Chelsea travel to Merseyside to face Everton this weekend, with the Toffees hoping to finish their season on the strongest possible note.
A 2-0 defeat to leaders Arsenal has dampened an overall solid period of form for David Moyes' side, who are pushing to finish in the top half of the Premier League for the first time in five years.
Currently in eighth place, Moyes can be proud of his group of players and their achievements, and will be targeting qualification for at least the UEFA Conference League to cap off a successful season.
As for Chelsea, Liam Rosenior has had to deal with a number of uncomfortable situations over the last week, including their exit from the Champions League, injuries to a handful of key players and reports of discourse inside the Blues camp.
Strong form in the league should now be the target if the club hopes to remain in the top level of European competition, but they face a tricky run of games in the run-in alongside their participation in the FA Cup - a trophy they have not lifted since 2018.
Team news
Everton
David Moyes will be hoping defensive duo Jarrad Branthwaite and James Tarkowski will be fit enough to play Saturday’s game - both missed the 2-0 defeat to Arsenal last weekend, but are now ‘in and around the squad’ according to Moyes.
Midfielder Carlos Alcaraz is nearing a return. The Argentine picked up a training injury at the end of last month and has missed the Toffees’ last four fixtures.
Tyrique George is ineligible to face his parent club, whilst Jack Grealish will not feature for the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery on his ankle, which could mean a lack of depth in Everton’s attack.
Chelsea
Liam Rosenior has experimented with Filip Jorgensen as his first- choice goalkeeper, but after undergoing a minor operation, Robert Sanchez will keep his place between the sticks.
Cobham duo Trevoh Chalobah and Reece James have been added to Chelsea’s injury list - Chalobah is expected to miss the next six weeks, whilst a full decision on James will be made after the international break.
Malo Gusto nabbed a goal and an assist when these two sides met earlier in the season. The right-back missed out on Tuesday’s game against PSG with illness, but is expected to slot into the first team at the weekend.
In midfield, Estevao will be pushing for his first minutes since mid-February, whilst a cameo for Jamie Gittens is unlikely as the 21-year-old continues to deal with a hamstring issue.
Predicted line-ups
Everton
Pickford; O'Brien, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Garner, Gueye, McNeil, Dewsbury-Hall, Ndiaye, Beto.
Chelsea
Sanchez; Gusto, Fofana, Tosin, Cucurella, Fernandez, Caicedo, Estevao, Palmer, Garnacho, Pedro.
Players to watch
Everton - James Garner
Garner is a versatile footballer who has been deployed in a number of positions during his time at Everton, including full-back and holding midfielder.
He has five assists in the Premier League this season, with two coming in his last three matches. On the pitch, he is a hard worker and relentless runner who covers an impressive amount of ground, ranking fourth for distance covered in the league.
This has caught the eye of England manager Thomas Tuchel, who has rewarded Garner with a well-deserved call-up.
Against Chelsea, he will look to disrupt their attacking play, whilst using his fantastic vision to carve out potential openings for the Toffees.
Chelsea - Enzo Fernandez
Suggestions that Enzo Fernandez was considering options away from Chelsea were squashed by head coach Liam Rosenior this week, who reiterated his vice-captain's desire to win and stated that any misconstrued comments were likely 'lost in translation'.
This will have been somewhat reassuring to Chelsea fans, as Fernandez is able to offer several qualities to the midfield, in both attack and defence.
The Argentine has shone as a box-crashing holding midfielder, particularly under Enzo Maresca, and has continued his strong form this season playing in a more advanced role, often within a midfield three.
He has twelve goals in all competitions this season - a career best - and he will look to add to his tally on Saturday.
Match facts
Where is the game taking place?
For the first time, Chelsea will travel to the newly built Hill Dickinson Stadium, located on Bramley-Moore Dock. It boasts a total capacity of around 53,000.
What time is kick-off?
Everton vs Chelsea is one of just four fixtures taking place on Saturday, with the match commencing at 17:30PM GMT.
Where can I watch?
Fans in the UK can tune in on Sky Sports and NOW TV.