Everton start the Easter Weekend just two places and four points outside of the Premier League relegation zone and face a Saturday trip to Bournemouth.
Sean Dyche will see this as a real opportunity to increase the gap to the bottom three, with the Cherries not having much to play for.
Team news
Andoni Iraola has confirmed that Bournemouth will be without both Marcos Senesi and Luis Sinisterra due to injury.
Although Lloyd Kelly has been training, he is not yet fit enough to feature despite making good progress from a hip injury.
Tyler Adams, Max Aarons and Dominic Solanke are expected to feature, despite recent fitness problems.
The visitors will have Idrissa Gueye in their squad, after playing 70 minutes for Senegal during the international break, with Dyche confirming he is fit.
Arnaud Danjuma has returned to training this week, but the Everton boss has indicated that Saturday will come too soon for his return.
Lewis Dobbin is facing a spell on the sidelines, after damaging his ankle in what has been described as a ‘freak’ training ground clash.
The stats
After a previous poor run against the Cherries, Everton have won the last two meetings between these two sides – both at Goodison Park – without conceding a goal.
Everton have drawn three of their last five away games in all competitions, with the two defeats coming at Manchester City and Manchester United.
Bournemouth have won just one of their last five Premier League home games – that was the 4-3 comeback victory over Luton.
Iraola’s men have conceded the first goal in each of their last three Premier League matches at the Vitality Stadium.
Prediction
It has been three weeks since Everton were last in action and that break, including some warm-weather training in Portugal, will have helped Dyche work on tactical plans and team bonding.
Their performances have been good overall and it has just been a lack of goals that has cost them dearly over recent months.
With Bournemouth clear of the relegation zone and too far adrift to qualify for Europe, they are one of the few Premier League sides with nothing significant to play for.
The Cherries recent struggles at home will further bolster Everton’s hopes of claiming a positive result on the south coast.
Although they did fight back from 3-0 down at half-time to beat Luton in that dramatic clash, much of that comeback was down to the visitors’ sapped energy levels in the second half.
