Everton travel to Fulham this weekend on the back of three less-than-inspiring performances over the last few weeks, leading to just a single point against Manchester City, Chelsea, and Ipswich following the massive win over Forest on April 12.
Yes, these matches don't really matter for anything other than pride and table position, but that last part can be helpful as Everton head into a summer where they'll need to spend money, and every little bit (just under £3 million per slot in the table) helps in that regard.
Their matchday 36 opponent is in a similar situation, as Fulham are likely too far out from a European spot to gain any traction over the final three weeks of the campaign.
But that doesn't mean it won't be a match full of potential intrigue given all the connections between the two clubs. Fulham features two former Everton players in its starting XI in midfielder Alex Iwobi and left back Antonee Robinson, not to mention Marco Silva, who led the club from May 2018 until his sacking in December of 2019.
Here's everything you need to know heading into the match on Saturday.
Current table position
As mentioned, neither side has much to play for, since Europe is out of the question and the relegation sides are all confirmed.
The Cottagers enter the match in 11th place on 51 points, ten points off 6th place Nottingham Forest for the final European spot. The math means they'll be on the outside looking in, even if they win their final three matches.
The Toffees are just three spots behind Fulham in 14th, tied with Manchester United with 39 points but ahead of the Red Devils due to goal difference (-7 to -9). The highest that Everton could climb with three matches to go is Crystal Palace in 12th with 46 points, but wins would be in order.
When and Where is the match?
Everton will travel to South London to take on Fulham at Craven Cottage on Saturday, May 10 at 3 PM local time.
In the United States, kickoff will begin at 10 AM ET/9 AM CT/7 AM PT. The match will be televised on the Peacock app.
Matchup Notes
For Everton, centerback James Tarkowski, winger Jesper Lindstrom, and midfielder Orel Mangala will all miss the match, with midfielder Aboulaye Doucoure's availability in question.
Fulham will be without midfielder Harrison Reed due to a calf injury suffered last week and striker Rodrigo Muniz with a knock sustained in mid-April. Midfielder Andreas Pereira (knock) and winger Reiss Nelson (hamstring) are in doubt.
The last three contests between the two sides have ended in draws: 1-1 at Goodison on October 26 of last year, 0-0 at Craven Cottage on January 30, 2024, and 1-1 in the EFL Cup on December 19, 2023, which Fulham won on penalties.
Everton's last win in this fixture was on November 22, 2020, at Craven Cottage, a 3-2 win on the back of a brace from Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
David Moyes and Marco Silva have faced off six times in the past, with each manager winning three and losing three, with no draws.