David Moyes expressed a mix of frustration and pride following his side’s 1-1 draw against Brentford in a tightly contested Premier League match. Despite securing a point that extends Everton’s unbeaten run to seven league games, Moyes firmly believes his team deserved more from the encounter, pointing to missed opportunities and a scrappy goal conceded as the key talking points.
Reflecting on the game to evertonfc.com, Moyes didn’t mince words about the result. “I think we deserved more in the end, I really do. I think our point was probably the least we deserved,” he said. His disappointment stemmed from Brentford’s equaliser, which came right on the stroke of half-time from a long throw—a tactic Everton were well-prepared for but failed to handle. “We lost a terrible scrappy goal right on half-time from a long throw which, everybody who comes here is well aware of what’s going to happen, and we didn’t deal with it well,” Moyes lamented.
Despite the defensive lapse, Moyes was quick to highlight Everton’s attacking profligacy, particularly striker Beto’s inability to convert two golden chances. “Beto had been through one v one which he’s recently done very, very well on. Then he had the second one as well,” Moyes noted. “If we hadn’t got a draw there would have been something wrong.” The manager’s faith in his forward remains unshaken, but he couldn’t hide his belief that those moments should have sealed all three points.
Despite Everton sitting 15 points clear of the relegation zone, David Moyes was quick to remind people that the point would help make sure Everton would stay in the Premier League. “When you come in as manager you want to get on a run of games we needed to make sure we’re going to stay in the Premier League. I think tonight’s another point towards it.” The result follows impressive away victories at Brighton and Crystal Palace, and Moyes felt this performance warranted a similar outcome. “In truth, we should have probably won here tonight as well. So it says a lot for the players, what they’re doing.”
A bright spot for Everton was Jake O’Brien’s first goal for the club, a towering header that salvaged the draw. Moyes praised the versatile defender, who has been deployed as a hybrid right-back due to his speed and physicality. “Jake’s really a centre-back who we’ve got him playing a bit as a hybrid right-back. Because he’s quick, he helps us with a lot of the quick players. His size is also always a big help as well,” Moyes explained. “It came to help us tonight when he scored with a really good header at the back post.”
Moyes also singled out midfielder Charlie Alcaraz for his strong showing, though he acknowledged the youngster “ran out of a bit of juice” late on. With a depleted squad missing “probably the best part of eight or nine of our senior players,” Moyes admitted the lack of depth in midfield limited his options. “If we had another midfield player, we may have changed it at some point with another number 10,” he said.
The Everton boss reserved special praise for Brentford’s goalkeeper. “Their goalkeeper was probably man of the match with the saves he made tonight,” While critical of the goal his side conceded, Moyes was largely satisfied with his players’ efforts. “I thought they played well, really well in the second half,” he said. “We send the supporters back happy because there was a big support here for us tonight, and I think the supporters are just beginning to get a bit of belief as well that the team’s playing much, much better.”
For Moyes, the signs of progress are clear. Everton’s resilience on the road and their improved performances are fostering optimism among the fanbase. “They’re all playing much better, and I hope that continues,” he concluded.