For the second season running, Everton inexplicably find themselves embroiled in another relegation battle, despite being one of the highest-spending clubs in the country over the last decade.
Sean Dyche was hired at the end of January after Frank Lampard managed to win just six points from his final 12 games in charge.
Damaging defeats to relegation rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers, Southampton and West Ham United ultimately finished Lampard off, and there has been an evident shift in form since Dyche’s arrival.
The ex-Burnley boss has already amassed more points during his six games in charge than Lampard did in his final 12 as manager.
With every point critical at this stage, a draw at Nottingham Forest last weekend added to the six points the Toffees picked up in home wins over Arsenal and Leeds United.
However, there was a sense of disappointment in the aftermath of that 2-2 draw at the City Ground, given that they led twice and individual errors cost them once more.
Their last 29 away league matches have yielded just two wins, so Everton will be glad to be back on home soil for this encounter, which is looking like a must-win for the blue half of Merseyside.
With Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United to come in their next three after this weekend, it is tough to see where Everton’s next points would come from should they fall to defeat here.
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Given the gulf in stature of the two clubs only a few years ago, Everton fans are notably furious at how Brentford have seemingly taken over their status as one of the best of the rest in the Premier League.
The Bees are threatening to be more than just that though having now gone 12 games unbeaten in the league, a run stretching back to October.
A 3-2 win over Fulham on Monday night moved them to within a point of their West London rivals in seventh with two games in hand, making European qualification a very real possibility.
Thomas Frank’s side won home and away against Everton last season, and were left scratching their heads at how they did not come out on top in the reverse fixture back in August, despite Vitaly Janelt’s late equaliser which earned a 1-1 draw.
