Everton will look to extend their unbeaten run in the Premier League when they hit the road to square up against Brentford on Wednesday.
Brentford will be eyeing a third straight win in the Premier League when they host Everton at the Gtech Community Stadium on Wednesday night.
The home team are 11th on the table with 37 points in their 26 outings. While it was not the best of starts, they have been in fine form of late, winning three out of their last four outings in the Premier League.
The Bees are just six points behind the team in sixth, which means they are very much in the race for a European spot. Brentford are heading into this fixture on the back of a smashing 4-0 win over Leicester, which will certainly give them confidence heading into this one.
Meanwhile, the visitors are 14th on the table with 31 points in their 26 outings thus far. While Everton were struggling in the first half of the season, the arrival of David Moyes has certainly helped their cause.
The Toffees have been unbeaten in their last six Premier League fixtures, winning four of those. The Toffees are heading into this fixture on the back of a hard-fought 2-2 draw against Manchester United. While they were in the driving seat, United scripted an incredible comeback to snatch a point. The Hard Tackle takes a close look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Brentford
Brentford will be without the services of Sepp van den Berg, Mathias Jensen, Aaron Hickey, Rico Henry, Josh Dasilva, and Igor Thiago. While Christian Norgaard’s availability is also a doubt after he was subbed off at half-time in their last fixture because of an illness, the Danish international should be back in time.
The home team will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Mark Flekken should be in goal. Kristoffer Ajer and Keane Lewis-Potter will be the full-backs for the Bees, while Ethan Pinnock will partner with Nathan Collins at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Vitaly Janelt and Christian Norgaard will form the double pivot in the centre of the park. They will look to shield the backline and control the tempo. Mikkel Damsgaard will take up the no. 10 role, while Bryan Mbeumo and Kevin Schade will provide the width from the flanks. Yoane Wissa will spearhead the Brentford attack against Everton on Wednesday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Flekken; Ajer, Pinnock, Collins, Lewis-Potter; Janelt, Norgaard; Mbeumo, Damsgaard, Schade; Wissa
Everton
The visitors remain without the services of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Armando Broja, Iliman Ndiaye and Dwight McNeil.
Everton will line up in a 4-5-1 formation, where Jordan Pickford will take charge in goal. In the heart of the defence, James Tarkowski will partner with Jarrad Branthwaite. Meanwhile, Jake O’Brien and Vitaliy Mykolenko will likely feature as the full-backs.
Jesper Lindstrom and Jack Harrison will feature in the wide areas in midfield, while Abdoulaye Doucoure will start alongside James Garner and Idrissa Gueye in a more central role. They will look to ensure the home side do not dominate the possession of the ball. Beto will lead the line for Everton against Brentford on Wednesday.
Probable Lineup (4-5-1): Pickford; O’Brien, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Lindstrom, Gueye, Garner, Doucoure, Harrison; Beto
Key Stats
- Everton have won 11 out of the 25 clashes between the two teams, while Brentford have ten wins to their name.
- The reverse fixture between the two teams ended in a goalless draw back in November.
- The Bees have failed to win any of their last five games against Everton (D2 L3).
- A minimum of three goals have been scored in five out of the Toffees’ last six Premier League games.
- Brentford are the only English top-flight side without a clean sheet at home this season.
Player to Watch
Jack Harrison
While Harrison has racked up over 1,300 minutes of first-team action, he has yet to score a goal or bag an assist. The 28-year-old has been an important player for the Toffees, and he has done a decent job. But, he will be eager to get his name on the scoresheet, and this could be his opportunity to shine.
Prediction
Brentford 2-2 Everton
Both teams have been playing some impressive football of late. They are getting the desired results, and this could prove to be an edge-of-the-seat thriller between two of the most in-form teams in the Premier League.
Brentford are eyeing a third straight win, while Everton are looking to extend their recent unbeaten run in the Premier League. Both teams will push for all three points, but neither might get it. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-2 draw on Wednesday night.
