Everton will hope to get out of the bottom three with a win vs Brentford at home on Saturday when the two sides meet in the Premier League.
Everton come into the game vs Brentford on the back of a draw against Nottingham Forest. And they have failed to win four of their last five league matches. The Toffees will have to improve immensely to beat a formidable Brentford side. They are currently 18th in the league table.
The visitors are currently ninth in the league table, and they are unbeaten in their last six league matches. Brentford have not faced a defeat in their last two meetings against Everton and will look to exploit the home side’s vulnerabilities and grind out a morale-boosting away win here.
The reverse fixture, played at the Brentford Community Stadium, saw Brentford come from a goal down to hold Everton to a 1-1 draw. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
#EVEBRE ⏳ pic.twitter.com/obYfLCNB0O
— Everton (@Everton) March 7, 2023
Team News & Tactics
Everton
Sean Dyche will be without the services of Vitaliy Mykolenko because of an illness. Meanwhile, Andros Townsend is a long-term absentee through a knee injury. Everton are likely to line up in a 4-5-1 formation, with Jordan Pickford in goal.
Seamus Coleman will retain his place as the right-back, with Michael Keane partnering with James Tarkowski at the heart of the defence. In the absence of Mykolenko, Ben Godfrey could be deployed as the left-back here. Coleman will look to add width and creativity from the flanks, while the other three are likely to sit back and keep the defensive line compact.
Alex Iwobi and Dwight McNeil will be deployed as the wingers here, and the two players will look to add pace and flair from the flanks. Amadou Onana will partner Idrissa Gueye and Abdoulaye Doucoure at the heart of the midfield.
While Gueye will look to break up the opposition play and protect the central defenders, Doucoure and Onana will add physicality and drive from the midfield. Demarai Gray is set to lead the line, especially with the likes of Neal Maupay and Dominic Calvert-Lewin underperforming this season.
Probable Lineup (4-5-1): Pickford; Coleman, Keane, Tarkowski, Godfrey; Iwobi, Doucoure, Gueye, Onana, McNeil; Gray
Brentford
The visitors are without the services of Thomas Strakosha, who is ruled out with an ankle injury. Thomas Frank is likely to stick to his 4-3-3 setup with David Raya, whose long-term future is uncertain, in goal.
Aaron Hickey and Rico Henry will reprise their roles as the full-backs, and both players will look to add width and creativity during transitions. Ethan Pinnock will partner with Ben Mee at the heart of the defence.
The two players have done quite well defensively this season, and they will be looking to negate the Everton attacking threat. In the midfield, Christian Norgaard will be the defensive midfielder, and he will look to mop up the opposition attacks and protect the central defenders.
Mikkel Damsgaard will add creativity and control in the middle while Mathias Jensen will look to recycle the ball and help out defensively. Bryan Mbuemo and Yoane Wissa will start as the wide forwards here. The two players will look to add pace and flair from the flanks. Ivan Toney has been in outstanding form this season and the England striker is set to lead the line.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Raya; Hickey, Pinnock, Mee, Henry; Damsgaard, Norgaard, Jensen; Mbuemo, Toney, Wissa
Key Stats
- Brentford are undefeated in their last 12 matches in the Premier League.
- Everton have conceded at least two goals in their last three matches in the Premier League.
- Everton has picked up four points from the last five games.
- Everton has fired blanks in 11 games this season.
- Brentford away from home, are currently unbeaten in 5 games.
Player to Watch
Ivan Toney
⭐️ Player of the Match, @BrentfordFC’s Ivan Toney
46 touches, 1 in opposition box*
Won 4/8 duels
4 shots, 2 on target
*Maintained 100% PL penalty record (10/10)
15th PL goal this season – only Haaland (27) & Kane (18) have more pic.twitter.com/Hr8kG5GzEN— Sky Sports Statto (@SkySportsStatto) March 6, 2023
The Brentford striker has scored eight goals in his last ten matches across all competitions, and he has the quality to trouble Everton’s porous backline. The 26-year-old is full of confidence, with 15 goals in 22 Premier League appearances this season and he is our man to watch out for.
While his future remains uncertain amid the betting scandal. But it looks like he will go out with a bang before possibly getting a long ban after admitting to the breaches. Expect Toney to get on the score sheet again this weekend.
Prediction
Everton 1-2 Brentford
Everton will look to put their best foot forward here. But they are lacking in quality all across the park. Furthermore, they are a team lacking in confidence and belief right now. On the other hand, Brentford have been very difficult to beat this season.
Players like Ivan Toney and Bryan Mbuemo are in impressive form right now, and they should be able to break down the Everton defence here. A narrow win for the visitors is on the cards. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Brentford here.
