Everton resume their faltering Premier League campaign after November’s international break at Goodison Park against division entertainers Brentford.
A lack of composure in the final third let the Toffees down in a scoreless away draw against West Ham United, tightening the noose around Sean Dyche’s neck.
Per The Sun, the 53-year-old’s future on Merseyside faces a critical juncture, with the impending new owner, Dan Friedkin, contemplating sacking the ex-Burnley boss.
After securing top-flight survival in 2023/24 despite back-to-back point deductions, Everton seem to have failed to learn their lesson, with another season-long fight against relegation looming.
Everton entered the international break two spots and three points clear of the bottom three, but their underwhelming form, highlighted by a three-game winless run, cannot inspire much confidence.
One of the Toffees’ most noticeable shortcomings has been a misfiring frontline.
Crystal Palace and Southampton are the only Premier League sides to have netted fewer goals than Everton’s ten after the opening 11 rounds.
It hardly makes for good reading, as they’re about to take on the league’s second most-prolific team on Saturday.
Fans enjoying watching the game via live football streams must have spotted Brentford’s standout scoring potential.
The Bees’ stunning 22-goal haul is second only to Tottenham Hotspur’s 23, though it’s worth noting they’ve conceded as many.
Minor improvement
Dyche’s men have conceded a league-low two goals since the start of October, registering three shutouts in five matches during that sequence.
That’s a drastic improvement compared to the 15 goals they conceded in the opening nine games.
However, Dyche’s insistence on tightening his backline took its toll on the offensive side.
With five scoring blanks, the Toffees lament more scoreless outings than any other team in the Premier League.
One goal could theoretically be enough for three points, considering they’ve won their last two home league matches against Brentford by an identical 1-0 scoreline.
But home victories have been at a premium this season.
Except for a come-from-behind 2-1 triumph against Palace in late September, Everton have gone winless in their four remaining league fixtures at Goodison (D2, L2).
Perfect chance for the second
Despite Brentford’s habit of delivering fireworks, they’ve stuttered outside the Gtech Community Stadium.
Indeed, they have lost all five league outings on the road this season, alarmingly conceding at least twice in each defeat.
Manager Thomas Frank has proved unable to find a cure for the Bees’ travel sickness.
In addition to leaking goals at an alarming rate, they’ve struggled to translate their formidable scoring home form to their road trips.
Since a 2-0 defeat at Liverpool on matchday two, they have bagged precisely one goal in four subsequent away league contests.
That could intensify the psychological pressure on Brentford as they bid to defy a dreadful record on Everton’s home ground.
Five of their last six league visits to Goodison have ended in defeat (W1).
Oddly enough, none of Brentford’s 24 historical meetings with Everton have ended 0-0.
Double fitness boost
Dyche confirmed Dwight McNeil and Jarrad Branthwaite are available for selection during the pre-match conference.
The former missed the team’s trip to West Ham last time out, while the latter pulled out of the England squad.
Branthwaite’s return from injury has been pivotal in shoring up the defense, and his availability for this crucial showdown is a significant boost for the Toffees.
However, Everton cannot call upon the services of Armando Broja, James Garner and Tim Iroegbunam.
How could Everton line up vs Brentford?
(4-2-3-1): Jordan Pickford; Ashley Young, James Tarkowski, Jarrad Branthwaite, Vitaliy Mykolenko; Idrrisa Gueye, Abdoulaye Doucoure; Jesper Lindstrom, Dwight McNeil, Iliman Ndiaye; Dominic Calvert-Lewin.