It was a big deal when Sunderland, one of England's great all-time clubs, was relegated from the Premier League at the end of the 2016/17 season on just 24 points, a full 11 points from safety.
To make matters worse, they faced the drop again the following season, finishing last in the Championship, managing a meager 37 points in 46 matches, and starting a run of four straight seasons in League One, earning promotion back to the Championship after the 2021/22 campaign.
The Black Cats flirted with relegation again upon that return, but earned promotion through the playoff last season, making 2025/26 their first top-flight campaign in nearly a decade.
And they're off to a flying start this season, sitting in 4th place after nine matches on 17 points, albeit with a rather uninspiring return in front of goal (11 goals in 9 matches).
Everton will face off against Sunderland for the second time since the Black Cats left the Premier League. The final league match took place at Goodison Park, with Idrissa Gana Gueye and Romelu Lukaku scoring in a 2-0 win in the league on February 25, 2017, and Everton won an EFL Cup match during the following season, 3-0, with a brace from Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Oumar Niasse sealing the victory.
That means it's been over nine years since Everton have visited the Stadium of Light, a match they also won by a 3-0 score line on a hat trick from Lukaku. All the goals came in the second half inside of 11 minutes (60',68',71').
Only three players who played in that match have a chance to feature on Monday: Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford was an up-and-coming player for Sunderland at the time, while both Gana and Seamus Coleman starting for the Toffees.
Also of note: David Moyes was Sunderland's manager at the time, having replaced another former Everton boss, Sam Allardyce, in the summer of 2016. Once Sunderland was relegated, Moyes was sacked, despite noting that he was happy to stay on.
All this to say, Monday will be quite an auspicious occasion for both sides, as there are plenty of storylines to watch that aren't related to the action on the pitch. From Pickford and Moyes' returns to Everton looking to get back on form after a strong start, there will be plenty to keep viewers locked in for Monday's match.