Everton vs Brentford: Toffees momentum tested by longest Bees consistency in Andrews era

Jakarta - Everton will host Brentford in the 20th week of the English League at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, Sunday, January 4, in a potentially decisive match for the direction of both teams in the middle of the standings. Brentford, who are currently in ninth place, come with the target of overtaking Everton, as well as extending their longest unbeaten streak in the Keith Andrews era.

Brentford are enjoying a stable period with four league games without defeat, the best achievement since Andrews took over the coaching seat. However, the away record at Everton's home is a challenge in itself. The Bees have not won in the last three visits to the Toffees' home, a record that must be broken if they want to maintain their positive trend.

Everton entered the Christmas period with a sense of unease after having to face Chelsea and Arsenal in a row. The concern proved to be true, with two consecutive defeats of 0-2 and 0-1 that had dampened optimism in Merseyside, especially after previously winning four out of five games.

The draw without goals against Burnley on December 27 stopped the negative trend, although Everton was still overshadowed by productivity problems after failing to score in three consecutive matches. The deadlock was finally broken on December 30 when David Moyes' team won 2-0 over Nottingham Forest at the City Ground. Goals from James Garner and Thierno Barry were the right signal of a timely revival.

Now Everton are aiming for a league win for the first time in a month, and for the fourth time in the 2025-26 season. Moyes hopes to take advantage of Brentford's inconsistency on the road to keep Everton's position from being overtaken by the visitors.

On the Brentford side, the 2-0 away win over Wolverhampton at the end of 2025 was indeed a morale boost. However, before that result, The Bees suffered four consecutive away defeats with only one goal, a statistic that still overshadows their consistency away from home.

The record of meetings is also not entirely in Brentford's favor. Since the 3-2 victory in May 2022, they have never scored at Everton's home, suffering two 0-1 defeats before drawing a goalless last season. Overall, Brentford have not won in the last six league meetings against Everton, with three draws in between.

However, the latest positive trend gives hope to the visitors' supporters. Four matches without defeat give Brentford the opportunity to match Chelsea's points in fifth place if they can win, provided the Blues lose to Manchester City.

This match is expected to be tight. Everton has a momentum of revival and a solid home record against Brentford, while the visiting team comes with confidence from their longest unbeaten streak this season. Small details in the midfield and the effectiveness of the final finish are likely to be the deciders.

Predictions point to a balanced match with a slim score, where Everton is slightly favored thanks to the home factor and stability after the last victory.

The line-up:

Everton: Pickford; Coleman, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Onana, Garner; Harrison, Doucouré, McNeil; Barry.

Brentford: Flekken; Roerslev, Collins, Pinnock, Hickey; Nørgaard, Jensen; Mbeumo, Damsgaard, Wissa; Toney