Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the Premier League meeting between Everton and Chelsea at Goodison Park. The Toffees have collected 13 points from the last 15 on offer to climb into the top half of the division, ending any real threat of a relegation fight, though the Blues are also in good form and can move level on points with Manchester United this afternoon.

One thing is for certain - the outcome of this match is a little tougher to predict now than it would have been just a month or so ago, when the Toffees were seemingly losing on a weekly basis and in real threat of battling for their top-flight status. All it has taken is an experienced custodian to come in and sort them out defensively, though, and now all of a sudden talk around the blue half of Merseyside is about a European spot and not relegation.

EVERTON TEAM NEWS!

STARTING XI: Pickford; Kenny, Keane, Jagielka, Martina; Gueye, Schneiderlin, Davies; Lennon, Sigurdsson, Calvert-Lewin

SUBS: Williams, Bolasie, Sandro, Niasse, Holgate, Robles, Baningime

Starting with a look at the home team, Allardyce has made three changes on the back of the 3-1 win over Swansea City here earlier this week. Mason Holgate, Wayne Rooney and Ashley Williams all make way for the hosts, with the latter failing to even make the matchday squad. Illness is understood to be the reason behind that surprise omission - a big blow for the Toffees, as Rooney has scored six in his last five outings.

Michael Keane, Phil Jagielka and Tom Davies are recalled in what is likely to be a 4-3-3 formation. Aaron Lennon and an improved Gylfi Sigurdsson will operate from wide positions, offering support to lone striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The returning Davies will slot in alongside Morgan Schneiderlin and Idrissa Gueye, meanwhile, with the midfield battle likely to be key to today's outcome.

Sigurdsson is making his 200th Premier League appearance this afternoon, the majority of which came for Swansea City - the side he scored against on Monday evening to keep the Toffees' positive momentum going. There is no Leighton Baines for Everton once again this afternoon, while Seamus Coleman is also not yet ready to return, but Yannick Bolasie is back in the matchday squad following more than a year out injured.

CHELSEA TEAM NEWS!

STARTING XI: Courtois; Azpilicueta, Christensen, Rudiger; Moses, Kante, Bakayoko, Alonso; Willian, Hazard, Pedro

SUBS: Caballero, Cahill, Zappacosta, Drinkwater, Fabregas, Hudson-Odoi, Batshuayi

In terms of the visitors, boss Antonio Conte has made just the one alteration from the Blues' last league outing - a 1-0 win at home to Southampton seven days ago. Antonio Rudiger, who was also used in the EFL Cup victory over Bournemouth in midweek, comes into the centre of defence in place of skipper Gary Cahill. Three at the back once again for Chelsea, with Cesar Azpilicueta and impressive youngster Andreas Christensen also included.

Spanish striker Alvaro Morata was surely in line for a return this afternoon, having been left out in recent games, but a fifth yellow card of the season against Bournemouth - and a controversial one at that - means that he misses out on the squad today. Conte therefore sticks with the tricky triumvirate of Pedro, Eden Hazard and Willian, who have linked up well up top when called up.

There is a 50th Premier League appearance for Marcos Alonso at left wing-back, meanwhile, and Victor Moses is used on the opposite flank. Conte is still unable to shoehorn Cesc Fabregas into this system, though we will surely see the playmaker at some point judging by his record at this ground - three goals and four assists in his last four visits. Another made to watch on today, as usual, is back-up striker Michy Batshuayi.

Everton are without in-form forward Wayne Rooney for Saturday's early kickoff in the Premier League, as Sam Allardyce makes three changes from his side's 3-1 win over Swansea City here earlier this week. Just the one alteration as far as Chelsea are concerned from their last league outing - a 1-0 victory against Southampton - with Antonio Rudiger coming in for Gary Cahill.

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The Toffees head into the festive fixtures sitting ninth in the Premier League, then, thanks to a turnaround in form since Allardyce arrived at Goodison Park. A few eyebrows were raised following the appointment of a tried and trusted English custodian, having missed out on top target Marco Silva of Watford, but Everton have looked a different side in recent weeks and are now on the up.

A different side in terms of results, at least, winning five and drawing one of their last six in all competitions. The first of those came with Allardyce watching on from the stands, though, with caretaker boss David Unsworth masterminding the season-changing 4-0 win over West Ham United here. That is a match best remembered for Rooney's long-range goal, and it very much spurred the Toffees on at a time when they were in desperate need of a big performance.

Thirteen points from the last 15 offer is an impressive return for the Toffees; a run that includes a battling 1-1 draw away at rivals Liverpool, despite being dominated for large parts of the game at Anfield. To put that into some context, the Merseyside outfit had previously taken 12 points from their opening 13 fixtures on the back of a summer outlay that had left supporters very excited to say the least.

All of a sudden Everton are instead looking up at the top six, though finishing in a European berth will be tough as there is still a seven-point gap to make up. The character shown against Swansea last time out, though, when battling back from a goal down when barely out of first gear, does offer some promise for what the second half of the season could hold. A cup run would also be nice, but Liverpool will be tough opponents to overcome in the third round.

Before that second Merseyside derby showdown in the space of a month, Everton travel to West Bromwich Albion and Bournemouth - fixtures that were picked out as relegation six-points not so long ago - and then host Manchester United on New Year's Day. It is a mixed set of fixtures when taking today's into account, but at least the Toffees now have some momentum on their side.

Everton have won more games in their last five than the previous 13 combined, with defensive solidity - inevitably under Allardyce - playing a big part in their turnaround. They have kept three clean sheets during this five-match unbeaten run in the Premier League and are now looking to turn Goodison Park back into a fortress. A club-record 47 goals have been scored here this year - only Manchester City, with 52, can better that.

DID YOU KNOW? Sam Allardyce, as touched upon a little earlier, also boasts a decent record against Chelsea down the years. The experienced English boss has won his last two meetings with today's opponents, coming while in charge of Sunderland and Crystal Palace, and he is aiming to become the first Premier League manager to beat Chelsea five times with five different sides.

Everton have collected 13 points from the last 15 on offer in the Premier League and find themselves just inside the top half of the division ahead of the hectic festive fixtures. The Toffees welcome Chelsea and Manchester United here over the next week or so, while also travelling to West Bromwich Albion and Bournemouth - two fixtures now significantly less stressful than they might have been,

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Being without Wayne Rooney this afternoon is a blow for the Toffees, though, as the Englishman had racked up six goals in his last five matches and 11 in 24 overall for the season. Ten of those goals have arrived in the Premier League - the quickest he has reached double figures in the competition since 2011-12. Rooney's resurgence coincides with the arrival of his former England boss Allardyce, who has also got the best out of a few others.

This will be a very tough test for Allardyce's men, though, taking on a Blues side sitting third in the table and three points adrift of Man United. Chelsea do appear to be in a race to finish best of the rest at the moment, with Man City a whopping 14 points better off, though all they can do is continue putting some points on the board and hope that the Citizens had a serious slump in form across the festive period.

Last night's thrilling 3-3 draw between Arsenal and Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium also played out in Chelsea's favour, seeing them effectively strengthen their hold on third place. Second is in Conte's sight for the time being, though, and he knows that three points today will be vital if they are to put any sort of pressure on Manchester United, who head to Leicester City for the day's late kickoff.

Chelsea made it through to the semi-finals of the EFL Cup in midweek with a 2-1 win over Bournemouth - a game that provided plenty of drama late on as Dan Gosling curled home an impressive leveller, a minute before Morata bagged a late winner completely against the run of second-half play. Lucky, maybe, but the Blues got the job done and they are also still alive in the Champions League post-Christmas.

Arsenal provide Chelsea's opponents in the last four of the EFL Cup - a tasty fixture, what with the recent history between the two clubs. An even tougher test lies in wait in Europe, meanwhile, as the Blues get to renew hostilities with Barcelona in the last-16 stage. Advancing in both competitions will be far from easy, then, and winning the Premier League title is also surely out of the question.

It has been a strange season at Stamford Bridge, it is fair to say, and it remains hard to truly gauge the mood around the club. The season after a title victory is always tough, of course, with supporters only expecting more, but Conte is right to point out that his men are also balancing domestic football with the demands of life on the continent. A slow start, before the Champions League got up and running, has ultimately cost the Blues.

Chelsea dropped points in half of their opening eight league fixtures, losing three of those, and despite a solid recent run - their only defeat since October 14 came away at West Ham United recently - the gap on Man City has only grown. That is the problem Conte now faces - despite his side remaining fairly consistent over the past two months, his side will be compared to the league leaders, who really are looking a force.

With games against Brighton & Hove Albion and Stoke City up next after this one, there is a chance to get some more points on the board, before then taking on Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium early in the New Year - the first of three meetings in the space of a month. Going further back, the Blues have lost just two of their last 16 matches in all competitions, yet each 'L' is seemingly met with talk of a disaster.

That is not helped by Conte's stance, with the Italian admitting in the past to being homesick and refusing to extend his contract beyond the end of next season. Some suggest that Conte may be on his way out as early as next summer and could be replaced by popular former boss Carlo Ancelotti, though the Blues must surely do all they can to keep him in place. Results have been mixed on the whole in 2017-18, but he did win the title in style last term.

PREVIOUS MEETINGS! Everton have won one of their last eight Premier League meetings with Chelsea, losing six of those. The Blues have come out on top in each of the last three top-flight encounters by a 10-0 aggregate scoreline, including a 2-0 win when they last met in August - Cesc Fabregas and Alvaro Morata on the scoresheet that afternoon. In fact, Antonio Conte's men have three wins over today's opponents in 2017, having also prevailed in the EFL Cup.

With kickoff at Goodison Park now around two minutes away, let us check out some pre-match thoughts from both camps.

Sam Allardyce: "My first aim is to make sure we secure a top-half finish. If, by the end of February, we are doing better than that we can push for more. We are not out of trouble completely but we are in a very good position."

Antonio Conte: "If there's the possibility to improve the squad numerically it would be a good choice. I'm ready to continue to play with all these players. They are showing me great commitment, great behaviours. At the same time, if there is the possibility to improve our squad, I think the club will try to do this."

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KICKOFF! We are under way on Merseyside in the first Premier League match of a packed Saturday fixture list. The Toffees have a bad overall record against the Blues, but they have four wins at eight at Goodison Park, losing three and drawing the other two.

Allardyce has changed his backline for the first time since taking charge, with Jagielka and Keane the centre-back duo selected today. Moses with a tasty cross from the right, which neither Hazard nor Alonso could help over the line.

Promising start to the match made by Chelsea, who are looking to probe away high up the pitch. Three starters retain their place from the EFL Cup win over Bournemouth in midweek, including two of their forwards in Pedro and Willian.

SHOT! Moses drills in a shot that is blocked by a sea of bodies. Only as far as Pedro, though, who attempted to curl it towards the bottom corner but could not quite find his intended target. Up the other end, Azpilicueta blocks Sigurdsson's shot.

That was a great block from Azpilicueta to end Everton's first attack of the match. The Toffees had been struggling to threaten up until that point, with the Blues being given far too much room to operate in high up the field.

Allardyce's side having to seriously defend in the opening 11 minutes. Hazard, the king of those exquisite little flicks, plays in Pedro but the cross was again blocked. Calvert-Lewin gets his head to a cross but had far too much to do.

OFF THE LINE! Chelsea doing everything but score so far at Goodison Park. Alonso's volleyed shot was blocked and then turned goalwards by Bakayoko, but Jagielka was there to stop it on the line, as well as Willian's follow-up.

In the midst of all that, Dominic Calvert-Lewin was shown a yellow card for a nasty challenge on Moses. Everton have been left frustrated in the opening 15 minutes, very much finding themselves second best at this stage in proceedings.

Pickford is able to half-clear Hazard's cross, which falls perfectly for Kante to hit. The Frenchman, not known for his goalscoring ability, slices it well wide - out for a throw-in, in fact, had an opposition player not kept it in.

Chelsea really enjoying themselves, as Azpilicueta gets forward down the left and sends in a cross for Pickford to collect. Sigurdsson denied the chance to shoot but he shows good fighting spirit to quickly win back possession.

Chelsea's levels do appear to have dropped slightly over the last few minutes, with Everton now putting some attacks together. Still, the Blues have done more to deserve a lead in the opening quarter of this Premier League match.

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YELLOW CARD! A second caution of the afternoon for Everton, as Cuco Martina is penalised for tripping Victor Moses 20 yards from goal. Willian attempts to catch Pickford out, but failed to keep his attempt down.

Home fans furious with Bobby Madley's decision to award the free kick for that Martina foul, which he qualified with a yellow card a minute or so later. Moses simply appeared to get to the ball first, though, so cannot be too many complaints.

Sigurdsson picking up the ball in decent positions in the hole, but he has yet to be given the chance to get a shot away. Instead he looks for Lennon on this occasion, but his teammate had held his run and the ball goes straight out of play.

Certainly more of a balanced game on our hands over the last few minutes. Chelsea have done more to warrant a goal, however, having seen a couple of shots blocked on the line by Jagielka in quick succession earlier in the half.

Everton with more bookings than goal attempts with half an hour of the match played. The good news for them is that Chelsea no longer look so slick in attack, having created some good openings in the first quarter of the match.

SHOT! The Blues particularly enjoying themselves down their right, where Moses gets another cross into the box - Pickford again there to collect. The hosts counter and Davies gets away his side's first shot, which is dragged wide.

SAVE! The match has gone a little quiet all of a sudden, largely due to Chelsea's attacking players fading out of the match. Right on cue, though, Bakayoko slots the ball through for Pedro and Pickford produces a big stop to keep the scores level.

That was a smart save from Jordan Pickford, throwing up his arm to keep out the Pedro drive from a slight angle. Tiemoue Bakayoko created it after moving up the field, as the Blues threaten to move back through the gears.

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Everton getting into their opponents a lot more now, though the odd chance is still being created by the visitors. Looking as though the opening 45 minutes will conclude without a goal at this rate, so it will be all to play for in the second 45.

Pedro gets a shot away but it lacks any sort of conviction. Chelsea with two-thirds of possession as we enter the final throes of the first half; a first half that they have shown enough in to suggest a goal will arrive before full time.

Bakayoko really standing to make his presence known in this game. The Frenchman wins the ball back and lays it off for Alonso, whose cross is latched on to by Moses. The shooting position was too awkward, though, and the Toffees cleared their lines.

Chelsea perhaps missing nine-goal top scorer Morata a little in this first half, peeling off the last man. Everton could certainly do with a centre-forward in that mould as they are without leading marksman Wayne Rooney today.

Calvert-Lewin breaks away down the right and has two teammates to pick out alongside him, but he instead tries his luck and fails to get his shot past the lunging Azpilicueta. Christensen was the man at fault in that last attacking move of the half, committing himself but failing to win the ball off Calvert-Lewin out wide.

Pedro got away an early shot that ended narrowly wide of the target, but Chelsea's pressure slowly started to tell and Phil Jagielka was twice needed to block attempts off the line. Marco Alonso's volleyed drive was blocked into the path of Tiemoue Bakayoko who, along with Willian from the follow-up, was denied by a well-positioned Jagielka.

Moments after Tom Davies got away a rare home shot, which was dragged wide of the target, Chelsea again got bodies forward and Bakayoko - growing in presence as the match went on - slipped the ball through for Pedro. The Spaniard made good contact with the angle against him, but Jordan Pickford was equal to it by producing a big stop.

BENCH WATCH!

EVERTON SUBS: Williams, Bolasie, Sandro, Niasse, Holgate, Robles, Baningime

CHELSEA SUBS: Caballero, Cahill, Zappacosta, Drinkwater, Fabregas, Hudson-Odoi, Batshuayi

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RESTART! We are back up and running at Goodison Park, where home boss Allardyce has made a couple of changes at the break. Ashley Williams and Sandro Ramirez are on in place of Tom Davies and Aaron Lennon in a slight reshuffle.

CHANCE! Chelsea really should be in front here. Pedro's well-hit shot was kept out by Pickford, and then Alonso's follow-up attempt was stopped on the line by Williams, whose first touch of the match was a memorable one.

Allardyce clearly not impressed by what he saw in the first half, then, despite his side being on level terms. The changes almost worked against him instantly, as the Blues just squandered those two chances in front of goal.

EVERTON SUB! Not what Allardyce would have wanted when making that double change, as Idrissa Gueye has picked up an injury and is replaced by Beni Baningime. The Toffees now without any other subs to choose from for the remainder.

Allardyce wants his side to be more adventurous in the second half, but they are struggling to adapt to the change in system so far. Conte really will be kicking himself after seeing his side squander four or five good openings.

YELLOW CARD! Great play from Everton down their right, with the ball eventually coming into the box but being blocked aside before it could cause any panic. Beni Baningime and Michael Keane go right through Hazard, with the latter being cautioned.

Hazard is struggling a little following that strong challenge on him, but he seems OK to continue for the time being. Everton have actually looked the better side over the last five minutes, following a slow start to the half.

The Toffees win a corner right on the hour, which Everton fail to really make the most of. Any hope the visitors had of breaking away came to an end when Eden Hazard was dispossessed by Michael Keane towards the touchline.

Three bookings for Everton so far and three subs used. They are still without a shot on target, though, despite Allardyce changing things around at the break. Looks as though Chelsea are about to bring on some fresh legs, too...

CHELSEA SUB! Cesc Fabregas is brought on with 26 minutes of the game to play, taking over from fellow Spaniard Pedro. Hazard, injured in a challenge with Keane a little earlier, is clearly OK to carry on playing for now.

The second half very similar to the first in many ways, as Chelsea's best moments continue to come in quick bursts. Two shots saved off the line in quick succession in the first; another couple stopped by Pickford and Williams in the second.

SAVE! Everton commit the cardinal sin of leaving Hazard free in some space 25 yards from goal. The Belgian was only ever going to do one thing, shifting the ball slightly and testing Pickford down low with his weaker left boot.

CHELSEA SUB! Chelsea, really beginning to build some momentum now, introduce Batshuayi for the final quarter of the match. Willian the man to make way, with just one more substitute now available for Blues boss Conte to use.

Allardyce unable to tinker any further, of course, having used all three subs with 52 minutes played. Backs-to-the-wall stuff now, as Chelsea knock on the door for a breakthrough goal. They still have plenty of time to find it, too.

Chelsea turn on the style as the ball is played around the back for substitute Fabregas, but Everton's high line pays off as the Spaniard is flagged for offside. No real sign of the Toffees going in search of a goal of their own.

OFF THE BAR! Almost an absolute howler from Ashley Williams, as he heads Moses's cross against the frame of the goal. The Toffees lucky to get away with that one and they are now seriously holding on for this point.

Everton have netted a club-record tally of 47 Premier League goals here in 2017, remember, so do not bet against them snatching one late on. For now it is Chelsea who continue to ask all the questions at Goodison Park.

We are now into the final 10 minutes on Merseyside, where Allardyce will happily take full time right about now. This will go down as a good defensive effort from the Toffees if they can see things through, keeping their unbeaten run intact.

Azpilicueta with a good delivery into the box, which Keane gets to just ahead of Rudiger. Pickford cannot keep it in play and a corner is therefore awarded, which the Toffees again stand strong to defend. Constant pressure now.

CHELSEA SUB! Davide Zappacosta replaces Victor Moses in the Blues' final change, providing some fresh legs down the right-hand side. Home boss Allardyce would love to bring on another player right about now - if only!

Fabregas's shot deflects wide of goal as the Chelsea bombardment continues. Zappacosta also took on a shot from the edge of the box, after Kante refuse to do so, but a big block came in. Can Everton hold on for another seven or eight minutes?

Everton's run of four-successive home wins appears to be coming to an end, but I'm sure supporters will greet the full-time whistle like a victory if they can see this one through. Real backs-against-the-wall stuff from the Toffees in this second half.

SHOT! Eden Hazard gets away from Gylfi Sigurdsson and sends a shot towards goal. Pickford was already on the floor when it took a deflection, but thankfully for him he could stretch out and pluck the ball out of the air.

CLOSE! We are into added time at Goodison Park, where the Toffees have decided to attack in search of a goal completely against the run of play. A corner was won and Keane got there, heading the ball a few inches over the crossbar.

Chelsea miss out on the chance to draw level on points with Manchester United in second, having being held to a goalless draw by Everton at Goodison Park. The Blues created the better of the chances, particularly in the opening quarter of the match when Phil Jagielka produced two blocks on the line. Another effort was stopped from a yard out in the second half and Ashley Williams headed against his own crossbar, but the Toffees held on for a point.

That concludes Sports Mole's live text coverage of events from Merseyside. An on-the-whistle report can be found by clicking here, while updates from a few other games taking place today can be found here. Thanks for joining!