Igor Thiago hit a hat-trick as Brentford beat Everton 4-2 at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday, a result that lifted Keith Andrews' team to seventh in the Premier League and kept them four points behind the top four, while also ending a long winless run against the Merseyside club.
The Brazilian striker opened the scoring in the 11th minute, then added two more after Nathan Collins' header, while Thierno Barry also struck, with Everton responding through Beto and briefly threatening a comeback before Brentford reasserted control in this high-scoring league meeting.
This victory extended Brentford's strong recent form, with Andrews' side continuing an upward trajectory that has pushed the club into the European conversation, and the head coach now
viewing the upcoming Premier League clash against fellow high-flyers Sunderland as another key test of those ambitions.
Thiago's treble meant the forward became the third different Brentford player to score a Premier League hat-trick for the club in this competition, joining Kevin Schade and Ivan Toney, who have both achieved the feat twice, emphasising Thiago's growing status in Brentford's attacking history.
Brentford also defeated Everton for the first time since May 2022, ending a sequence of six straight matches without a win against the Toffees in all competitions, a run that had contained three draws and three defeats and underlined how significant this latest result was for the west London side.
Thiago has now scored 14 Premier League goals this season, and six of those strikes have given Brentford a 1-0 lead, with only Manchester City's Erling Haaland, on 10 opening goals, providing more first strikes in the competition during the current campaign.
| Player | Season | Opening Premier League goals for Brentford |
|---|---|---|
| Bryan Mbeumo | 2024-25 | 9 |
| Ivan Toney | 2022-23 | 8 |
| Igor Thiago | 2024-25 | 6 |
Only Bryan Mbeumo, with nine opening goals in 2024-25, and Toney, with eight in 2022-23, have managed more first strikes in a single Premier League season for Brentford than Thiago, underlining how often the Brazilian has set the tone for Andrews' team this term.
Andrews was quick to highlight Thiago's display, linking it to the confidence any centre-forward takes from scoring regularly, after several matches where Thiago had contributed strongly without finding the net, and the Brentford head coach felt the hat-trick was a fitting reward for the forward's recent work.
"Strikers live and breathe [goals] and get a lot of confidence from it, Andrews said. He's played well without scoring recently. His performance today was sensational. He deserves the accolades. "
Love it, Keith! pic.twitter.com/BD4Am5KQ42 Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) January 4, 2026
Looking at the wider picture, Andrews stressed the importance of building on this result, especially with Sunderland next in the league, seeing that match as a chance to strengthen Brentford's push towards European qualification through continued consistency and collective improvement.
"It's about consistency,Andrews added. I feel the team and squad and club have taken good steps forward in the last few weeks. They have earned that, to play in this way. We are very respectful of each game. We just keep working hard. A real appetite to improve all the time and push each other and see where we go. "
For Everton, the defeat brought unwanted statistical landmarks at Hill Dickinson Stadium, as David Moyes' side lost consecutive home matches there for the first time and have now suffered four defeats in their last six appearances at the ground, following an earlier unbeaten six-game spell in all competitions that featured three wins and two draws.
Moyes' team created only one big chance and ended with an expected goals value of 0.85 from 14 attempts, and the Everton manager accepted that Brentford were deserved winners after a performance he felt lacked quality in key moments, especially in defensive areas where the visitors punished mistakes.
"I'm disappointed we didnt play better, Moyes said. We were just a bit short in some areas. We were disappointing defensively today and not as strong as we have been. No complaints, Brentford deserved the victory. "
Brentford leave Hill Dickinson Stadium with three points, an end to a difficult recent record against Everton and further evidence of Thiago's influence in front of goal, while Everton face renewed scrutiny of home form and must respond quickly as the Premier League schedule continues.
