Everton face Brentford at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday in their first game of the new year.
The Toffees defeated Nottingham Forest 2-0 away from home to move into eighth place in the 2025 league standings. This game at the City Ground is a true test of the depth of the Blues, who are missing a number of key players and have failed to win or score in their previous three games.
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However, the likes of James Garner, James Tarkovsky, Jack O’Brien and Tim Irogbunan stepped up to secure an impressive win and ensure the team returned to the top half of the table.
After a tough run of games against Chelsea and Arsenal, the Blues aim to build momentum in their pursuit of European football with home games against Brentford and bottom-placed Wolves.
Everton are unbeaten in their last six meetings with Brentford but have lost their first league game in seven of the past eight and they cannot take a positive result for granted.
Brentford sit second behind David Moyes’ side in the league table and held a goalless draw with Tottenham Hotspur on New Year’s Day. The Bees have not suffered a defeat in their past four games; however, their performance on the road has remained poor. Only Wolves have lost more away games in the top flight than Brentford’s seven away defeats this season.
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Keith Andrews’ side have been more productive than the Toffees in attack, led by Igor Thiago, who has scored 11 league goals this season. However, their defense is not that solid, having conceded 26 goals so far, and only Manchester United has the worst defensive record among the teams in the top half of the table.
The Bees have also failed to score in their last three away games against the Toffees.
Everton vs Brentford – Team news and predicted starting lineups
Everton team news
Everton have recalled Harrison Armstrong from Preston North End on loan. The young midfielder is expected to provide some respite from the injury crisis currently plaguing the team.
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Jarrad Branthwaite, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Seamus Coleman remain sidelined with long-term hamstring injuries, while Michael Keane and Charlie Alcaraz were also left out of the squad for the trip to the City Ground and are therefore unavailable for this game.
However, David Moyes refused to elaborate on the severity of their injuries.
Meanwhile, Idrissa Ghana Gueye and Iliman Ndiaye are traveling with the Senegal national team, who will face Sudan in the last 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations this weekend.
Nathan Patterson made his first start for the Blues against Nottingham Forest and is likely to retain his place in the starting XI if Keane is absent at the weekend. Jack Grealish could come on as a substitute against Forest after missing the goalless draw with Burnley through illness.
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Everton’s projected starting lineup: Jordan Pickford (GK), Nathan Patterson, James Tarkovsky, Jack O’Brien, Vitali Mykolenko, Tim Irogbunam, James Garner, Dwight McNeil, Tyler Diblin, Tierno Barry, Jack Grealish
Everton vs Brentford – Table Guide
everton:WLLDW
brentford:LDWWD
When does Everton vs Brentford air?
Everton will face Brentford at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday, January 4. The first game of 2026 is scheduled to kick off at 3:00pm UK time.
Where to watch Everton vs Brentford match?
The Premier League match between Everton and Brentford will be broadcast to UK viewers on Sky Sports. The match will also be broadcast live on Sky Go and the Sky Sports app.
