Iliman Ndiaye Seeks To Make History With Everton At Goodison Park

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Iliman Ndiaye feels honoured to be part of Everton's final squad at Goodison Park. The team is set to face Brentford as they continue their Premier League journey. Everton will move to a new 52,000-seat stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock after the 2024-25 season. With only one loss in seven matches, Everton's hopes of staying in the top flight have been boosted.

Ndiaye, who joined from Marseille before the season, expressed his excitement about being part of this historic moment for the club. "Obviously, I wanted to be part of that history of playing in the last-ever season at Goodison Park," Ndiaye told the club's website. "So many things have happened here, it's full of history and we are the last players to represent this club here, so it's important we give everything we have."

Brentford currently sits six points ahead of Everton in 11th place. They are just three points behind Manchester City in third. However, all their 16 points this season have been earned at home. Sepp van den Berg has featured in nine out of Brentford's 11 Premier League games since joining from Liverpool.

Van den Berg praised Thomas Frank for making him feel welcome at Brentford. "For me, Brentford was one of the first clubs interested and, as well as getting the chance to play in the Premier League and live in London, it was speaking with Thomas Frank," he said. "The first meeting we had, he was asking me some straight questions: 'Why do you want to play for Brentford? Why do we need you at Brentford?' It was so direct, it was like a proper job interview!"

Jarrad Branthwaite is crucial for Everton's success. Since last season began, Everton has a win rate of 35% when Branthwaite starts compared to just 17% without him. His presence has been vital as they have lost only one of their last eight league games with him starting.

For Brentford, Bryan Mbeumo stands out with his impressive performance this season. Only Mohamed Salah, Erling Haaland, Cole Palmer and Bukayo Saka have been involved in more goals than Mbeumo's nine (eight goals and one assist). However, he has yet to score against Everton despite creating several chances.

Match Prediction and Statistics

This match promises an intriguing clash between different styles. Everton averages a low xG per shot figure while Brentford boasts the highest xG per shot this season. Despite scoring and conceding 22 goals each across their 11 games so far, Brentford has struggled away from home.

The Bees have lost all five away matches this season; only during two previous campaigns did they lose more consecutive away games at the start. Meanwhile, Everton has lost just two out of their last ten home games and won their last three meetings against Brentford.

The Opta win probability suggests a close contest: Everton has a 40.5% chance of winning while Brentford stands at 32.5%, with a draw predicted at 26.9%. As both teams prepare for this encounter at Goodison Park, fans can expect an exciting match filled with potential surprises.