Chelsea travel to Goodison Park to face Everton in the Premier League on Sunday and they will need a victory if they want to preserve their hopes of finishing in the top four.
The Stamford Bridge outfit are currently one point below fifth-placed Manchester United and hold a game in hand, with just four points currently separating sixth and third place.
Should Maurizio Sarri's side win, they will go level on points with Arsenal, and could overtake them in the event they win by a substantial goal difference.
Everton have been a tricky side to defeat despite their recent loss to Newcastle, having recently held title contenders Liverpool to a draw at home.
| Game | Everton vs Chelsea |
| Date | Sunday, March 17 |
| Time | 4:30pm GMT / 12:30pm ET |
| Stream (US) | fubo TV (7-day free trial) |
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
In the United States (US), the game can be watched live and on-demand with fuboTV (7-day free trial) .
New users can sign up for a free seven-day trial of the live sports streaming service, which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV as well as on a web browser.
| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| NBCSN | fubo TV (7-day free trial) |
In the United Kingdom (UK), the game can be watched live on Sky Sports and livestreamed on Sky GO.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| Sky Sports | Sky GO |
Squads & Team News
| Position | Everton squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Pickford, Stekelenburg |
| Defenders | Coleman, Keane, Digne, Mina, Baines, Kenny, Jagielka, Galloway, Zouma |
| Midfielders | Gueye, Gomes, Lookman, Sigurdsson, Bernard, Davies, McCarthy, Schneiderlin, Baningime |
| Forwards | Richarlison, Tosun, Walcott, Calvert-Lewin |
Seamus Coleman and Leighton Baines could both return, the former having missed last weekend's defeat at Newcastle due to illness, while Baines was absent due to a back injury.
Kurt Zouma will be unavailable to face his parent club, while Phil Jagielka remains a doubt until after the international break.
Confirmed Everton XI: Pickford, Coleman, Keane, Mina, Digne, Gueye, Andre Gomes, Richarlison, Sigurdsson, Bernard, Calvert-Lewin.
Bench: Stekelenburg, Baines, Walcott, Tosun, Schneiderlin, Davies, Lookman.
| Position | Chelsea squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Kepa, Caballero, Bulka |
| Defenders | Rudiger, Alonso, Zappacosta, Cahill, Christensen, Azpilicueta |
| Midfielders | Jorginho, Kante, Hazard, Barkley, Pedro, Loftus-Cheek, Ampadu, Hudson-Odoi, Moses, Willian |
| Forwards | Giroud, Higuain |
Gonzalo Higuain was not part of the Chelsea squad that won in the Europa League, missing out due to illness, but he has returned to the starting XI in place of Thursday's hat-trick hero Olivier Giroud.
Sarri has no other fresh injury concerns and could look to re-jig his lineup.
Eden Hazard is back in the first 11, too, while Ross Barkley gets the nod to slot into midfield for his first trip to Goodison Park since he left to join Chelsea.
Confirmed Chelsea XI: Kepa, Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Rudiger, Alonso, Jorginho, Kante, Barkley, Pedro, Higuain, Hazard.
Bench: Caballero, Christensen, Kovacic, Loftus-Cheek, Hudson-Odoi, Willian, Giroud.
Betting & Match Odds
Everton are priced at odds of winning 10/3 according to bet365 , while a draw is available at 29/10. A win for Chelsea is priced at 17/20.
Match Preview
Getty Images
Chelsea appear to be slowly recovering from a terrible February where it looked like Sarri was in danger of losing his job. Following the capitulation to Manchester City in the league, where they lost 6-0, they have picked up two wins and a draw in the Premier League and are currently on a five-game unbeaten streak in all competitions.
A 5-0 win over Dynamo Kyiv in the Europa League earlier in the week will boost their confidence heading to Goodison Park. Giroud had a masterclass of a game as he netted three goals, and could be picked as first choice striker ahead of Higuain for the trip to face the Toffees.
Indeed, the France international has made it clear that he has no intention of being a benchwarmer.
"No chance [I will deputise for another striker]," Giroud told reporters . "I’m a competitor. I have been through a lot of tough moments in my career. I want to enjoy playing my football after winning the World Cup last summer.
"I want to take maximum pleasure on the pitch. That’s why when I play I try to enjoy the game as much as I can. I want to play every single game and to be happy on the pitch. But I am not picking the team. The manager makes some choices."
Everton have lost their last three out of their last five Premier League games, though did manage to see out a 0-0 draw against crosstown rivals Liverpool. A narrow 3-2 defeat to Newcastle last week might still be on their minds, and they currently languish in 12th in the table.
