Everton beats Brentford 3-1 to pick up first Premier League win of the season
Everton's Abdoulaye Doucoure, right, celebrates after scoring the opening goal with Dwight McNeil, centre and James Garner, left, during the English Premier League soccer match between Brentford and Everton at the Gtech Community Stadium, in London, Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. Credit: AP/Nigel French
LONDON — Everton picked up its first Premier League win of the season on Saturday by beating Brentford 3-1 away.
Victory at Gtech Community Stadium will help to ease the pressure on the Merseyside club after a difficult start to the campaign for manager Sean Dyche.
Abdoulaye Doucoure, James Tarkowski and Dominic Calvert-Lewin struck for Everton, which moved up to 15th in the standings. Mathias Jensen pulled one back for Brentford.
Everton only avoided relegation on the final day of last season and was in the drop zone going into this game after securing just one point from its opening five matches.
But it got off to an encouraging start when Doucoure lashed home in the sixth minute after a knockdown from Tarkowski.
The visitors had chances to extend their lead, but it was Brentford which evened the score through Jensen against the run of play in the 28th.
Everton was back in front in the 67th when Tarkowski headed in Dwight McNeil’s corner.
Everton's Dwight McNeil, left and Amadou Onana, centre, vie for the ball with Brentford's Frank Onyeka, right, , during the English Premier League soccer match between Brentford and Everton at the Gtech Community Stadium, in London, Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. Credit: AP/Nigel French
Substitute Calvert-Lewin ran through on goal four minutes later to make it 3-1 and set Dyche's team on course for all three points.
