Everton welcome Brentford to Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday afternoon with the league table offering a clear hint at why this one feels significant: the hosts begin the day on 28 points from 19 matches, with the visitors on 27 from the same number of games. With the top half tightly packed, a single result can quickly reshape the picture, and both sides come into this meeting believing they’ve built enough in recent weeks to push on through January.
Momentum is being carried in different ways. A hard-earned 2–0 win at Nottingham Forest on 30 December ended a four-match wait for a league victory, and it did so in a manner that underlined the identity David Moyes has reinforced since returning: stay organised, defend your box with conviction, and take your moments when they arrive. James Garner was central to that success, scoring once and supplying the assist for Thierno Barry’s strike, a night that spoke to Everton’s ability to win games even when resources are stretched. Brentford’s most recent outing finished 0–0 at home to Tottenham Hotspur on New Year’s Day, extending a league run that has now reached four matches unbeaten, while their last away trip brought a 2–0 victory at Wolves—another reminder that when the Bees are sharp in transition they can hurt teams quickly.
There is a broader pattern behind those results that shapes the pre-match story. Everton’s season has been built from the back, with only three teams conceding fewer league goals so far. The backbone of that has been their centre-back work and a willingness to defend first contacts and second balls, while Jordan Pickford’s presence and organisation continue to set the tone behind them. At the other end, goals have been harder to come by, which is why the Forest performance—two goals, a clean sheet, and key contributions from midfield—felt like a timely boost heading into another home test.
Brentford travel north with their own clear strengths. The side has shown it can be compact and hard to play through, but it also carries a genuine breakaway threat, something that has become increasingly important in tight matches where openings are limited. Igor Thiago has been a consistent reference point in front of goal this season, and wide runners such as Keane Lewis-Potter have already shown they can decide games, including his two-goal display at Wolves. That blend of a focal striker and pace in support offers a straightforward danger for any opponent that takes one risk too many.
Selection and availability may end up shaping the rhythm just as much as tactics. Everton have several confirmed absences, with Seamus Coleman, Jarrad Branthwaite and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall ruled out, while Idrissa Gana Gueye and Iliman Ndiaye are away on international duty at AFCON. Michael Keane has been described as having a chance of involvement, while Carlos Alcaraz has been listed as out and still being assessed. Brentford also arrive without key options: Josh Dasilva remains sidelined, while long-term knee injuries have ruled out Fábio Carvalho and Antoni Milambo. AFCON involvement has removed Frank Onyeka and Dango Ouattara from the squad for this trip as well.
All of that points toward a contest where structure, set plays and decision-making under pressure could carry extra weight. Everton will likely lean on their ability to defend the box and make the game uncomfortable, particularly if the final third becomes scrappy, while Brentford’s best moments may come when they tempt opponents forward and then spring into space. With just one point separating the sides and both operating with notable absences, it would be no surprise if this is decided by one well-worked transition, one dead-ball delivery, or one lapse of concentration—exactly the type of afternoon where the smallest details can leave the biggest mark on the table.
