Brentford make one last visit to Goodison Park on Saturday as they seek to end their winless run on the road against Everton.
The Bees, who, antithetically, boast the best home record in the Premier League this term with 16 points, are one of two teams in England's top seven divisions yet to secure a single point away from home this season.
Consecutive encounters with Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, and Manchester United left little reason for disappointment, though their stoppage-time capitulation against Fulham will have the club keen on banishing their demons by securing a much-needed win at the weekend.
Everton have proven stern opposition in the past, however, with the Toffees coming out victorious in four of their six Premier League meetings - including a 1-0 win when these two last met in May that confirmed their top-flight status for another season.
This weekend's hosts endured a turbulent start to the new campaign, opening their account by conceding 13 goals en route to four consecutive defeats.
Sean Dyche has gone on to steady the ship and lead his team to two wins and four draws in the subsequent seven league matches, with a defeat to Southampton the sole blip on the record.
Everton versus Brentford has been a season-defining fixture in recent years, one that has been pivotal in either side's fight for survival. The dynamic differs this time out and will perhaps lead to a less cagey affair in Merseyside.
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Team News
Everton
Jarrad Branthwaite returned to training on Thursday after withdrawing from the England squad this month due to a hip problem. He will undergo late tests to see if he is available for selection.
A decision will also be made on Dwight McNeil. The 25-year-old missed their 0-0 draw with West Ham due to a knee problem but is expected to be involved after a 'really good' week in training.
Timothy Iroegbunam continues to recover from a stress fracture in his foot; James Garner (back) is said to making steady progress but will not be involved; and Seamus Coleman (hamstring) remains unavailable.
Armando Broja (calf) is steadily being integrated into full training and will return 'very soon', while Youssef Chermiti (ankle), and Dele Alli (groin) remain long-term absentees.
Brentford
Thomas Frank confirmed club-record signing Igor Thiago will be involved in the squad for the first time after recovering from a meniscus tear sustained in pre-season.
The £31 million centre-forward played 45 minutes in a behind closed doors win over Cardiff City at Jersey Road last week and is expected to have a place on the bench on Saturday.
This coincides with the positive news that Bryan Mbeumo, Yoane Wissa, and Ethan Pinnock are available for selection after the trio withdrew from their respective nations' squad this month due to undisclosed injuries.
Kristoffer Ajer is said to be making steady progress but will not be involved in this fixture as he is expected to be sidelined for a few more weeks.
Gustavo Nunes (back) continues to recover and will not be involved, despite also playing 45 minutes against Cardiff; Aaron Hickey (hamstring), Rico Henry (knee), and Josh Dasilva (knee) remain long-term absentees.
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Predicted Line-ups
Everton
Pickford; Young, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Gueye, Mangala; McNeil, Doucoure, Ndiaye; Calvert-Lewin.
Brentford
Flekken; Roerslev, Collins, Pinnock, van den Berg; Norgaard, Janelt; Mbeumo, Damsgaard, Lewis-Potter; Wissa.
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Key Players
Everton: Jordan Pickford
Everton's turnaround in form is in large part down the form of Jordan Pickford.
The England shot-stopper was a huge reason behind their clean sheets against Newcastle United and West Ham, saving an Anthony Gordon penalty at home to the former before making countless saves to deny the latter at the London Stadium.
His form transferred onto the international stage, playing an instrumental role in England's Nations League wins over Greece and the Republic of Ireland while keeping a third consecutive clean sheet.
Pickford has fond memories of facing Brentford as he has conceded just once in his previous three encounters with the west London side, producing a standout display in their status-securing win last season.
This time he will be facing a free-scoring Brentford front line; if he can continue to exhibit his fine then he will play a key role in making it another trip to forget for the visiting supporters.
Brentford: Yoane Wissa
Brentford have been the Premier League's great entertainers this season and Yoane Wissa has been one of the stars of the show.
In partnership with Mbeumo, the duo have contributed 68.1% of the Bees 22 goals in the division, which ranks them alongside Manchester City as the joint-second top scorers, one strike behind Tottenham.
Despite missing a month of action due to injury, Wissa continued where he left off upon his return, scoring four times in the proceeding three matches, including braces to secure comebacks wins over Ipswich Town and Bournemouth.
The DR Congo international offers a variation in attack that will cause Everton problems; either dropping deep to influence play or operating on the shoulder of a defender to get into a goalscoring position.
Only Erling Haaland (19) has score more non-penalty Premier League goals than Wissa (15) in 2024 so Everton will need to maintain full concentration and sharpness if they are to stand a chance of keeping him at bay.
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Match Information
Where is this game being played?
Goodison Park, Liverpool.
What time is kick-off?
Kick-off is at 15:00 (GMT) on Saturday, November 23, 2024.
How can I watch?
This fixture is not being broadcasted live in the United Kingdom.
