Brentford's previously dismal away form was spectacularly overturned as a rampant Igor Thiago inspired a 4-2 victory over a woeful Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. The Brazilian striker's clinical hat-trick propelled Thomas Frank's side up to seventh place in the Premier League, overtaking their hosts in the process.
Everton's Flat Start and Missed Opportunity
The atmosphere was subdued from the outset, and David Moyes's Everton side mirrored the mood. Despite a bright opening where Dwight McNeil forced a save from Caoimhín Kelleher and James Tarkowski saw a header cleared off the line by Thiago himself in the fourth minute, the hosts' threat evaporated entirely. For large periods of the first half, Everton's creativity was nonexistent, with big-money signing Tyler Dibling and McNeil offering little before being substituted at half-time.
Brentford, in stark contrast, grew into the game with composure and structure. They created the better chances and, with more precision, could have been ahead before the break. The deadlock was finally broken six minutes into the second half in calamitous fashion for Everton. After Kevin Schade went down, Tarkowski played a careless pass straight to Vitaly Janelt, who immediately crossed for the unmarked Thiago to guide home his 12th league goal of the season.
Thiago's Treble Seals Dominant Brentford Display
Brentford's control was cemented with two quickfire goals early in the second period. First, captain Nathan Collins powered home a header from a Janelt corner—ending a run of 95 corners without a goal this season. Mere seconds after the restart, Mathias Jensen's delightful through ball found Schade, who teed up Thiago for a cool second finish past Jordan Pickford.
Everton offered a brief response when substitute Beto headed in a Jack Grealish cross, but any hope of a comeback was extinguished by Thiago's relentless quality. Capitalising on a poor turnover, Collins released the striker from inside his own half, and with the confidence of a man in supreme form, he flicked a nonchalant finish past Pickford to complete his hat-trick. A late Thierno Barry consolation for Everton did little to mask a thoroughly disappointing performance.
League Implications and Star Man's Rise
The result is a significant boost for Brentford's European ambitions, while it piles pressure on Everton after arguably their worst display of the campaign. The star of the show, Igor Thiago, now has 14 league goals this season, a tally bettered only by Erling Haaland in the Premier League. Across Europe's top five divisions, only Haaland, Kylian Mbappé, and Harry Kane have scored more, marking the Brazilian's remarkable ascent from relative obscurity to one of the division's most lethal forwards.
