Everton will be hoping to end a five-game winless run when they take on Brentford in their Premier League clash this afternoon.

The Toffees were hapless in their 3-0 defeat at the hands of reigning champions Manchester City last time out, failing to land a glove on Pep Guardiola’s charges throughout the 90 minutes. In fact, Everton managed just 23% possession, one shot on target and one corner in that game as City strolled to a comfortable three points.

Rafarl Benitez will point to his extensive injury list as a major factor in his team's drop-off in form and performance levels in recent weeks, and things only got worse at the Etihad Stadium.

Winger Demarai Gray was forced off in the 17th minute after picking up a problem with his abductor muscle, paving the way for Alex Iwobi to make his 10th top-flight appearance of the season.

However, the Nigeria international was unable to influence proceedings once more against the Cityzens, putting in another disappointing display. Following his arrival off the bench, the 25-year-old had just 37 touches of the ball – seven fewer than Jordan Pickford – and failed to produce a single shot or key pass, as per SofaScore.

Since arriving on Merseyside for a whopping £34m back in 2019, Iwobi has found the back of the net on just six occasions in his 76 appearances, a record which has often frustrated numerous Everton supporters.

Therefore, Benitez must make the brave decision to keep faith with 20-year-old Anthony Gordon over the more experienced Iwobi.

Although the Everton academy graduate is yet to provide a single goal or assist this term, his performances have been improving of late, and Benitez has been full of praise for the hard-working winger.

The Spaniard described Gordon as an "important player for Everton in the future" just last week, but in the current circumstances, the £4.5m-rated gem could be crucial for the Toffees in the present day.

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