Everton vs Brentford tips and predictions: Toffees to extend fascinating trend against Bees
Jordan Pickford
Everton and Brentford could secure their Premier League status with a win on Saturday (1730 BST) but we’re backing the hosts to continue their winning run.
Neither Everton nor Brentford are mathematically safe from relegation, so both managers will be keen to put the possibility to bed once and for all.
Back-to-back 2-0 wins against Nottingham Forest and Liverpool have helped reinstate the Toffees status as the fourth-best defence in the Premier League.
Wednesday’s 2-0 win over the Reds was doubly sweet as it left Jurgen Klopp’s title hopes in tatters as the German nears the end of his stay in Merseyside.
Only a handful of teams have shipped more goals than Brentford but luckily for Thomas Frank, his side are the top scorers in the bottom half of the table.
The battling Bees have also recorded back-to-back victories to extend their unbeaten run to five matches. Having found the net 10 times in three matches, they’ll provide Sean Dyche’s side with a stern test.
Both sides look vulnerable to letting their guard down given their cosy position in the league and the circumstances on their last outing, but history suggests that won’t be the case for the hosts.
Although you’d think the emotional toll of Wednesday’s win could affect them, the Blues have won their last six matches on the back of a Merseyside derby, five of which finished 1-0.
It’s quite a significant record when you consider the club have struggled in recent years, winning just 28% of matches across the last three seasons.
It also means a fifth of their wins have come on the back of a Merseyside derby. When the Blues raise their levels for the derby, it spills over into their next match.
Brentford haven’t done anything to make us want to bet against them based on recent form, but scoring five goals in a single match could mean some serious regression is coming their way.
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Team news
Nathan Patterson, Dele Alli, Seamus Coleman, Lewis Dobbin, Beto and Vitaliy Mykolenko are expected to miss out for Everton.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin will undergo a late fitness test but is expected to feature.
Josh Dasilva, Aaron Hickey, Rico Henry, Ben Mee and Neal Maupay are ruled out.
Ivan Toney is making good progress on the training pitch but it remains to be seen if he’ll be fit to play a part at Goodison Park.
Key stats
- Everton have won their last six Premier League matches on the back of a Merseyside derby
- Everton have the fourth-best defence in the league with 48 goals conceded
- Everton have produced nine wins to nil this season
- Brentford have failed to score in 51% of their away defeats since promotion
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