Everton fans will be thrilled with what David Moyes has done ahead of Brentford clash
Jack Grealish is back in Everton’s starting line-up for their Premier League clash against Brentford on Sunday.
Everton have the chance to move up to fifth in the table with a win over the Bees, and David Moyes has done a remarkable job in turning the Toffees into a side that could compete for European football.
After two games on the road, Moyes’ side returns to the Hill Dickinson Stadium to face Brentford, who have exceeded expectations under Keith Andrews.
James Garner and Tim Iroegbunam continue their partnership in midfield, while Tyler Dibling starts his third successive match.
Grealish replaces Merlin Rohl in the starting line-up, and Moyes makes two changes to the Everton side that beat Nottingham Forest 2-0 on 30 December.
Jack Grealish starts for first time since 20 December, David Moyes makes two changes
Although Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has been ruled out of the Brentford match, fans will be delighted to see Grealish named in the team over Rohl.
Grealish’s move on loan from Man City has been successful for all parties so far, with the England winger setting the Premier League alight this season.
According to Sofascore, the 30-year-old has created 32 chances and four big chances, and there’s no doubt that he is one of the league’s best creators at the moment.
He played through an injury against Arsenal on 20 December, and it proved to be costly during the festive period.
Grealish missed the 0-0 draw with Burnley and only made an 18-minute cameo against Forest on Tuesday, but his return to the side against the Bees will undoubtedly see Everton drastically improve in the final third.
As for the other change to the team, Michael Keane returns in place of Nathan Patterson, with Jake O’Brien moving over to right-back.
Barry leads the line, and after scoring his second goal for the Toffees against Forest, he’ll be confident in facing Brentford at home.
Thierno Barry has perfect chance to score in back-to-back games as woeful Brentford stats emerge
After failing to score with any of his first 15 shots in the Premier League this season, Barry has now scored with two of his last three attempts for Everton.
He has leapfrogged Beto in the pecking order, and there is now a lot of hope that he can start to find the back of the net at a consistent rate.
Brentford have been impressive at home, but their poor form on the road gives Barry a big chance to add to his goal tally.
Only 20th-placed Wolves have lost more Premier League away games than the Bees in the Premier League this season.
Indeed, Brentford have suffered seven away defeats so far, just one fewer than they lost on the road in the whole of the 2024-25 campaign.
With Everton not facing a traditional ‘Big Six’ team until 23 February, the next run of games could provide Barry with the perfect platform to build on his promising performances.
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