Jacob Raw

Sat 11 April 2026 8:10, UK

Everton pose a horrible task for in-form Brentford striker Thiago, with James Tarkowski and Michael Keane ready to get stuck in on David Moyes‘ orders.

The Toffees travel to the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday to take on Brentford in an all-important Premier League clash.

Thiago will be the hosts’ biggest threat, as the Brazilian is in hot form for both club and country, rivalling Manchester City’s Erling Haaland for the golden boot.

However, Moyes knows all the tricks in the books to help the Blues take three points back to Merseyside in their own quest for European glory.

Tarkowski and Keane will have to mark Thiago closely, but the Everton boss will be confident that his defensive duo will leave the Brentford star feeling humbled after the encounter.

James Tarkowski and Michael Keane will rough Thiago up; here’s how

Jarrad Branthwaite is still not 100 per cent fit for the Toffees, and therefore it could be wise for Moyes to keep his star centre-half away from first-team action for this one.

Brentford are one of Everton’s direct competitors for a spot in Europe next season, but the Toffees will still feel like the centre-back duo of Tarkowski and Keane will be able to get the job done in London.

As seen in the table above, Thiago is one of the most feared strikers in the division for good reason, as he boasts an impressive 7.20 FotMob average rating.

He has 19 goals this campaign, but Moyes has a trick to stop the 24-year-old from scoring at the ground he is so used to celebrating at.

Thiago has been able to get 16 headed shots off this season, while a couple of them have resulted in goals. However, his success rate in the air is only 38.6 per cent, which is much lower than Tarkowski’s at 71 per cent and Keane’s at 62.4 per cent.

Moyes should look for the defenders to bully Thiago this time round, and use their physicality to get in his head, while keeping a compact midfield to force crosses, where Everton should be able to defend better.

What happened when Thiago played Everton last time?

Some may point to the fact that Everton’s defence against Brentford last time, which consisted of Tarkowski and Keane, was bullied by Thiago, and that’s correct.

However, Moyes loves to learn from these types of mistakes, and all the evidence is now there to stop the Brazilian.

Being away from home this time, the Blues will likely be more rigid in their defensive approach, leaving less opportunity for Thiago to score.

The number nine does have a loose temper, and has committed 59 fouls this season, as Tarkowski and Keane could rile the Brentford man up this time.

Updated 24/7 with expert analysis from the heart of Goodison Park.