Analysis: Increased options allow Frank to return to favoured system | OneFootball

Brentford's 1-0 defeat to Everton last weekend was afterwards described as "tight" and "a little bit of a boring game" by Bees head coach Thomas Frank and it was hard to argue with the Dane on either score.

Defences dominated before the break, as both the visitors and Sean Dyche's Toffees prevented a single shot on target being fired, and Idrissa Gueye's strike on the hour proved decisive.

The returning Ivan Toney had the Bees' best chance shortly after the interval, but a sprawling Jordan Pickford save denied the England international after a fabulous cross from Mathias Jensen had sought out the forward in the box.

Jensen was arguably the Bees' standout performer and no outfield player across either starting XI finished the game with a higher pass completion percentage (92 per cent), more accurate long passes (4) or more key passes (3) than the Denmark international.

Zooming out from in-game stats, Brentford's defeat was notable as it meant Everton joined a select group of only eight teams to do a double over the west Londoners since their promotion to the top flight.

The three sides fighting out the current Premier League title race - Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool - were the only teams to have previously beaten Brentford both home and away this season until the Toffees joined the list.

Going back to the Bees' debut season in the top flight, the other teams to manage the feat are Newcastle (last season) and Brighton, Leicester and Man Utd (2021/22) - Man City the only team to do a 'double double' over Brentford (in 21/22 and 23/24).

Brentford, meanwhile, have done Premier League doubles over Everton and Watford (21/22); Man City (22/23) and Luton Town (23/24) - doubling up twice on West Ham (in both 2021/22 and last season).

The Bees could add Fulham to that list this coming Saturday and it will be interesting to see if the hosts will opt to retain the 4-3-3 formation they employed at Goodison Park against the Cottagers.

Frank has previously spoken of his preference for the system, but admitted that long-term injuries to Aaron Hickey, Rico Henry, Kevin Schade and Bryan Mbeumo have scuppered his plans to deploy it with any degree of frequency.

Now "close to a fully firing squad", the Bees head coach has an increasing number of tactical options available to him with wide players Keane Lewis-Potter and Kevin Schade both knocking on the door for a start after lively cameos off the bench against Everton.

Schade tested Toffees keeper Pickford late on in Merseyside and Brentford's shots on target stats in the second half of last Saturday’s game provided something of a silver lining.

Four of the Bees' six shots in the second period were on target, Everton - despite Dwight McNeil’s thumping effort against the bar - scoring from their only shot on target during the entire game.

With players returning, options multiplying and the underlying numbers suggesting Brentford continue to do plenty of things right, there are lots of positives despite the Everton defeat - by far the biggest of them being that the Bees are guaranteed another season in the Premier League!