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The foot of the table: Sheffield United’s defeat at St James’ Park means they are relegated from the Premier League, while a draw for Burnley at Old Trafford leaves them second from bottom on 24 points, one behind Luton, who lost at Wolves.
Everton are eight points clear of the drop zone and a win this evening will guarantee their safety. Even a draw ought to be enough, given their superior goal difference to the four teams below them.
Thomas Frank: “The biggest thing comparing this season to last season is that we have lost way too many games and when you don’t win, you don’t get that little bit of sugar, that natural little bit of feedback to the brain that says all the hard work is paying off,” said the Brentford manager in an interview with Sky Sports yesterday.
“A big thing is looking at the processes, looking at the performances, looking at how the players are developing, because they are still developing even if we are losing. Losing is just a result on the scoreboard and performances are the most important thing.”
Tonight’s match officials
Referee: Darren England.
Assistants: Simon Bennett and Dan Robathan.
Fourth official: Dean Whitestone.
VAR: Michael Oliver.
Assistant VAR: Richard West.
Those teams: Dominic Calvert-Lewin is not in the Everton matchday squad, presumably having failed to recover from the illness through which he played in midweek. In the abence of Beto, his place is taken by the 19-year-old Portuguese centre-forward Youssef Chermiti, who has yet to score a senior goal for the club in this, his first season on Merseyside. Vitaly Mykolenko is injured and missing from the matchday squad. His place in the side is taken by Ashley Young.
Brentford make two changes to the side that trounced Luton last weeklend. Ivan Toney and Christian Noorgard come into the side, with Mikkel Damsgard and Keane Lewis-Potter dropping to the substitutes’ bench.
Everton v Brentford line-ups
Everton: Pickford, Godfrey, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Young, Harrison, Gueye, Garner, McNeil, Doucoure, Chermiti.
Subs: Keane, Onana, Danjuma, Virginia, Andre Gomes, Lonergan, Warrington, Hunt, Metcalfe.
Brentford: Flekken, Ajer, Collins, Pinnock, Reguilon, Jensen, Norgaard, Janelt, Mbeumo, Toney, Wissa.
Subs: Valdimarsson, Schade, Jorgensen, Ghoddos, Onyeka, Lewis-Potter, Damsgaard, Roerslev, Yarmolyuk.
Early team news
Long-term Brentford absentees Josh Dasilva, Aaron Hickey, Rico Henry and Ben Mee are all out for the rest of the season, while loanee striker Neal Maupay can’t play in this game because it’s against his parent club. England hopeful Ivan Toney is facing a late fitness test after a short spell out with a hip injury.
Beto misses out for Everton after being stood down under the concussion protocols, while Seamus Coleman and Lewis Dobbin are also absent with injury. Vitaly Mykolenko is unlikely to be fit as he recovers from an ankle injury, while Dominic Calvert-Lewin is also a doubt after playing through illness to help put Liverpool to the sword on Wednesday night.
Premier League: Everton v Brentford
All but mathematically safe from relegation on the back of a midweek derby win that almost certainly smithereened the title hopes of their bitter rivals Liverpool, Everton’s players, manager and fans are likely to be in an extremely jubilant mood at Goodison Park this evening. They welcome a Brentford side who will be in similarly upbeat mood, having guaranteed themselves another season in the top flight with their emphatic win over Luton Town last Saturday.
Whether or not Everton’s players will be able to scale similarly dizzy heights to those of Wednesday night against significantly less exalted and loathed opposition remains to be seen and Brentford’s players arrive having had the benefit of a midweek rest. There’s little beyond pride at stake for either side but we’ll find out how up for the challenge they are come 5.30pm (BST).
