Everton will host Brentford at Goodison Park on Saturday afternoon, and they will be eager to get back to winning ways.
Everton have failed to win their last three Premier League games, and they need to start picking up points if they want to stay in the Premier League next season, starting with the game vs Brentford on Saturday afternoon.
Meanwhile, Brentford are 11th in the Premier League table, with three wins from the last five league games. The Bees will look to pick up a comfortable victory away from home, and it remains to be seen whether they can fix their disappointing record against the Toffees.
Brentford have failed to win five of the last six matches vs Everton, and it will be interesting to see if they can bounce back strongly. There is no doubt that Thomas Frank has a quality squad and the capability to grind out all three points.
However, Everton have been difficult to beat in recent weeks. The Toffees have lost just one of the last six league games. There should be a cracking contest between two evenly-matched teams. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Everton
Everton are without Armando Broja due to a calf injury. Youssef Chermiti is unavailable because of an ankle injury. Tim Iroegbunam is recovering from an ankle issue, while Seamus Coleman has a thigh injury, and James Garner misses out with a lower back injury.
The Toffees will shape up in a 4-4-1-1 formation, with Jordan Pickford in goal. Nathan Patterson and Vitaliy Mykolenko should start as the full-backs. They will look to help out at both ends of the pitch. James Tarkowski will start in the central defensive pairing alongside Jarrad Branthwaite.
Jack Harrison and Dwight McNeil will start in the wide areas. They will look to add pace and flair from the flanks. Abdoulaye Doucoure and Idrissa Gueye will start in the middle of the park, and they will look to add defensive cover to the side.
Beto will start as the attacking midfielder here, and he will look to link up with central striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, to create chances and get on the scoresheet for Everton vs Brentford on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-4-1-1): Pickford; Patterson, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Harrison, Doucoure, Gueye, McNeil; Beto; Calvert-Lewin
Brentford
Brentford will be without Joshua Dasilva due to a knee injury, Gustavo Nunes due to a back injury, Rico Henry due to a knee injury, Aaron Hickey due to a thigh injury, Igor Thiago because of a knee injury, and Kristoffer Ajer because of an ankle injury.
The away side will shape up in a 4-3-3 formation, with Mark Flekken in goal. Mads Roerslev and Keane Lewis-Potter will be deployed as the full-backs here. They will look to keep things tight defensively. Nathan Collins will start at the heart of the defence alongside Ethan Pinnock.
Vitaly Janelt will start as the defensive midfielder alongside Christian Norgaard and Mikkel Damsgaard. Janelt and Norgaard will look to protect the back four and win the ball back. Damsgaard will add creativity and drive to the side. Kevin Schade will lead the line for Brentford vs Everton, with Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa on the flanks.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Flekken; Roerslev, Collins, Pinnock, Lewis-Potter; Norgaard, Janelt, Damsgaard; Mbeumo, Schade, Wissa
Key Stats
- Brentford have conceded at least two goals in their last five matches in the Premier League.
- Everton are unbeaten in five of the last six meetings vs Brentford.
- 18 goals have been scored in the last six meetings between these two teams.
- Everton are unbeaten in five of the last six matches in all competitions.
- Brentford have won four of the last six matches in all competitions.
Player to Watch
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
The Everton striker is our key player to watch out for this weekend. He could cause all sorts of problems for a vulnerable Brentford defence. The Bees have been quite poor defensively in recent weeks, and they will have to improve immensely to get a good result, here.
Calvert-Lewin will make life difficult for the opposition with his ability to link up with his teammates, hold up the ball and bring others into the play. In addition, the English striker will look to get on the score sheet, and his aerial prowess could be an issue as well.
Prediction
Everton 2-1 Brentford
Both teams will look to grind out all three points here, and this is likely to be a close contest. Everton will be full of confidence after their recent performances. The Toffees have been very difficult to beat in recent weeks. They will certainly fancy their chances at home, and Brentford are likely to be let down by their vulnerable defence.
