Everton

Everton manager David Moyes speaking to Sky Sports after his side's draw at Brentford: "We've got to keep going and the players are showing that at the moment. Today was a difficult game which we knew it would be. We were resilient enough to pick up a point in the end.

"The second half especially Brentford got on top but we worked our way back into it. Their second goal was unfortunate from our side. Brentford put us under pressure before we got the goal.

"The players are - not used to it - but away from home we've been resilient and we want to keep that going."

"Better to be in this position - rather that than be fighting round the bottom end of the league. We want the players to enjoy it and see how they do in this position. It's a test for them as well, can we win the games. We only have to win a few in the run in. Another difficult away game today so we'll take the point."

On facing Liverpool next week: "We'll get ready for it. We have to play all the games, six to go and next is Liverpool. It will be a brilliant game for the Evertonians. We'll all be looking forward to it. We're in a much healthier position than we have been for many years so hopefully we can go to the game and do the best we can."

Everton goal-scorer Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, speaking to Sky Sports: "It was a bit of a rollercoaster game. We knew it would be a tough game. They have strengths that they play to well. Maybe a draw is a fair result. The fact we came from behind twice shows the mentality of the lads - we never give up, ever. Nice to score a late goal and at least take something away from it."

On his goal: "I saw it go over my head from the cross and I thought let me just get in there in case something comes. I'm happy I scored because I should've scored 20 minutes before which I was disappointed with.

"Cliche as it is, if you don't win try not to lose and we did that. Pleasing to react from going behind twice. That could be a massive point at the end of the season. A massive game next week and let's try and get another good result."

Did early goal shock you? "100% - all week we have been practising dealing with their threat. We didn't start on it and they punished us. We managed to get back into it and that shows it didn't affect us. Heads might have gone down but we've come a long way. Big couple of games to come."

On Beto goal: "Look at Brentford's striker this season, the amount of goals he's scored, and that is unbelievable for a team that is not expected to finish high. His goals are putting them in a position to do well. If our strikers can do that then we know we have a good chance of getting the points."

You can hear more from David Moyes and James Tarkowski on BBC Sounds

Did you know?

• Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has scored 7 goals in the Premier League this season, no Everton player has more.

• Everton's Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has been directly involved in 10 goals in the Premier League this season, two more goal involvements than across his three previous seasons in the competition combined.

Timothy Abraham
BBC Sport Journalist

Image source, Getty Images

This Everton fightback was vintage David Moyes.

They may have shown more pragmatism than their travelling supporters would have preferred in London, but it was a savvy approach against a Brentford side that posed a serious threat on the counter-attack.

Moyes' players rolled up their sleeves and demonstrated the resilience and opportunism required to keep their European hopes alive.

The stakes were high in what felt like a genuine six-pointer, and defeat would have been a setback.

Instead, they remain firmly in the mix, with confidence intact heading into next Sunday's pivotal Merseyside derby.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall embodied that spirit, continuing his emergence as a key figure under Moyes.

The 27-year-old's late equaliser took him to 10 direct goal involvements this season - seven goals and three assists.

That is two more than his previous three campaigns in the competition combined, when he registered three goals and five assists in 72 appearances.

There are still areas for concern, however.

Jordan Pickford needs to rediscover his composure. Since joining Everton in 2017, only Jose Sa has conceded more Premier League penalties than Pickford's six.

The immediate reaction of Jarrad Branthwaite, who berated his goalkeeper following the foul on Kevin Schade to give away the spot-kick, spoke volumes.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

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Image source, BBC Sport

Brentford boss Keith Andrews makes two changes from the side which drew 0-0 with Leeds in their last Premier League outing.

Dango Ouattara and Mikkel Damsgaard are both recalled to the starting line-up for the visit of the Merseyside club.

Jordan Henderson and Ethan Pinnock the players to miss out for the Bees.

Brentford XI: Kelleher, Lewis-Potter, Collins, Van den Berg, Kayode, Jensen, Yarmoliuk, Schade, Damsgaard, Ouattara, Thiago

Subs: Valdimarsson, Pinnock, Nelson, Ajer, Donovan, Bentt, Shield, Stephenson, Owen

David Moyes sticks with 10 of the Everton players who were part of the side which claimed a 3-0 home win over Chelsea last time out.

The only change to the side is in defence with Jarrad Branthwaite preferred to Michael Keane, who drops to the bench.

Striker Thierno Barry and Tyrique George are also named among the Everton subs.

Everton XI: Pickford, Mykolenko, Branthwaite, Tarkowski, O'Brien, Garner, Gueye, Ndiaye, Dewsbury-Hall, McNeil, Beto

Subs: Travers, Patterson, Keane, Barry, George, Dibling, Coleman, Rohl, Iroegbunam

Image source, BBC Sport

Now we know that fifth place gets you into next season's Champions League, both of these teams must be thinking they have got a chance.

They are level on 46 points in seventh and eighth, and the way the teams immediately above them, Liverpool and Chelsea, are playing then you don't feel it is beyond Brentford or Everton to catch them.

Who would have thought last summer that there was the possibility of Everton finishing above Liverpool this season? It could happen though, and next weekend's Merseyside derby is going to be very interesting.

Everton have to go to west London first, though. I was horribly wrong when I predicted the reverse of this game at Hill Dickinson Stadium in January. I went for a 1-0 Toffees win and the Bees won 4-2.

This time? It will be a lot closer. Yes, I know I am sitting on the fence but there is a predictions title at stake for me here, so I am going to follow form and say Brentford will get their fourth draw in a row.

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

There are four games in the Premier League on Saturday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Arsenal v Bournemouth (12:30)

• Brentford v Everton (15:00) - Listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Burnley v Brighton (15:00) - Listen on Sports Extra 2

• Liverpool v Fulham (17:30) - Listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times BST

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Brentford v Everton" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Liverpool v Fulham".

Find out more about how to listen to Premier League football on BBC Sounds

Matthew Hobbs
BBC Sport journalist

Brentford host Everton on Saturday afternoon with both teams targeting European football next season.

BBC Sport examines some of the key themes ahead of their meeting at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Brentford and Everton are currently locked on 46 points in the Premier League table – currently three points off the Champions League place of fifth – with the Bees a place ahead on goal difference in seventh.

Brentford were convincing winners when they travelled to Merseyside in January, running out 4-2 victors to end a six-game winless run against the Toffees in the Premier League.

Keith Andrews side have lost just once in their eight most recent league outings although they've only won one of the past six.

Draws have instead been the order of the day, with Brentford facing the prospect of four in a row for the first time as a Premier League side.

A goal from striker Igor Thiago may be needed if Brentford are to get back to winning ways. He needs just one more to tie the club Premier League record of 20 in a single season, currently held by Ivan Toney and Bryan Mbuemo.

Thiago scored a hat-trick against Everton earlier this season and the superlative form of such a standout striker may be the cause of some envy in the visitor's dugout.

Everton are enjoying a resurgent season of their own as they also target European qualification, although the Toffees have done so largely without the services of a top-level striker.

Thierno Barry has improved over the course of the campaign while Beto's performance in scoring two goals in the win against Chelsea last time out was hailed as his best showing in an Everton shirt by manager David Moyes, but Everton's two centre forwards have still only totalled 12 league goals between them in comparison to Thiago's 19.

Everton have still found a way to shrug off recent relegation battles and financial difficulties to pursue Moyes' goal of a European place - only Arsenal and Manchester United have amassed more points than Everton's 21 since matchday 19.

The 2-0 defeat at Arsenal on 14 March was a first away from home for the Toffees in 2026 but their form on the road has generally been excellent.

They have picked up 41 points in away games since Moyes returned to the club in January 2025, second only to the Gunners, winning four of the past six.

If Everton are to avenge their comprehensive loss to Brentford three months ago, goalkeeper Jordan Pickford could once again be key.

Pickford made one of the saves of the season, external to earn Everton their most recent away victory at Newcastle in February and, based on expected goals on target, the 32-year-old has prevented 24 since the start of 2022-23 – nine more than any other Premier League keeper.

The latest news and views on the Blues in two minutes, every weekday afternoon.

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Holly Bacon
BBC Sport journalist

Everton boss David Moyes has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Brentford at the Gtec Community Stadium (kick-off 15:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Moyes confirmed he has "just about" a fully fit squad. Charly Alcaraz is back in early training but is not available for the game, however, he is "getting close" to being fit again.

• On the prospect of securing European football this season, the Toffees boss said: "I don't know how we're going to finish but if you would have given me this position at the start of the season I'd have said 'thanks very much, I'll shake your hand' and hopefully we can keep it going. If you really want to get the big prizes, you have got to win your games at the right time at the end of the season. We've started well with the couple of games recently. We have to try and keep that form and momentum going."

• Moyes admitted "the word Champions League probably makes me shake a wee bit at the thought of that" and he believes it's "a completely different thing to talk about" than European competition as a whole.

• The Everton head coach was also cautious about getting "too caught up" in the talk and added: "We'd hate to disappoint everybody, and there's talk about it, but I do want to talk about it because this club, all the supporters have suffered so much. I think the thought of getting them back into Europe makes me think it would be fantastic for the support here, the club and everything they've been through recently."

• He said he is "driving it with the players" and they are key to the upturn in the club's fortunes: "The players here have turned themselves around. Some of the players, maybe just over a year ago, you might have not considered that level and now are playing really well."

• Being back at the club has been "a great time" so far for Moyes and his family. He added: "I've really enjoyed it because the players have done great."

• On forward Beto's form: "I always hoped he would get that bit of luck. Good fortune sometimes that strikers need to get the goals to give them the confidence. He's just beginning to hopefully run into a bit of form. He scored the goals in the second half of the season last year so we're hoping that he can continue that."

• Moyes said they have not made a decision about the long-term future of injured Jack Grealish at the club and they need to "see how the healing goes" from his operation. He did admit the loanee has "played a big part" in getting them to the position they are in.

Hear David Moyes' press conference in full on BBC Sounds

Listen to Brentford v Everton on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra from 14:55 BST on Saturday

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Got a question about Everton? Get in touch here and we'll seek answers from our experts

The Premier League's return this weekend brings trepidation for some and excitement for others.

Football's emotional rollercoaster becomes intense at this time of year, unless of course mid-table mediocrity has taken a grip of things in recent months.

So how are you feeling as an Everton fan with just a handful of weeks left to go?

The league form reads: LLWWLW

The next three league fixtures are: Brentford (a), Liverpool (h) and West Ham (a)

Let us know how you're feeling here

Everton supporter and The Blue Room's Les Roberts says he wants to see Jack Grealish stay at the club but on the right terms.

Roberts told BBC Radio Merseyside: "If we could get him on another loan deal and basically do what we did with Gareth Barry, get him for free at the end of that, I think that's a bit of a no-brainer.

"He's obviously keen to stay at Everton. He's really taken to the crowd, the crowd have taken to him and it's unusual to get that straight away with a player.

"When that happens it's one of those things, you can't buy that, it's an organic thing so to have that happen with a player, I probably would want him to stay but on the right terms."

Listen in full below or on BBC Sounds here

Everton are not expected to trigger the £50m purchase option for England winger Jack Grealish contained in the loan deal with Manchester City, but the club are confident a new agreement can be reached for the 30-year-old to stay on Merseyside. (Athletic - subscription required, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

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Dale Johnson
Football issues correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

The Premier League will have at least five teams in the Champions League next season after securing a European Performance Spot for the second straight year.

The extra place was confirmed on Tuesday as Arsenal beat Sporting 1-0 in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie.

Uefa awards an additional place to the two leagues with the best overall performance across the three European competitions.

The race for fifth place in the Premier League, currently held by Liverpool on 49 points, is exceptionally tight.

Just seven points separate Arne Slot's side from 13th-placed Bournemouth.

Chelsea (48) sit in sixth followed by Brentford (46), Everton (46), Fulham (44), Brighton (43), Sunderland (43), Newcastle (42) and Bournemouth (42).

If Aston Villa, who are fourth on 54 points, win the Europa League and finish outside the top four, the Premier League would have six teams in the Champions League.

The same logic applies to Liverpool, who face Paris St-Germain in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday.

If either win a European trophy and finish fifth, then sixth would qualify for the Champions League via the EPS place.

If both win European trophies and finish fifth and sixth, that would put seventh into the Champions League.

Nottingham Forest are in the quarter-finals of the Europa League. They could emulate Tottenham by winning the competition and finishing in the bottom half of the table.

Just like last season, that would create a sixth team in the Champions League for the Premier League too.

Image source, Getty Images

With seven games of the Premier League season to go, Everton are among the sides vying for a European spot.

The Toffees are only behind seventh-placed Brentford on goal difference and face the Bees in London on Saturday (15:00 BST).

If they are to achieve that aim of European qualification, England duo Jordan Pickford and James Garner - the only two players to have started every top-flight game for Everton this season - will no doubt be key.

Statisticians Opta say that in terms of expected goals on target compared to goals conceded, Pickford has prevented more goals (6.1) than any other goalkeeper in the Premier League this season.

Since the start of the 2022-23 season, that number is 24.1, which is nine more than any other top-flight keeper during the same period.

Meanwhile, midfielder Garner has been one of the Toffees' most consistent performers this campaign, ranking second in the Premier League this season for both tackles made (93) and interceptions (50). He also has six assists.

Mike Richards
Fan writer

Image source, PA Media

No more breaks. No more international distractions for the players. A huge seven games remain and we are all wondering whether we grab a fantastic opportunity to cap off a season of relative calm.

I have spoken countless times over the course of the past few months about European football and what it could mean for the club. The fear of it being too soon was certainly in my thinking a short while ago, whereas now the excitement of what it may offer has overtaken any concern.

Since David Moyes' arrival at the club 15 months ago, he has reminded the current crop of players that Everton is a club that belongs in Europe and once our relegation concerns of last season were dealt with, that was the aim.

It is refreshing to know the days of suffering are long behind us and the manager is well aware of where we expect our football club to be.

Our final seven games are tough and none more so than this weekend's trip to fellow European dreamers Brentford. Only above us on goal difference, the game may go a long way to deciding both clubs' final league position.

It feels like a 'dare not lose' game, simply from a momentum and confidence perspective.

Beyond that is the small prospect of the inaugural Merseyside derby at our new home. Given Liverpool's disastrous title defence, there is a real prospect that we will be battling with them for league supremacy come the end of the season.

It is a mouth-watering end of the season for all the right reasons at last. Where we finish and what we achieve remains to be seen. One thing is for sure - it is much more enjoyable than the anxiety of recent seasons.

Find more from Mike Richards at Unholy Trinity, external

Everton are growing in confidence that on-loan Manchester City and England winger Jack Grealish will be back with the club next season. (Daily Mail), external

West Ham United forward Crysencio Summerville is being monitored by Everton, Aston Villa, Tottenham, Marseille and Napoli. (Teamtalk), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

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Giulia Bould
BBC Radio Merseyside reporter

Image source, Getty Images

For so long, Everton were seen as the problematic Premier League club but in just over a year of David Moyes' management and The Friedkin Group's ownership they have become the ones to watch.

There's a sense of calm and positivity around the Toffees right now. Rather than working out complex maths around other teams' results and fearing the next set of financial results, fans are instead counting the possible points to secure Europe and enjoying financial security.

The next home game is the Merseyside derby. This is the closest the two local rivals have been in years and there's a sense of optimism given the Chelsea performance was so impressive while Liverpool have been struggling.

The result on the 19th at Hill Dickinson Stadium will be the moment many around the club will really know what they can achieve this season.

By then there will be five games left but those at the top have been putting plans in place for a European charge for some time.

The latest set of finances revealed a record turnover of £196.7m, while the annual loss reduced significantly from £53.2m to £8.6m. In short it means Everton are PSR compliant and the deals with blue chip companies have made the club stable financially.

Talks are underway to secure Jack Grealish for the coming season with his experience as a Champions League winner seen as key when it comes to the dressing room.

There have been long-term deals too for Jarrad Branthwaite and James Garner. The latter has been the jewel in the crown this season and with the midfielder's stats rivalling the likes of Declan Rice at Arsenal it is little surprise to those at Everton that he's caught the eye of Thomas Tuchel.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has been in the mix for an international call up too but it is Garner that has the best chance of a trip to the US this summer.

There's a rebuild of the academy now underway with the appointment of Dean Rastrick as director plus there's hope for 18-year-old striker, Braiden Graham.

He has 17 goals across all youth competitions this season and there's much excitement. Moyes, though, believes he isn't yet ready for the physicality of the Premier League but if there's a European campaign next term it could see the teenager called into action.

Listen to Total Sport Merseyside from 18:00 on weeknights and find details here of live Everton match commentaries on BBC Radio Merseyside

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Ciaran Varley
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, MEIS Studio

Construction on Hill Dickinson Stadium began in August 2021 and was completed in 2025. However, that shouldn't imply that the project went entirely without a hitch.

"We were on the bubble for relegation more than once. We had a change of ownership and we had a war with Russia and Ukraine that affected the club," said Dan Meis - the Los Angeles-based architect who designed Everton's new ground.

The Toffees finished four points above the relegation zone in 2021-22 and just two points clear of the drop zone the following season.

Everton also cut ties with Russian sponsors in 2022 following the invasion of Ukraine and the Friedkin Group took over the club in November 2024.

Nick Tyrer was lead designer for architecture and engineering firm BDP Pattern on the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

"I work on sports stadia around the world," he told BBC Sport.

"The joy, but equally the challenge of them, is that they are such landmark projects that are driven by politics, by the industry, by what's going on in the world."

He explained the design and build contract had been signed by the time Everton were facing potential relegation.

"On social media though, there was a lot of talk about how it would be the best stadium in the Championship," added Tyrer.

"That's a professional concern - you spend six or seven years of your life working on a stadium and it may open in a lower league."

That apprehension will sound familiar to fans of relegation-battling Tottenham Hotspur, who face the prospect of their club playing in the Championship next season in a 62,000-seater stadium that only opened in 2019.

Meis also explained some of the technical challenges involved in building on disused industrial docklands.

"Once the builders got down to the floor of the dock they found unexploded ordnance from WWII," he said. "They found a dolphin at one point and had to shut everything down."

The designer now has a tattoo that reads 1878 - the year Everton was founded.

He attended the first home match against Brighton, which David Moyes' side won 2-0, with Iliman Ndiaye and James Garner on target.

"I still get emotional talking about it. I had grown men with tears in their eyes hugging me, telling me how important this was to them," added Meis.

"One of the most impactful things that happened to me on that first day was that I was walking from one of the club areas to the stadium and one of the female stewards opened the door for me. As I walked through, I heard her say to someone else, 'he really listened to us'. I thought, 'how great is that?'

"I didn't do something for my ego - it was a realisation of tens of thousands of people's hopes."

Manchester City defender John Stones is not expected to be offered a new deal at his current club, with the 31-year-old's former club Everton among those monitoring his situation. (Talksport), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

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Image source, Getty Images

With fifth position looking set to be a Champions League spot for a second consecutive season, the form of Chelsea and Liverpool has left the door open for another team to possibly pip them to that place.

Brentford, Everton, Fulham and Brighton might not have expected to be fighting for a place in Europe's top club cup competition at the beginning of the campaign, but with all four within six points of fifth place it could yet become a reality.

At the time of writing, supporters think the eight-placed Toffees are most likely to reach that spot, with the current poll standings looking like this:

• Brentford - 21%

• Everton - 60%

• Fulham - 7%

• Brighton - 12%

Add your choice here

Ciaran Varley
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, MEIS Studio

Dan Meis, the architect who designed Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium, said he was initially sceptical a club like Everton would engage a firm in the US for the project, let alone one based in Los Angeles, but dived into the history of the club and city.

He also communicated closely with fans.

"I learned pretty early through fan engagements how passionate they were about this. It was not always super friendly," said Meis.

One of the big debates was about capacity. The new ground seats more than 52,000 fans - an increase of more than 12,000 on Goodison Park, but that is 9,000 below Liverpool's Anfield.

"I can't tell you the number of tweets I got from fans saying: 'It's OK as long as we have one more seat than Anfield,'" recalled Meis.

"In the end, fans felt like they were talking to the club. Hearing from them really made me think about these things - making sure they were right on top of the pitch, making sure we weren't sacrificing that football-first energy in any way, while delivering revenue."

After options were explored for different sites, the proposal of a stadium built on Bramley-Moore Dock was mooted.

"The idea really blossomed from all that," he said.

"Bill Kenwright said he wanted something that was both historical and forward looking - that was a bit of a challenge.

"I really believed in this idea that the stadium should feel like it grew out of the dock. I did one little sketch that was based on the idea of the Mersey washing over the dock. You had this rough scribble of a brick base with a curvy wave over the top of it. If you look at the very early renderings, the final building looks a lot like that."

Image source, MEIS Studio