Will Townsend step into the breach?
The promoted Brentford side welcome Everton for a crisis summit. Both teams are stuck in a vale of form. The home side are acclimatising quickly to the British top flight at the start of the season, but they have been off the pace for several weeks: Not winning any of their last five league games and even losing four of those encounters.
The visitors have also failed to win in this review and also have four defeats and a draw to their name. Especially the loss of top striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin weakens the Toffees. For the clash between Brentford and Verton, the prediction includes a goal by Andros Townsend on the side of the visitors.
Brentford – Statistics & current form
One reason for the Londoners’ sporting slump is the strained personnel situation: more than half a dozen players are on sick leave. The absence of Yoane Wissa in particular is a handicap for the hosts.
The striker scored in three consecutive competitive matches before his injury at the beginning of last month and was in top form. Since he has been missing, the Bees have recorded the aforementioned drought of four defeats and a draw, which came in their last league game at bottom-of-the-table Newcastle.
The absence of David Raya in goal or the two Danes Mathias Jorgensen in defence and Mathias Jensen in midfield is hardly less painful. Furthermore, the Bees cannot rely on a home bonus: A slim 31 per cent of the season’s points have been taken on home soil.
This is the lowest percentage of any club in the Premier League! Since the win against Arsenal on matchday one, no other win has been recorded at the Brentford Community Stadium.
Defence does not look solid
Furthermore, the defence in particular has been slipping lately: After three clean sheets and an average of 0.4 goals conceded within the first five rounds of matches, the home side have since recorded at least one goal in each of their last seven league matches, with an average of 2.1 per game.
With this in mind, the odds on both sides scoring in Brentford’s clash with Everton also make sense. It’s a fixture that has only been absent from one of the hosts’ past seven matches in league and EFL Cup action, as their attack continues to impress despite Wissa’s absence. Ten goals have come their way in the last four matchdays!
Toney with upturn in form
Last season’s top scorer in the Championship, Ivan Toney, is one of the players who has improved his standing in the top flight of British football. The attacker has scored two of his four goals this season in the last four weeks. Moreover, Rico Henry has suddenly discovered his inner striker in midfield.
He netted in each of the last two league games, setting up his complete haul from the 120 previous league games at Brentford!
Predicted line-up of Brentford:
Fernandez – Pinnock – Jansson – Roerslev – Canos – Janelt – Norgaard – Henry – Ghoddos – Toney – Mbeumo
Last matches played by Brentford:
Premier League
11/20 2021 – Newcastle United 3 – 3 Brentford
11/06 2021 – Brentford 1 – 2 Norwich
10/30 2021 – Burnley 3 – 1 Brentford
Carabao Cup
10/27 2021 – Stoke 1 – 2 Brentford
Premier League
10/24 2021 – Brentford 1 – 2 Leicester
Everton – Statistics & current form
Like their opponents, the Mersey outfit made a strong start to the season, picking up 13 points in their opening six fixtures, but then went into a tailspin. In the following six rounds of matches, only two points were added (0-2-4) and no team in the Premier League was weaker within this review!
In addition to the aforementioned loss of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, the Toffees will now have to do without Brazilian Richarlison at Brentford. The attacker picked up his fifth yellow card of the season in the recent 3-0 defeat to the Manchester champions.
Watford’s Emmanuel Dennis alone tops that number and since Richarlison joined Everton in 2018, no other striker in the Premier League has received more cautions (22)
Gray must pass on top
Also out will be Demerai Gray at forward. The 26-year-old had to be replaced by an injury after only a quarter of an hour in Manchester last weekend and will now also miss the clash against the newcomers.
Coach Rafael Benitez cannot be satisfied with the performance of his team in the first halves of the game. Only Aston Villa beat Everton’s meagre haul of four goals in the league games before the tea break.
However, there is now a chance to improve that tally as the hosts, for their part, have been very generous spenders in the first halves so far: They have already conceded eleven goals in the first 45 minutes of play – a Premier League high!
Division of points at Brentford?
Given the even nature of the upcoming encounter between two shaky teams in Brentford v Everton, the odds on a draw come with additional value.
Predicted Everton line-up:
Pickford – Digne – Keane – Godfrey – Coleman – Gray – Iwobi – Allan – Delph – Gordon – Townsend
Last games played by Everton:
Premier League
11/21 2021 – Manchester City 3 – 0 Everton
11/07 2021 – Everton 0 – 0 Tottenham
11/01 2021 – Wolverhampton 2 – 1 Everton
10/23 2021 – Everton 2 – 5 Watford
10/17 2021 – Everton 0 – 1 West Ham
Brentford – Everton Direct Comparison / H2H Record
The teams face each other in the EFL Cup for the first time since a 2010 clash. The match ended in a 1-1 draw at Griffin Park in London after regulation time and the Bees prevailed in the penalty shootout that followed. At league level, the “most recent” encounter was again a whopping 67 years ago!
It took place in the country’s second division and Everton won 6-1 on their own ground. For the upcoming Brentford vs Everton edition, however, the odds now easily assign the hosts the role of favourites.
Brentford – Everton Tip
The promoted side and the Toffees will be hoping for their first win in a long time. Both teams will be shorthanded and this is especially true for the visitors’ attack. That is why the Liverpool side will be looking to Andros Townsend to score in the match between Brentford and Everton.
The 30-year-old has not scored for five rounds of matches, but with Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison, Doucoure and Gray all out of action, he will be particularly important in the next game. Four of the top five scorers so far on the Goodison Park side, which includes Townsend, will not feature!
There should be plenty of goalscoring opportunities for him too, as Brentford’s defence has been lacklustre of late due to numerous absentees. The promoted team has conceded ten goals in the last four matchdays! Unibet offers betting odds of 5.20 for the match between Brentford and Everton.
