Frank Lampard will get his first taste of life in the Everton hot seat when the Toffees host Brentford in the fourth round of the FA Cup today.
The former Chelsea boss was appointed on a two-and-a-half-year contract earlier this week and will be tasked with reviving the Merseyside club’s flagging fortunes.
He has a tough task on his hands though; Everton have only progressed to the fifth round of the FA Cup once in the last five editions of the competition. Moreover, they have lost 10 of their last 14 matches in all competitions.
Brentford, meanwhile, have struggled for form after a bright start to the season. They are currently on a four-match losing streak and have won only one of their last eight games on the road.
The mood around the club is positive though following the arrival of Christian Eriksen, who feared his playing days were over after suffering a cardiac arrest a few months ago at Euro 2020.
Everton vs Brentford — Team News
Everton
New signings Dele Alli and Donny van de Beek are unavailable for this clash, having featured for their previous clubs in the competition this year.
Fabian Delph, Tom Davies and Abdoulaye Doucoure are out injured, while Dominic Calvert-Lewin will miss the clash for Everton with a minor knock.
Yerry Mina and Alex Iwobi have returned from international duty and could feature.
Brentford
Eriksen has not yet started training with the team and will not be considered for selection. Rico Henry and Mathias Jensen will be assessed before kick-off, but Frank Onyeka is back from the AFCON and will play.
David Raya is also in contention to start after missing three months of action due to a knee injury.
Everton vs Brentford — Predicted Lineups
Everton Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1): Jordan Pickford; Seamus Coleman, Yerry Mina, Michael Keane, Ben Godfrey; Allan, Andre Gomes; Andros Townsend, Anthony Gordon, Demarai Gray; Richarlison
Brentford Predicted Lineup (3-5-2): David Raya; Kristoffer Ajer, Pontus Jansson, Mads Bech Sorensen; Sergi Canos, Frank Onyeka, Vitaly Janelt, Saman Ghoddos, Mads Roerslev; Ivan Toney, Bryan Mbeumo
Everton vs Brentford — Key Players
Everton – Richarlison
With Calvert-Lewin out, Richarlison is Everton’s biggest goal threat. The Brazilian has missed a large chunk of the season through injury but is now healthy again and will be raring to get on the scoresheet against Thomas Frank’s side.
Brentford – Ivan Toney
After a mid-season slump, Toney has found his stride once again, netting in each of his last two games. The 25-year-old can trouble the Everton backline with his pace and physicality and will be crucial to Brentford’s hopes of progression.
Prediction: Everton 2-1 Brentford
