Out of form Brentford host out of form Everton in Sunday's televised 2pm kick-off. Jake Pearson has previewed the match, picking out his best bet.
1pt Everton to win at 5/2 (Unibet)
Seven games into the season and things were looking incredibly rosy for both these sides, Everton sitting joint-third in the league and just two points behind leaders Chelsea, while Brentford were just a further two points back, losing just one of their first seven matches in the Premier League.
Fast forward five matches and both Brentford and Everton have won just one further point.
Everton are bottom of the form table over the last six matches, with Brentford sitting in 15th.
In short, neither side are in good form at present.
Brentford’s recent issues can be pinpointed towards their defence, conceding just two goals in their opening five fixtures, but 15 in their following seven.
Their expected goals process has taken a hit as well, allowing an average of 0.85 xGA across those first five matches, but that figure jumping up to 1.77 per match in their last seven.
The Bees need to arrest the slide, but that is easier said than done for a team now without a win since mid-September.
The saving grace could be the fact that their opponents are also without a win since September.
Rafa Benitez’ men have lost four of those last six as well, but there are more caveats with Everton’s poor run of form than with Brentford’s.
The Toffees’ woes can be attributed mainly to the injuries they have suffered, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Abdoulaye Doucoure the most notable absentees.
Benitez gave Everton fans reason to be optimistic in his pre-match press conference though, with Doucoure nearing full fitness and potentially in line to start against Brentford, whilst also revealing that the recent injury sustained by Demarai Gray is not as bad as first feared, with the wide man also a potential starter on Sunday.
There isn’t too much to choose between these two sides at present, so it is interesting that Brentford are as short as 6/5 to emerge victorious.
Through their first six matches of the season Brentford’s average win price stood at 4.4 (17/5), but due to their impressive performances, and results, the layers reassessed their position on the west London club, their average price through their last six matches dropping to 3.43 (12/5).
A more than reasonable reaction given the way the Bees started the campaign, but a reverse reaction has not taken place taking into account their recent results, and in fact, Brentford’s last two home matches, against Norwich last week – a game they lost – and this fixture, represent the two shortest prices they have been all season.
Brentford’s decrease in price is difficult to explain, and it means Everton have been priced up too large in this fixture.
Away to Wolves at the beginning of the month, a team who sit sixth in the league and third in the form table across the last six matches, Everton were the same price as they are to beat Brentford, who are some 12 places behind the Wanderers in the same form table, and eight behind in the actual table.
The long and short of betting on this match is that Brentford are too short, and Everton are too big. That is not to say Everton should be favourites, just that they should be shorter than 5/2, and that makes EVERTON TO WIN the best bet in this fixture.
Score prediction: Brentford 0-1 Everton (Sky Bet odds: 8/1)
Odds correct at 1130 GMT (26/11/21)
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