Ben Grounds, Sky Sports: Everton determined to give Goodison Park 'fitting farewell' | OneFootball

Everton are looking to improve their home form and finish their final season at Goodison Park on high, says Sky Sports' Ben Grounds - and the game against Brentford on Saturday is seen as a must-win by some.

Having first played at Goodison in 1892, the Toffees will be moving into their new home ahead of the 2025/26 season.

And Grounds believes the players and fans will be looking to turn their current stadium "into a bear pit for opposition teams", with just 14 league games left to be played there.

Everton are 16th in the Premier League following the final international break of 2024. What have you made of the season to date?

I would say most Evertonians by now have accepted that this has been a marriage of convenience with manager Sean Dyche.

He was handed a very favourable set of opening 11 fixtures - statistically the easiest of any side in the division - and they have won just twice. That run includes two defeats to Southampton, in the Premier League and the Carabao Cup.

Giving others a headstart has become de rigueur under Dyche, puncturing any hope of aspiring to something better than the annual slog to survive.

The capitulation at home to Bournemouth, in which three goals were conceded in the final nine minutes, will take a long time to erase from the memory.

Despite an autumn resurgence that has seen the team lose just once in their last seven matches, Everton are still not winning enough - and that is down to a lack of goals.

The fixtures are about to turn with Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City on the horizon.

A dark December is imminent, and fans have rightly targeted both upcoming encounters with Brentford and Wolves as must-win games.

Having lost the first four games in succession, Sean Dyche's side have picked up 10 points from their last seven games. Can you put your finger on the main factors behind the way they've turned things around?

Jordan Pickford said following the hard-fought goalless draw at West Ham: "Our defensive shape was brilliant from front to back and that's a proper Everton side when we're digging deep and helping each other out."

It was an improvement on the defeat at Southampton, which angered those who made the trip to the south coast.

Pickford’s performances have been vital in ensuring a couple of the draws over the course of the last couple of months have not been defeats. It was his penalty save from Anthony Gordon that was celebrated like a goal in the stalemate with Newcastle.

Iliman Ndiaye’s acclimatisation has been another factor in the gradual improvement. His display in the away victory at Ipswich Town was perhaps the best individual performance of the season so far and, while he is already a fans’ favourite, the challenge now for the Senegalese is to produce the goods on a consistent basis.

As you've spoken about before, the last three seasons have been tough for Evertonians, but this one will be tough for different reasons, with just 14 league games left at Goodison Park. How determined will everyone associated with the club be to say farewell in a positive manner?

There are three topics very much at play in pubs around the ground whenever Everton approach another home game this season: the football on the pitch, the imminent takeover, and the countdown to leaving Goodison.

The last Merseyside derby at the start of next month, and the prospect of losing it, already fills many with dread. But that game will take care of itself.

After those early defeats to Brighton and Bournemouth, the focus on giving the ground a fitting farewell looks to have been parked by the players.

The victory over Crystal Palace, and the outpouring of relief at the final whistle, was important. No one wants the final year at Goodison, after 132 seasons, to be remembered for all the wrong reasons. It has not been a fortress for quite some time, however, as the past 12 months have shown, most Everton wins have come on home soil.

Dyche has frequently spoken about blocking out the noise off the pitch, but turning Goodison into a bear pit for opposition teams is precisely what is needed to give Everton the edge.

Which player should Brentford fans be keeping an eye on?

Jarrad Branthwaite. It is not yet clear whether the centre-back will be fit to feature this weekend, but Everton are a far more cohesive unit when he is in the side.

I remember he was sent off in this fixture a couple of seasons ago, but Branthwaite has transformed into the best player at the club since then.

Michael Keane has perhaps performed better than expected when called upon, but Branthwaite oozes class when at full tilt.

Defensively, there have been shoots of recovery. Three clean sheets in the last five games backs up Pickford’s earlier claim that Everton have rediscovered their defensive solidity which ultimately saw them absorb last season’s points deductions.

For that to continue against a free-scoring Brentford side, Branthwaite needs to shake off the muscle problem which ruled him out on England duty.

Another player I would like to mention is Armando Broja. He is yet to play since his season-long loan switch on the final day of the summer transfer window, but the Albanian has looked sharp and is back in full training. I wouldn’t be surprised if he is given the opportunity to make an impact off the bench this weekend, given that Everton have recently struggled for goals.

What should Brentford expect from Everton in terms of shape and style?

Dyche has always been a streaky manager at Everton, but his approach has always been the same. Sometimes, it has felt like a turn in results can hinge on one refereeing decision. Even a throw-in.

That is not really a way to run a football club. When you look across the dugout and see what Thomas Frank has built at Brentford, it is the polar opposite to Everton, where a series of short-term measures have been sought to effectively get the club to Bramley-Moore Dock as a Premier League outfit.

It is perhaps an unkind assessment, but Dyche has churned out improved results in the last seven games because he simply had to. Whenever the heat is turned up, he finds a way to keep the wolves away from the door. But with the Friedkin Group closing in a takeover ahead of the January transfer window, a bad result against Brentford would put immense pressure on the games ahead during the most congested period of the season.

The West Ham draw felt like a must-not-lose game for both clubs, but more courage on the ball is now needed to take points off those around Everton in the table.

What's your score prediction?

Dwight McNeil missed the trip to West Ham before the international break but he is back and available and should make a big difference.

McNeil scored the only goal in this fixture two seasons ago, and Dyche has given him licence to roam this term, often in a more central position.

His ability to spot a pass was missed at London Stadium, but having been forced to watch from afar, he will be eager to resume his fine season to date.

I’ll go for Everton 1-0 Brentford.