The Black Cats' thrilling 3-2 win over Chelsea in a game they twice trailed, combined with Norwich City's defeat to Manchester United and Newcastle United's failure to beat already relegated Aston Villa, means that a win over Roberto Martinez's faltering Toffees would condemn the Canaries and Magpies to the Championship.
Norwich, who visit Goodison Park on Sunday, are also in action and can keep their slim hopes of avoiding the drop alive if they beat Watford and Everton prevent Sunderland from winning. But Newcastle, together with their ex-Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez, will only be able to watch on and hope that their arch local rivals don't get all three points.
It will, on the evidence of Everton's last two games, be desperate hope. The Blues allowed 68 shots against them over the two games at Anfield and Leicester's King Power Stadium and shipped seven goals in the process. The two performances were as awful as anything witnessed by Evertonians since the turn of the century and they have made Martinez's job almost untenable.
Having criticised his players for their lack of focus and intensity against Leicester last Saturday and admitted that he could take no positives from the game at all, the manager has since said that his team didn't let him down in the 3-1 defeat. Whether that means he will stick with a similar line-up for this evening's game will be revealed but there can be little doubt that, if they put on the same level of performance again, Sam Allardyce will have few concerns about preserving his record of never having overseen the relegation of a club from the top flight.
Matthew Pennington was the only player whom Martinez refused to criticise at the weekend but, with Ramiro Funes Mori back from a three-match suspension, it would not be a surprise to see the Argentine drafted straight back into the starting XI. Pennington has performed competently in the last two games but it would be prudent to pull the youngster out of the firing line given how badly Everton are struggling for form at the moment.
It's at right back, however, where the most acute problem remains with Seamus Coleman ruled out and both Tony Hibbert and Felipe Mattioni also injured. Both Muhamed Besic and Bryan Oviedo have looked lost as emergency right backs but Martinez might be hesitant to throw the likes of Callum Connolly or Jonjoe Kenny (back from his loan spell with Oxford United) into the heat of battle away from home.
In midfield, Gareth Barry could make his comeback from the groin strain he picked up in the Merseyside derby last month and that could either see Tom Cleverley dropped to the bench or moved out to the left side of midfield at the expense of Oumar Niasse. The Senegal striker had a better game at Leicester than was the case against Bournemouth but still looks miles off Premier League pace.
Martinez has demanded a response from his team this week, holding up the win over the Cherries as evidence of the kind of “fighting” spirit that exists among his players. In truth, that 2-1 home victory, the only one in nine Premier League matches, was earned on the back of a display in common with the flat and uninspiring offerings from Everton since they beat Chelsea in March. The kind of fight that the manager seeks was really only in evidence for 40-odd minutes against Manchester United in the cup semi-final and that was only because they were in a do-or-die situation with another date at Wembley on the line.
The manager also claimed that his team “didn't understand” the celebratory occasion they found themselves in at Leicester last Saturday and were affected by the circumstances of the match. Tonight's game could be every bit as intense and it remains to be seen whether it will shake Everton out of their torpor or if, as many now believe, there is now too big a gulf between Martinez and his players and he is living on borrowed time.
Kick-off: 7.45pm
Referee: Anthony Taylor
Predicted Line-up: Robles, Oviedo, Stones, Funes Mori, Baines, Barry, McCarthy, Cleverley, Lennon, Barkley, Lukaku See More
It will, on the evidence of Everton's last two games, be desperate hope. The Blues allowed 68 shots against them over the two games at Anfield and Leicester's King Power Stadium and shipped seven goals in the process. The two performances were as awful as anything witnessed by Evertonians since the turn of the century and they have made Martinez's job almost untenable.
Having criticised his players for their lack of focus and intensity against Leicester last Saturday and admitted that he could take no positives from the game at all, the manager has since said that his team didn't let him down in the 3-1 defeat. Whether that means he will stick with a similar line-up for this evening's game will be revealed but there can be little doubt that, if they put on the same level of performance again, Sam Allardyce will have few concerns about preserving his record of never having overseen the relegation of a club from the top flight.
Matthew Pennington was the only player whom Martinez refused to criticise at the weekend but, with Ramiro Funes Mori back from a three-match suspension, it would not be a surprise to see the Argentine drafted straight back into the starting XI. Pennington has performed competently in the last two games but it would be prudent to pull the youngster out of the firing line given how badly Everton are struggling for form at the moment.
It's at right back, however, where the most acute problem remains with Seamus Coleman ruled out and both Tony Hibbert and Felipe Mattioni also injured. Both Muhamed Besic and Bryan Oviedo have looked lost as emergency right backs but Martinez might be hesitant to throw the likes of Callum Connolly or Jonjoe Kenny (back from his loan spell with Oxford United) into the heat of battle away from home.
In midfield, Gareth Barry could make his comeback from the groin strain he picked up in the Merseyside derby last month and that could either see Tom Cleverley dropped to the bench or moved out to the left side of midfield at the expense of Oumar Niasse. The Senegal striker had a better game at Leicester than was the case against Bournemouth but still looks miles off Premier League pace.
Martinez has demanded a response from his team this week, holding up the win over the Cherries as evidence of the kind of “fighting” spirit that exists among his players. In truth, that 2-1 home victory, the only one in nine Premier League matches, was earned on the back of a display in common with the flat and uninspiring offerings from Everton since they beat Chelsea in March. The kind of fight that the manager seeks was really only in evidence for 40-odd minutes against Manchester United in the cup semi-final and that was only because they were in a do-or-die situation with another date at Wembley on the line.
The manager also claimed that his team “didn't understand” the celebratory occasion they found themselves in at Leicester last Saturday and were affected by the circumstances of the match. Tonight's game could be every bit as intense and it remains to be seen whether it will shake Everton out of their torpor or if, as many now believe, there is now too big a gulf between Martinez and his players and he is living on borrowed time.
Kick-off: 7.45pm
Referee: Anthony Taylor
Predicted Line-up: Robles, Oviedo, Stones, Funes Mori, Baines, Barry, McCarthy, Cleverley, Lennon, Barkley, Lukaku See More
