A 0-0 draw at Goodison Park one which be remembered as much for Brentford’s first away point of the campaign as it will be the most dubious of red cards, shown to Bees’ captain Christian Norgaard just prior to half-time as he looked to steer Ethan Pinnock’s header home.

It seemed nothing more than an innocuous attempt to find the back of the net – one perhaps which, deep down, we’ll be disappointed wasn’t turned in for the game’s opening goal. Sadly, as with Yoanne Wissa when set clean through minutes earlier, there was Jordan Pickford to get in the way.

Yet as both teams looked to restart, Pickford remained on his backside. Clutching his leg and doing everything he could to alert referee Chris Kavanagh to the fact that in looking to connect with the ball, Norgaard had accidentally caught the goalkeeper on the knee. There were no stud marks. No wound. No protest from the home defenders to suggest to the ref anything was awry so instead it was our old friend VAR that then persuaded him – after repeated viewings – that the only option available was to send Norgaard for an early shower.

Wow. Yes, there was contact but serious foul play? Putting Pickford in danger? It was a player looking to reach a ball he had every right to go for. There was no question of late or reckless challenging. Merely an unfortunate coming together as part of the move – almost unavoidable for either player given how close to the goal line it was – which looked way, worse than it was when that crucial split second was magnified and played back frame by frame.

Thomas Frank was understandably incensed. Initially earning a yellow card for his troubles then telling the BBC afterwards, at length, why he thought it was the incorrect decision and that, if anything ”The game has changed if this is a red card”.

As it stands the club will be appealing the red card, although that’s one for the future. The immediate impact on the game was that the entire second half – and last few minutes of the opening period – had to be played 11 v 10.

Something which was as much a shame given that when the Bees had broken forward, chances had been coming. Now, it was a case of switching to back foot defence, looking to close the game out and perhaps catch Everton on the break.

Kudos to Brentford. For all Sean Dyche’s team continued their wonderful brand of anti-football that culminated in a third 0-0 in the last six games alongside 1-1, defeat at Southampton and a victory (not a typo) over Ipswich, it was as much down to the brick walls built across the Brentford defence.

Everton unable to make the advantage count. Unable to carve out clear chances and resorting to speculative effort. Thwarted by resolute defence whenever the ball came in or around the 18-yard box.

Dyche was almost caught with his pants down late on as KLP and Jensen came close but, in the end, this was an afternoon that revolved around one decision. A decision which killed off any chance of a game breaking out.

Instead, it finished goalless and The Bees pleased with a point – in the circumstances – but once again left wondering ‘if only’ after a stirring performance on the road.

Even the long-anticipated league debut of Igor Thiago was forced to play second fiddle. That said, how good was it to finally see him in a competitive fixture for Brentford?

He’ll have plenty more opportunity to show what he can do and is sure to feature prominently as we start a sequence of three games in 8 days on Saturday – the trip to Aston Villa on Wednesday week being the meat in a sandwich of visits from Leicester City and Newcastle United.

Until then, time for our look at the top five performers. As always, five points being awarded for star player, four for second place, three for third etc with the totals added up game-by-game to find an overall winner for the season.

2024/25 Brentford Player Ratings from Matchweek 12 (vs Everton)

1st (Star Player: 5 points) – Mark Flekken
A first clean sheet of the season for Mark and one which was achieved in as tough a set of circumstances as is possible. With the country lashed by Storm Bert, he was a beacon of calm and rock-solid assuredness on an afternoon of mayhem and chaos.

A quite wonderful stop early on when Idrissa Gueye’s goalwards effort took a wicked deflection from Dominic Calvert-Lewin, saw Flekken at his finest. Whether the Everton man’s touch to divert the ball was deliberate or not is almost a moot point. Flekken was there with lightning fast reactions, flinging himself low to the left and somehow pushing the ball wide.

It wasn’t his only ‘worldy’ of the day. Calvert-Lewin, again, found himself clear though yet was denied at the near post when it had seemed ‘odds on’ a goal. Then Gueye saw another effort in the second half that, despite moving all over the place, was palmed to safety by The Bee keeper.

Those were the stand outs but all around this was confidence when gathering. When punching. When distributing. On an afternoon which felt as though it had the making of potential disaster, Mark’s reliability set the tone for those in front of him.

2nd (4 points) – Nathan Collins
Now we reach the point where opinions may significantly differ. All of the defence deserve as many points as possible but I’m giving second place to Nathan.

Regardless of how he and the rest of the team played when a man down, it was his early block when Ndiaye waltzed through the Brentford backline that really set the tone for the rest of his afternoon. Boom. There he was to stop the move dead in its tracks as the goal beckoned.

Something that then seemed to be then stuck on repeat mode every time Everton looked to try and do something in the box. On an afternoon where the hosts apparently had 27 shots, that only 5 were on target is as much down to the Brentford defence getting in the way of these as anything else.

Watching the game, he seemed to be at the heart of everything, every time.

3rd (3 points) – Keane Lewis-Potter
KLP is the gift that just keeps on giving.

One minute he’s left back, the next he’s left wing. I remember last season at Arsenal when he was drafted in to that position and thinking it was only going to end one way. Instead, he showed a certainty of purpose that has only grown. To the point that having Rico back, when it must surely soon happen, will be the most wonderful opportunity down the left for The Bees.

Until then, let’s reflect on another KLP masterclass. Defensively sound. Calm under the pressure of the one man disadvantage. Easily looking like Brentford’s most creative option when the opportunity to push forward did arise.

The timing of his run to open up the hosts late on was just sublime. A shame the move didn’t end with Pickford being given something to actually cry about but evidence, again, of what KLP brings to this team.

4th (2 points) – Ethan Pinnock
Being honest, it was tight between him and KLP for third. In my opinion, at least.

The partnership with Nathan Collins again something that continues to grow. They seem so in tune with each other’s game that it’s hard to think this is only their second season together. Very much a 21st century Millen-Evans – at least in their mutual understanding.

Like Nathan, he produced a quite wonderful goal-denying block. This one later on in the second half when, surely, the law of averages would dictate Everton must find a way through. No chance with these two in the back line.

His cushioned header into the heart of that Wissa – Norgaard – Pickford triangle was as perfectly placed as it needed to be. It was a move that should have ended with Brentford a goal up rather than a man down. Alas, we all know what happened next but well played Ethan in carving out the opportunity.

5th (1 point) – Sepp van den Berg
I’m giving the last place to Sepp. As much because an afternoon that was always going to be turgid was then made worse by the machinations of Messers Kavanagh and Pickford yet still they could not get through.

To exclude the last of the back five would be just wrong. Sepp was as crucial as anybody else in his role over the course of a game which, let’s be honest, was played largely in our final third.

That’s not his or the team’s fault but he played his part in picking up the hand we were dealt quite wonderfully.

All of which means that heading into the aforementioned trio of games, a rare absence from the top five for Mikkel Damsgaard sees Mark Flekken close the gap as he moves second. The next three hot on his heels as the Brentford machine keeps on rolling.

2024/25 Brentford Player Ratings – Top 5 Overall (after Matchweek 12)

Bring on Leicester City. Bring on another game at home.

1st – Mikkel Damsgaard (33 points)
2nd – Mark Flekken (25 points)
3rd – Keane Lewis-Potter, Nathan Collins (23 points)
5th – Bryan Mbeumo (21 points)