A strange feeling surrounded Goodison Park at around 2:30pm on Saturday and I am not talking about the fume of being denied a last minute penalty. I am referring more to the disappointment of drawing 2-2 against Manchester United. There has been a lot mentioned in recent weeks of just how much has changed since the return of David Moyes and Saturday’s frustration of only taking a point from the Red Devils might just be the biggest sign of progress to date. Granted, some of the frustration will be because Everton did lead 2-0 in the game. Another part of the frustration will be down to how average Manchester United have become this season. With that all said, I do believe the frustration at a point shows the standards we have for our football club under the new (returning) manager.
Plenty of positives will be taken from Saturday’s game, once the dust settles. Ultimately, it’s another point on the board, another point away from the drop and towards midtable and each game this unbeaten run continues will see the players grow in confidence. I spoke on The Toffee Blues Podcast recently about there needing to be a discussion on who is the most improved player under David Moyes. Mykolenko certainly deserves a mention. However, the headline grabber is certainly Beto, with his fine run of goalscoring continuing at the weekend.
Everton now face Brentford, a side where recent history states Everton could be optimistic. However, even in recent form none of us take for granted an opponent currently sitting in 11th. Especially when that opponent is managed by someone who many Evertonians admire and have in mind for a life after Moyes.
If You Know Your History… Everton v Brentford Through the Years
In all competitions Everton and Brentford have only met 25 times to date. The sides first met back in 1936, where Brentford would beat Everton 2-1 at Goodison Park. There was a gap of almost 60-years between 1954 and 2010 where the two sides didn’t face one another. The gap would reach nearly 70-years between league meetings. Everton would sign off in 1954 with a 6-1 league win at Goodison Park before the bees returned to the top flight in 2021 to get a 1-0 home win.
Brentford’s return to the top flight of English Football has seen them see off Everton twice. Ivan Toney scored a penalty to secure 3 points over Rafa Benitez’ Everton in the game mentioned previously. Thomas Frank would topple Frank Lampard’s Everton a year later with Yoane Wissa and Rico Henry edging a 3-2 thriller. Since that game Everton are unbeaten against Brentford. Seeing 3 wins and 2 draws, including the reverse fixture earlier this season which ended 0-0.
David Moyes did face Brentford once before during his previous spell as Everton boss. A forgettable Carling Cup tie saw Moyes’ Toffees exit on penalties to the then League One side. This was also the game where Seamus Coleman scored his first professional goal for the club. Now first team coach Leighton Baines played the full 90-minutes, with Phil Jagielka and Jermain Beckford missing from the spot.
This midweek tie at the Gtech Community Stadium will see 11th place Brentford, who have won 3 and lost 2 of their last 5 league games, face 14th place Everton, who have won 3 and drawn 2 of their last 5 league games. There are just 6 points separating the 2 teams.
Team News
Lindstrom and Tim Iroegbunam have both recovered from flu-like symptoms and could be available for the trip to Brentford. David Moyes confirmed Nathan Patterson has returned to training but is unlikely to feature in midweek. Youssef Chermitti, Dominic Calvert Lewin, Armando Broja, Dwight McNeil, Ndiaye and Seamus Coleman also all remain out with injuries.
Brentford will be without club captain Christian Norgaard on Wednesday night, the skipper was withdrawn from the bee’s win over Leicester with concussion. Sepp van den Berg (knee), Josh Dasilva (knee), Rico Henry (hamstring), Aaron Hickey (hamstring), Mathias Jensen (adductor), Gustavo Nunes (back) and Igor Thiago (joint infection) are also sidelined for Everton’s visit to Gtech Community Stadium.
What the Managers Say
Moyes on Player Contracts and Forward Planning – “All the players will want their futures out. This club’s just got its future sorted out. I’ve said, until we are completely safe we are not looking at anybody’s contract. I want to be positive and start making initial plans for another year in the Premier League.”
Thomas Frank on Everton – “What happens sometimes, when another good manager in Moyes comes in, is that there are fresh eyes and a new energy. In terms of style, I don’t think they have changed too much. Small tweaks, small details”.
Everton Key Player
Beto – 5 in 4 for the man who has completely resurrected his Everton career in recent weeks. It cannot be understated just how much effort and attention has gone in from the player and coaching staff to produce the performances that Beto has had since Calvert-Lewin got injured. It’s amazing what having a manager who plays to his player’s strengths will do for a player’s form and confidence. Everton’s number 14 looks unstoppable. He also looks like the first name on David Moyes’ team sheet (and not just because we have no other options up front). David Moyes spoke this week about player contracts and planning for next season once the club is confirmed as safe. In my opinion and I am sure the opinions of many Evertonians, Beto has to be given a full season up top with creative players put around him. Brentford have their fragilities in defence, particularly at home and Beto will likely see more chances come his way in midweek.
One to Watch for Brentford:
Bryan Mbeumo – I wanted to select club captain Christian Norgaard as the ‘one to watch’ but manager Thomas Frank confirms he will not play. So for me it then becomes a coin toss between Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo. Based on stats this season, I am picking Mbeumo as the one to watch for the opposition. In 26 games he has 15 goals and 10 assists, resulting in almost one goal contribution per game on average. The Cameroonian international cost The Bees less than £6M in 2019 and the 25-year old’s recent form would suggest that he’s been one of the modern Premier League bargains. A handful for any opposition and a player that has strong partnerships with the likes of Wissa and Norgaard. Everton will do well to keep him quiet in this game.
Final Thoughts
The spotlight shines increasingly brighter on David Moyes’ Everton. The Toffees have a seven game unbeaten run that has seen them score fourteen goals. This sees Everton in an interesting position. The manager has said we are not safe yet, which mathematically we are not. However, the more points we pick up and the longer the run continues, the more we become the team to beat. Brentford will want to correct their recent history against Everton and also look to fix their home form too. All signs point to a tough game down south this week.
Prediction
2-2. Brentford haven’t won a home game in 2025. The flip side of that sees an Everton side coming off of back-to-back away wins. Both sides are capable of scoring and neither side seem able to keep clean sheets consistently. I’ve often backed an Everton win since the return of David Moyes but on this occasion I am backing a score-draw. Everton have played a lot of football with not a lot of footballers. The warm weather training camp in Dubai is looming and I think this might be a game too much for many, although I’ll gladly be proved wrong. For me, the most important thing is to keep the undefeated run going for as long as possible. A draw against Brentford would, this season, be more respectable than the draw we got against Manchester United. I’ll have Beto to bag 2 for the Toffees.
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