Brentford head up to Everton on Saturday evening, looking to continue an unbeaten run that now stretches five games.
Three draws followed by two wins sees spirits high. Moreso following the demolition of Luton Town at the weekend. That, a game where the Hatters side were fortunate to only concede five, such was the rapier-like passing and electric pace of the Bees’ dynamic trio (is that even a thing?).
Player of the match Mbeumo and KLP proving that two-goal hero Wissa wasn’t the only one on fire. With Sergio Reguilon and Mikel Damsgaard pushing up as only Brentford can do, supplemented further by Kevin Shade off the bench, Thomas Frank’s current attacking options were only Ivan Toney short of complete.
Tails are up and morale is positive. Ethan Pinnock is also fit and whilst Thomas would not be overly drawn on the Toney prognosis in Thursday’s press conference, beyond an “I hope he is available for Saturday,” the squad has rarely looked healthier this campaign.
If anything, a fit again Ivan gives the sort of headaches we’d all love to have – selection choice. One can only presume Thomas will start with the same players who did so well on the road but, then again, second-guessing Thomas Frank is a fool’s game. Like taking a corner short, it never works.
What we can say is that with Everton doing everything possible over the last few days to extricate themselves from another relegation battle, they suddenly find themselves eight points clear with four to play. A far cry from a week ago when they were squatting above a very creaky trapdoor.
Whether this gives them any different an approach remains to be seen. Sean Dyche does come across as the sort of manager for whom the word ‘variety’ is something found in a dictionary rather than the training ground. With Everton you know what you are going to get, regardless of how bland the taste or more palatable options being available. Offer him a Kellogg’s eight-cereal selection pack and he’d simply opt for a large box of cornflakes.
As ever, these teams and methodologies are so often the hardest to read. Mock Dyche all you want but he has moments of brutal effectiveness. Clarity of purpose. The ability to get the job done. As we’ve seen this past week.
Against Liverpool the Toffees were out passed 717 to 227. The game before, when Nottingham Forest visited, the passing figures were 317 to 574 in favour of the away team. Yet both games saw Everton go away with a 2-0 home win. Not to mention copious amounts of sour grapes from Forest – those traditional bastions of sporting integrity and fair play.
On the plus side, looking at the match officials for Saturday our VAR adjudicator Michael Oliver is a Newcastle United fan whilst referee Darren England supports Barnsley. Short of Toby Tyke limbering up on the touch line, we should be spared any duplicitous activity ( if you know, you know).
Honestly, I can’t call this. The heart says away win. Brentford are just too exciting at present. Too positive. They are playing football that neutrals would pay to watch.
The head says that Sean Dyche is a man greater than the sum of his parts (something which is no mean feat in itself). Like some sort of anti-Klopp, he has got his players firing at just the right time. Instead of self-destructing when the pressure is on, they’ve come together quite wonderfully.
Goodison Park is going to be exuberant as it is. With on-loan Neal Maupay no doubt helping things along from the side lines, this one could well explode.
