the table after taking 13 points from their opening six fixtures, however they have earned just two more since then.
Doucoure's intervention to halt Janelt's progress gave his side hope for the second half, but in the continued absence of star striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin they were unable to make their superiority count.
The defeat will further increase the pressure on former Liverpool manager Benitez ahead of a meeting with their bitter Merseyside rivals on Wednesday.
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Brentford
Squad number40Player nameFernández
Squad number4Player nameGoode
Squad number18Player nameJansson
Squad number5Player namePinnock
Squad number7Player nameCanós
Squad number15Player nameOnyeka
Squad number6Player nameNørgaard
Squad number27Player nameJanelt
Squad number3Player nameHenry
Squad number17Player nameToney
Squad number19Player nameMbeumo
Squad number11Player nameWissa
Squad number26Player nameBaptiste
Squad number30Player nameRoerslev
Everton
Squad number1Player namePickford
Squad number23Player nameColeman
Squad number22Player nameGodfrey
Squad number5Player nameKeane
Squad number12Player nameDigne
Squad number14Player nameTownsend
Squad number16Player nameDoucouré
Squad number6Player nameAllan
Squad number24Player nameGordon
Squad number17Player nameIwobi
Squad number33Player nameRondón
Squad number11Player nameGray
Line-ups
Brentford
Formation 3-5-2
- 40Fernández
- 4Goode
- 18JanssonBooked at 66mins
- 5Pinnock
- 7CanósBooked at 51minsSubstituted forWissaat 87'minutes
- 15OnyekaBooked at 43mins
- 6NørgaardSubstituted forBaptisteat 70'minutes
- 27Janelt
- 3HenrySubstituted forRoerslevat 77'minutes
- 17Toney
- 19MbeumoBooked at 90mins
Substitutes
- 2Thompson
- 8Jensen
- 9Forss
- 11Wissa
- 14Ghoddos
- 26Baptiste
- 29Bech Sørensen
- 30Roerslev
- 41Cox
Everton
Formation 4-4-1-1
- 1Pickford
- 23Coleman
- 22GodfreyBooked at 80mins
- 5Keane
- 12Digne
- 14TownsendBooked at 38minsSubstituted forGrayat 70'minutes
- 16Doucouré
- 6Allan
- 24Gordon
- 17Iwobi
- 33RondónBooked at 66mins
Substitutes
- 2Kenny
- 8Delph
- 11Gray
- 15Begovic
- 20Tosun
- 25Gbamin
- 32Branthwaite
- 50Simms
- 61Dobbin
Live Text
Match ends, Brentford 1, Everton 0.
Second Half ends, Brentford 1, Everton 0.
Attempt missed. Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford) right footed shot from the left side of the box is too high.
Attempt saved. Yoane Wissa (Brentford) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Shandon Baptiste.
Foul by Abdoulaye Doucouré (Everton).
Ivan Toney (Brentford) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford) is shown the yellow card.
Abdoulaye Doucouré (Everton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Vitaly Janelt (Brentford).
Attempt saved. Alex Iwobi (Everton) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top right corner. Assisted by Lucas Digne with a cross.
Attempt blocked. Lucas Digne (Everton) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Corner, Everton. Conceded by Ethan Pinnock.
Substitution, Brentford. Yoane Wissa replaces Sergi Canós because of an injury.
Attempt missed. Salomón Rondón (Everton) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Séamus Coleman with a cross.
Dangerous play by Abdoulaye Doucouré (Everton).
Frank Onyeka (Brentford) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Ben Godfrey (Everton) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Ben Godfrey (Everton).
Ivan Toney (Brentford) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Offside, Everton. Jordan Pickford tries a through ball, but Anthony Gordon is caught offside.
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