After a long and tedious three-week break (I mean, three weeks at this stage of the season is ridiculous, isn’t it?), Everton now face a defining fortnight as they attempt to qualify for Europe for the first time in nine years.
First up on Saturday is Brentford, only above the eighth-placed Toffees on goal difference. Eight days later, Liverpool arrive at the Hill Dickinson. A big game at the best of times, but even more so given the faltering Reds are just three points ahead of Everton in fifth,
a position now guaranteed to earn qualification for the Champions League.
There is a feel-good factor at Everton not felt since the very early weeks of Farhad Moshiri’s reign. Relegation is not a concern, the finances are looking up and the thumping win over Chelsea – not only one of the performances of the season – was the moment Hill Dickinson Stadium felt like home, teeing the team up for a sprint to the line.
The break, although long, did bring further good news. James Garner won his first two England caps in friendly matches against Uruguay and Japan. Reports emerged suggesting Jack Grealish was in talks over a second loan spell or permanent move to Merseyside. The latest financial results also showed drastically reduced losses (albeit helped by the sale of the women’s team and Goodison Park), increased turnover, and comfortable compliance with our not-so-dear old friend PSR.
Those numbers are only going to improve thanks to the move to the new stadium, and a return to Europe would make things even better.
After so many dark years, things are finally looking up, and whatever happens in the next few weeks, they will still be a massive improvement on what Evertonians have endured for most of this decade.
So buckle up and enjoy the ride.
The opposition
Hands up if you thought Keith Andrews was going to be the first Premier League manager sacked? Full disclosure: I did, but more fool me for doubting Brentford’s near-impeccable coaching structure.
The Bees rarely miss when it comes to managerial appointments, or player signings for that matter, and Andrews is the latest example. The Irishman had only ever been an assistant manager before joining the Bees as set-piece coach in 2024, earning the top job after Thomas Frank’s departure 12 months later.
A solid, if unspectacular, start was turbocharged over the festive period, with a run of four wins and a draw – including a 4-2 thrashing of the Toffees – lifting Brentford up to fifth, fuelled by the goals of Igor Thiago, who has 19 so far, including a hat-trick in that win on Merseyside in early January.
They have not dipped below eighth since and have given themselves a real chance of reaching Europe for the first time in the club’s history.
The west London club have earned 26 of their 46 points at home but are without a win at the Gtech in their last four and have not beaten Everton at home since a 1-0 win in their first season in the top flight back in 2021.
They are also without a home league win since early January, drawing two and losing two since.
Team news
Speaking in Friday’s pre-match press conference, manager David Moyes said: “We’ve just about got a fully fit squad. Charly Alcaraz is back in early training – he’s not available for the game but he’s getting closer to being fit again.”
As for the Bees, Keith Andrews provided an update on Aaron Hickey and Vitaly Janelt: “Aaron’s probably not going to make Saturday, but he’s not too far away – he’s been training with the group this week. Vitaly will probably be a bit further away. It’s a different type of injury and a different length. I don’t know exactly how many weeks… but it’ll be a good few weeks away, I imagine.”
Previous meeting
Everton made the worst possible start to 2026 when Brentford came away with a deserved victory back in January. Igor Thiago gave the visitors a 1-0 half-time lead before a quickfire double from Nathan Collins and Thiago again put the game virtually beyond Everton at the start of the second half. Beto got one back before Thiago completed his hat-trick late on, with Thierno Barry’s goal in stoppage time a mere consolation.
Final word
With the table so tightly packed, Everton’s European challenge could derail very quickly, so this really feels like a must-not-lose game, especially with the derby looming. A win, though, and the prospect of Europe – maybe even the Champions League – becomes a real one.
