Everton were left frustrated by Crystal Palace last time out, as they were held to a 2-2 draw after Jean-Philippe Mateta equalised in the 77th minute. There were a few opportunities for Palace to snatch all three points late on, so Everton were probably fortunate in the end to even come away with anything, but that result seemingly put the Toffees out of the hunt for a European finish. They are now five points behind Brighton with two games remaining. 

Everton will still want to push for the three points this weekend, considering this will be their final home outing of the season. Over 2.5 goals has landed in each of their last six consecutive matches, which shows how entertaining their games have been recently. They have looked vulnerable defensively in recent weeks, but Sunderland haven't been much better. The Black Cats were recently beaten 4-3 by Aston Villa, before suffering a 5-0 loss against Nottingham Forest.

Everton games have been a lot more open in recent matches, with chances available at both ends of the field. They racked up 10 corners against Crystal Palace last time out, clearing this line on their own, while the hosts contributed an additional five corners to the count. Before that, Everton conceded nine corners against Man City at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.  

Sunderland responded from those two defeats by drawing against both Wolves and Man United, but they still conceded 13 corners across those two matches. Regis Le Bris’ men have been leaking chances recently, and have shown a tendency to be pinned back in their away games.

This selection has landed in 12 of Sunderland’s last 13 matches, and the one miss in that stretch saw exactly eight corners.

Everton haven't always been at their most convincing at the Hill Dickinson Stadium this season, but this is their final home game of the campaign, and they will be desperate to finish on a high. Iliman Ndiaye has taken on more responsibility in the final third in recent weeks, and he had three shots with one on target against Crystal Palace last time out. That means he has landed this selection in five of his last six starts, hitting this mark against the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool and Man City. He had four shots in that latter game, and three of those hit the target. 

Ndiaye is arguably Everton's best attacking option, and he should be able to find chances against a Sunderland side who have looked fragile at the back in recent weeks. The Senegal international is always looking to cut inside from the left wing onto his stronger right foot, and this is a great matchup for him.

Ndiaye has been playing on the left wing in place of the injured Jack Grealish, and Merlin Rohl has established himself on the opposite flank in recent weeks, starting each of the last two matches. The German likes to put himself about in duels and press intensely from the front, and he racked up four fouls against Crystal Palace last time out, taking his average to 2.47 fouls per 90 for the season. That figure is one of the highest in the Everton squad, and highlights just how combative his approach tends to be.

Rohl has landed this selection in each of his last four starts for Everton, and he has looked eager to prove himself as a starter. He should find duels against Reinildo Mandava on the left flank, which is a matchup to keep an eye on. The Sunderland full back is adept at drawing contact, and he is averaging 1.66 fouls drawn per 90 in the league this season.