Everton, Brentford go head-to-head as weekend clash looms.
Everton vs. Brentford kicks off at 15:00 [GMT] on Sunday, January 4, at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Everton and Brentford meet once again in the Premier League, with recent meetings suggesting a fixture that has gradually swung in Everton’s favour. After losing their first two top-flight encounters with Brentford during the 2021-22 season, Everton have since gone six league games unbeaten against the Bees, recording three wins and three draws. This run has helped stabilise a matchup that initially proved difficult for the Merseyside club following Brentford’s promotion. Everton enter the contest with an unenviable recent record when it comes to opening league games in a calendar year. They have lost their first league match in seven of the last eight years, drawing the other, with their most recent win in such a fixture coming back in 2017 against Southampton. That trend reflects broader inconsistencies that have often marked Everton’s league campaigns in recent seasons. From an attacking perspective, Everton’s numbers this season highlight ongoing challenges. They are averaging just 3.1 shots on target per Premier League game, the lowest figure they have recorded in a single campaign since detailed records began in 1997-98. Earning back-to-back victories will be one of Everton’s objectives [WDDLW] on Sunday. On the managerial front, David Moyes’ record against Brentford has been mixed. He has lost five of his seven Premier League meetings with the Bees, though his last two encounters have bucked that trend, with a 4-2 win while in charge of West Ham in February 2024 followed by a 1-1 draw as Everton manager in February 2025. A 4—2—3—1 formation with Thierno Barry in attack is expected against the Bees.
Brentford made a striking first impression, scoring three goals in their first Premier League away game against Everton in May 2022 to claim a 3-2 victory. However, goals have since been hard to come by for the London side on Merseyside. In their three subsequent league visits, Brentford have failed to score, drawing one and losing two, underlining a shift in control when playing away in this fixture. Brentford, meanwhile, have struggled away from home in the current Premier League campaign. Only Wolves have suffered more away defeats than the Bees, who have already lost seven times on the road this season. That tally is just one fewer than the total number of away losses Brentford recorded across the entirety of the 2024-25 campaign, pointing to a marked decline in results away from their home stadium. A 4—3—3 formation with Igor Thiago, Kevin Schade, and Keane Lewis-Potter in attack is expected here.