Evertonvs.Brentford

The hosts have regressed heavily in their performance levels recently, slipping back towards the bottom three after seemingly pulling away following a promising unbeaten run through October.

Match preview

An odd run of form at Everton has seen the Toffees suffer defeat only once in their last seven games, but claiming just two wins in that time has left supporters frustrated, and worried ahead of a tricky run of games ahead.

Opta's fixture model - which defines how difficult certain opponents are - stated that Everton have enjoyed the easiest start to the season, but sitting just three points above the relegation zone shows they have not taken advantage of those fixtures.

Taking just 10 points from a possible 33 so far has further increased the pressure on manager Sean Dyche, who will already be feeling the heat with the Friedkin Group expected to complete their takeover soon, and the US owners have shown at Roma they are not afraid to pull the trigger.

Dyche is out of contract in the summer regardless, so it is hugely likely this will be his final season at the helm, and he will need to conjure up some of the same fighting spirit that got Everton over the line in his two previous seasons against the odds.

The odds will certainly be stacked against Everton in their December fixtures, because apart from a home clash with Wolves which is winnable on paper, the Toffees could easily lose every match up until Boxing Day.

Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City all await Everton across a six-game run through the festive period, placing massive importance on this clash with Brentford.

Everton have lost just two of their last 10 at Goodison, but it is wins that are required, and they have only managed one of them on home soil this season, and that was two months ago against Crystal Palace.

Profligacy in attack is the clear reason as to why Everton are struggling, because no side has fired as many blanks - five in 11 games - with Beto's late goal against Fulham at the end of October the last time they found the net.

Brentford have been favourable opponents in recent times for the Toffees though, as completing the league double last season has contributed to a three-game winning run against the Bees.

While Everton cannot buy a goal at present though, Thomas Frank's side are scoring them an abundance, and can be tagged as the league's great entertainers so far this season.

No team has seen more goals scored in their matches than Brentford's 44, evenly distributed with 22 scored and conceded, and they have both scored and conceded in 10 of their 11 matches so far, but one ominous fact is that the only occasion where that did not happen is when they fired a blank on their other trip to Merseyside to face Liverpool in August.

Some questionable defending ultimately went unpunished in their 3-2 win over Bournemouth last time out, with Frank's side proving that outscoring the opposition can work at this level.

That moved them up into 11th, just two points shy of the European places, which is remarkable when it is taken into consideration that Brentford have lost all five away games so far, making it no surprise to see that the Bees have the best home record in the Premier League, with 16 points won from a possible 18.

Only three other clubs in Europe's top-five leagues are yet to claim a point on the road, and 1924 and 1961 are the only other occasions when Brentford have lost their first six on the road.

Everton Premier League form:

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Brentford Premier League form:

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Brentford form (all competitions):

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Team News

Dwight McNeil missed the 0-0 draw at West Ham United before the international break, and Jarrad Branthwaite then pulled out of the England squad after playing at the London Stadium, but both have been in full training over the past the week, and should be fit to start.

Armando Broja's debut is edging closer, as the Albanian striker has now been in full training for over a week at Finch Farm, but will not be involved here and he may find it tough to break into the side on his return with Dominic Calvert-Lewin still the undisputed first choice despite some dreadful attacking numbers so far.

Youssef Chermiti is back in training but remains out in attack after surgery in the summer, and midfield duo James Garner and Tim Iroegbunam are also missing, along with captain Seamus Coleman, who had to withdraw from the Ireland squad due to a minor hamstring tweak.

Fears were raised when Brentford's lethal attacking duo Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa both pulled out of international duty last week, but their supposed injuries are not expected to be serious.

Brentford's injury list was already lengthy, and Ethan Pinnock's withdrawal from Jamaica duty only exacerbated that, and he will require a late fitness test here.

Rico Henry is closing in on a return following a long spell out, and both Igor Thiago and Gustavo Nunes could make their debuts soon, after sustaining setbacks in preseason.

Everton possible starting lineup:

Pickford; Young, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Gueye, Doucoure; Lindstrom, McNeil, Ndiaye; Calvert-Lewin

Brentford possible starting lineup:

Flekken; Roerslev, Collins, Pinnock, Van den Berg; Norgaard, Janelt, Damsgaard; Mbeumo, Wissa, Lewis-Potter

We say: Everton 1-3 Brentford

Brentford's pointless start on the road will not go on forever, and the Bees will see this as their best chance yet to get off the mark against an underwhelming Everton.

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