2025/26 Premier League MW20 Everton vs. Brentford Preview: Can the Toffees outlast the Bees in this crucial showdown? January 2, 2026 by Marc Jerbs

The Premier League resumes with a finely balanced Matchweek 20 encounter as Everton welcome Brentford to Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday, January 4, 2026, with kick-off set for 3:00 PM GMT. With just a single point separating the two sides in mid-table, this clash in Liverpool carries significant weight—not only for league positioning, but also for momentum as the season edges toward its decisive second half.

Current Season Standings and Form

As of January 1, 2026, Everton sit 8th in the Premier League standings with 28 points from 19 matches, narrowly ahead of Brentford, who are 9th with 27 points from the same number of games. The Toffees have recorded 8 wins, 4 draws, and 7 defeats, scoring 20 goals and conceding 20 for a neutral goal difference. Brentford, meanwhile, boast an identical win total but have drawn once fewer and lost once more (8 wins, 3 draws, 8 losses), holding a slightly healthier +2 goal difference after scoring 28 and conceding 26.

Underlying metrics suggest subtle contrasts. Everton's expected goals (xG) stand at 20.6, closely aligned with their actual output, while their expected goals against is higher at 25.3. Brentford have generated 28 goals from an xG of 27.2, indicating a marginally more efficient attack.

Team Statistics and Player Performance

Everton
Defensively, Everton have been relatively resilient, keeping clean sheets in 38.9% of their matches (seven shutouts) and conceding just 1.11 goals per 90 minutes. They have faced 65 shots on target, with a save percentage of 69.2% from 44 saves. Discipline has been moderate, with 37 yellow cards and one red card, while their average points per match stands at 1.39.

Jordan Pickford is set to start in goal. Across 342 Premier League starts, Pickford has recorded 109 wins, 85 draws, and 148 losses, with 94 clean sheets—a 27.5% shutout rate. He has made 1,059 career saves with an overall save percentage of 68.8%.

In attack, Thierno Barry has found form recently, converting two of his last three attempts after failing to score from his first 15 shots this season. Beto remains another focal point, with 51 goals across 10,787 minutes in 111 starts, averaging 0.43 goals per 90 minutes.

Brentford
Brentford have struggled more at the back, managing clean sheets in just 16.7% of matches (three shutouts) while conceding 1.44 goals per 90 minutes. Their save rate sits at 65.3%, with 49 saves from 75 shots on target faced. The Bees have collected 36 yellow cards this season and average 1.4 points per fixture.

Caoimhin Kelleher is expected to start between the posts. In his professional career, he holds a save percentage of 68.0% and a clean sheet rate of 25.6%, allowing 1.30 goals per 90 minutes with 119 saves across 43 starts.

Mathias Jensen continues to be a key creative influence, having logged over 20,000 professional minutes with 29 goals and 41 assists in 232 career starts, contributing an average of 0.13 goals per 90 minutes.

Everton vs. Brentford Sports Bet Odds

The Toffees are the favorites to win the game. Here are our latest odds:

• The Toffees are favored by a goal, with full-time result odds of 2.35.
• The Bees are the underdogs by a goal, with full-time result odds of 3.10.
• Draw has full-time result odds of 3.25.
• Total is set at 2.5 goals, with Under odds at 1.66 and Over at odds 2.20.

Injury Concerns and Transfer Market Activity

Everton enter January with clear squad needs across multiple positions. The Toffees rank 14th in the league for expected goals (21.85) but are 16th in actual goals scored (20) and 18th for shots on target, highlighting ongoing issues in chance creation and conversion.

Fullback depth remains a concern, particularly given Vitaliy Mykolenko's limited attacking output and Jake O'Brien being deployed out of position. Central midfield depth is also a short-term issue due to injuries and AFCON-related absences, despite a numerically strong midfield group.

While opinions differ on whether Everton require a new striker or improved service, the numbers are telling: their centre forwards have scored just three goals from an expected goals tally of 7.6. The club currently has two senior players out on loan—Jack Grealish and Merlin Röhl—leaving one domestic loan slot available ahead of the transfer deadline.

Head-to-Head and Recent Trends

Everton have enjoyed the upper hand in recent meetings, remaining unbeaten in their last six Premier League clashes with Brentford (W3 D3) after losing their first two encounters in the 2021–22 season. Brentford famously won 3–2 at Goodison Park in May 2022, scoring three goals in their first away league visit, but have failed to find the net in their last three trips since (D1 L2).

Seasonal patterns offer additional intrigue. Everton have lost their opening league match of the calendar year in seven of the last eight seasons, with their most recent January win coming against Southampton in 2017. Their attacking output has also dipped historically, averaging just 3.1 shots on target per game—their lowest figure since the 1997–98 campaign.

Brentford, meanwhile, have already suffered seven away defeats this season, only one fewer than their total across the entire 2024–25 campaign. Only Wolves have lost more away matches in the Premier League this term. Everton's home form has been inconsistent, alternating between wins and losses in their last six at Hill Dickinson Stadium, including a narrow 1–0 defeat to Arsenal in their most recent outing.

Final Thought

With Everton and Brentford separated by the slimmest of margins, this matchup shapes up as a tactical and psychological battle as much as a statistical one. Everton's defensive structure and home resilience will be tested against Brentford's efficiency and midfield creativity, while both sides know that a victory here could provide a vital platform heading into the congested second half of the season. In a contest defined by fine margins, composure in key moments may ultimately decide who claims the edge.

2025/26 Premier League Table

#	CLUB	PLAYED	W	D	L	PTS
1	Arsenal	14	3	2	45
2	Manchester City	13	2	4	41
3	Aston Villa	12	3	4	39
4	Liverpool	10	3	6	33
5	Chelsea	8	6	5	30
6	Manchester United	8	6	5	30
7	Sunderland	7	8	4	29
8	Everton	8	4	7	28
9	Brentford	8	3	8	27
10	Crystal Palace	7	6	6	27
11	Fulham	8	3	8	27
12	Tottenham Hotspur	7	6	7	27
13	Newcastle United	7	5	7	26
14	Brighton & Hove Albion	6	7	6	25
15	Bournemouth	5	8	6	23
16	Leeds United	5	6	8	21
17	Nottingham Forest	5	3	11	18
18	West Ham United	3	5	11	14
19	Burnley	3	3	13	12
20	Wolves	0	3	16	3