Good afternoon! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for today's Premier League clash between Everton and Burnley at Goodison Park. This game will have little bearing at either end of the table, but both clubs still have plenty to fight for themselves over the closing stages of the campaign and will be desperate for a win today. The form book and home versus away record only points one way, but Burnley will be out to prove that wrong on Merseyside. First, let's have a look at the team news...

EVERTON STARTING XI: Robles; Holgate, Williams, Jagielka, Baines; Gueye, Schneiderlin, Davies; Barkley, Lukaku, Mirallas

EVERTON SUBS: Barry, Valencia, Calvert-Lewin, Stekelenburg, Lookman, Pennington, Kenny

BURNLEY STARTING XI: Heaton; Lowton, Keane, Mee, Ward; Boyd, Barton, Hendrick, Brady; Vokes, Barnes

BURNLEY SUBS: Flanagan, Gray, Agyei, Defour, Westwood, Tarkowski, Pope

No major surprises for either side in those selections, though, with Everton making just the one change to the side that overcame Leicester City 4-2 last weekend. That change is an expected one too as Ashley Williams returns from suspension, replacing Pennington in the side after the youngster had been filling in for him. With Coleman and Funes Mori sidelined for the rest of the season, though, Holgate continues on the right and Jagielka and Baines make up the back four.

All eyes will be on the other end of the field today, though, as the Premier League's top scorer Lukaku looks to add to his 23-goal tally for the season. The Belgian has scored more goals than Middlesbrough this term and is on course to become the first player since Luis Suarez in 2013-14 to outscore an entire team in the Premier League. Suarez scored three more than Norwich in that campaign, while Lukaku currently has one more than Middlesbrough.

Indeed, Lukaku has more Premier League goals in 2017 than Burnley, having found the back of the net 13 times compared to the Clarets' 11. The vast majority of those have come here at Goodison Park too, where Lukaku has scored 13 goals in eight games across all competitions. The Belgian has netted in all eight of the Toffees' home games since the turn of the year - seven in the Premier League and one in the FA Cup - becoming the first player to manage that for the club since Fred Pickering in 1964-65.

There is no doubt that Lukaku is the star of the show for Everton then, and the Toffees may be hard-pressed to keep him this summer, but they will also be desperate to retain the services of Ross Barkley, who has started to return to his best form as the season has progressed. Koeman publicly called for more from him earlier in the campaign, but Barkley has now registered more assists (8) and created more changes (73) than any other English player in the Premier League this season.

There are plenty of weapons in that Everton side, though, and that is likely to make for a busy day for Burnley goalkeeper Tom Heaton. Heaton is certainly used to them, though - the England international has made a Premier League-high 120 saves so far this season, while as a club Burnley have allowed a whopping 573 shots on goal this term - the most in the Premier League. It says a lot for Heaton that, despite that record, the Clarets still have a decent defensive record.

Credit must also go to the defensive duo of Ben Mee and Michael Keane in that regard, both of whom have been very impressive this season. Keane has been the most highly praised having earned his maiden England call-up and cap and recently been nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year award, but Sean Dyche has always been quick to talk up the impact of Mee alongside him too. Lowton and Ward, meanwhile, make up the back four again.

Dyche has also left the midfield unchanged from the goalless draw with Middlesbrough last time out, with boyhood Everton fan Joey Barton once again starting in the middle of the park. Steven Defour was passed fit for the game following a variety of injury problems in recent weeks, but he only makes the bench as Dyche keeps faith with Hendrick alongside Barton. Boyd and Brady will provide the width on either flank.

The only change made by Sean Dyche this afternoon comes up front, and it is a little surprising as top-scorer Andre Gray drops to the bench. Ashley Barnes keeps his place, but Sam Vokes returns to the starting XI in place of Gray, who is without a goal since his brace at Swansea at the beginning of March. Vokes has not scored since January, though, so his inclusion ahead of Gray is unlikely to be for goalscoring reasons.

Whoever was to lead the line for Burnley today, the visitors were always going to be in for a difficult task against an Everton side in flying form at the moment - particularly at home. Hope of a top-four finish was surely extinguished when they lost to Liverpool and then conceded a last-gasp equaliser against Manchester United, but they still have very real hope of securing a top-six spot in the final standings.

Indeed, victory today - or even a draw - would see the Toffees move above Arsenal into that top six, with the out-of-form Gunners not in action until Monday night when they take on Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium. Everton could even move as high as fifth with a win here, although any jump in the standings should have an asterisk next to it as Manchester United and Arsenal both have two games in hand over the Toffees. Even so, getting the points on the board would put pressure on those two teams above them.

Seven points separate them from the top four now, which looks to be a difficult gap to make up with only six games of the season remaining, but a strong end to the season could just be enough to convince the likes of Lukaku that his future is still at Goodison Park. Everton are a club that certainly seem to be heading in the right direction under Koeman and they could make a real push for those Champions League places next term, but keeping hold of their best players will be pivotal to how high they can set their ambitions.

The way Everton are playing at the moment will not be doing any harm to their hopes of keeping hold of their main stars. The Toffees have lost just one of their last five and two of their last 15 Premier League outings, winning nine of those to chase down the teams above them in the table. Only Liverpool and Spurs have beaten them in that time, and Everton have not lost to a team outside the top three since December 10, or outside the top half since the reverse fixture against Burnley in October.

I mentioned that their home form had been particularly impressive, but in truth that does not do it justice. Everton have been unstoppable at Goodison Park since the turn of the year, winning all seven of their home league games and scoring a whopping 26 goals in the process - an average of 3.7 per game. The Toffees have never before won eight consecutive Premier League home games, and the last time they did it in the top flight was in 1990.

If those stats aren't impressive enough, Everton have already scored more Premier League goals at Goodison Park in 2017 than they did throughout the whole of 2016, netting 26 times in seven games compared to 25 times in 18 outings last year. In Europe's top five leagues only Barcelona (28) have scored more goals in front of their own fans since the turn of the year, and they are keeping things solid at the other end at the same time having kept five clean sheets during their seven-match winning streak.

Everton have lost just one of their last 19 Premier League home games stretching back more than a year to March 2016, winning 13 of those with the only blemish coming at the hands of local rivals Liverpool in December. It is no surprise to see that this season their home record stacks up against the very best, then, with only the Premier League's top two of Tottenham and Chelsea have amassed more points in front of their own fans.

It is a daunting fixture for the visitors, then, especially when you consider their poor away form too. While Burnley's overall performance in the Premier League this season has been a good one, on paper there don't appear to be many bigger bankers than a home win in this one. Burnley are without a Premier League win on the road all season and, picking up just four points from a possible 48, and in all competitions their wait for an away win stretches back 18 matches since their victory over Charlton Athletic in the Championship last season.

If Burnley fans are looking for a positive, they do travel to Goodison Park in their best away form of the season, but the fact that that means back-to-back goalless draws at the Premier League's bottom two sides is an example of just how poor they have been on the road. The Clarets, needless to say, have the worst away record in the Premier League and are one of only two teams in the top four tiers to have failed to pick up a single win on the road this season, along with Rotherham United.

Rotherham are also the only team to have picked up fewer away points than Burnley in the top four tiers of English football, although those back-to-back 0-0 draws against Sunderland and Middlesbrough mean that they have at least kept consecutive clean sheets on the road for the first time this season. Another today - as unlikely as it may seem against the free-scoring Everton - would see them keep three away top-flight clean sheets on the bounce for the first time since 1955.

Of course, back to back stalemates also means that they have failed to score in their last two away games, and goals have been a problem for the Clarets all season. They have scored just one in their last four outings home or away, with that coming from Boyd in the 1-0 win over Stoke earlier this month. Only the bottom two of Middlesbrough and Sunderland have scored fewer goals in the Premier League this term, which makes it even stranger that Dyche has dropped his top scorer this afternoon.

Despite their woeful away form and poor scoring record, the season has so far been a success for Burnley. They have kept themselves at arm's length of the relegation battle and, with six games of the campaign remaining, sit a comfortable eight points clear of the bottom three. Dyche would be content enough with finishing in 12th place - where the Clarets currently reside - but he may also have one eye on the top half of the table.

Just one point currently separates Burnley from 10th-placed Watford, although they are also only two points above 16th, so it is very tight around that area of the table. The first priority will be to get the four extra points that they need to reach the 40-point mark, but they seem to be on a bit of a downward trend at the moment. Burnley have won just one of their nine league games since January and have won just three times overall since the turn of the year, drawing four and losing six.

The Clarets also face difficult back-to-back games against Everton today and Manchester United next time out, although after that their final four games of the season should provide a few chances for them to get past the 40-point mark. Burnley take on Crystal Palace, West Brom, Bournemouth and West Ham United to finish the campaign, and Dyche will be particularly hopeful of positive results in their home games against the Baggies and West Ham.

PREDICTION: Right, we're 10 minutes away from kickoff at Goodison, which means that it is time for a prediction! The form book only points one way, and the home versus away argument is even more compelling. If this fixture was the other way round, with Burnley at home, then it would be quite a difficult one to call, but it is hard to see Everton failing to win this match with so many stats weighted in their favour. I'll go for a 3-0 home win!

Everton have won both of their previous Premier League games against Burnley here at Goodison Park, keeping clean sheets in both of those too. The most recent came almost exactly a year ago today when Kevin Mirallas got the only goal of the game. Everton have now won three of their last four meetings with the Clarets home or away, but they did lose the most recent of those in October.

On that occasion it was a stoppage-time winner from Arfield that made the difference as Burnley picked up a 2-1 victory after Bolasie had earlier cancelled out Vokes's opener. Another win for Burnley today would see them do the league double over Everton for the first time since the 1959-60 season, when they went on to win the title, but they have won just once at Goodison Park in the last 54 years, drawing three and losing eight in that time.

The opening goal is likely to be key in this match, although Burnley will be a lot more worried if Everton get it than if it was the other way round. Only Liverpool have amassed more points from losing positions than the Toffees this season, whereas Burnley have recovered a league-low three points after falling behind.

Right, the players are out and we're almost ready to go at Goodison Park here! Before we get underway, though, we will have a minute of applause on the 28th anniversary of the Hillsborough tragedy.

💙 | 28 years ago, 96 football fans went to a game but didn't come home. Today, as always, our thoughts are with their friends and families. pic.twitter.com/RFbQtrVk64 — Everton (@Everton) April 15, 2017

KICKOFF: After a rousing applause in memory of those 96 fans, Burnley get us underway at Goodison!

An early moment of controversy for Everton as Keane hits a volley well from the second ball of a corner, only to see it slam into his own man and go behind. Clattenburg points for a corner, though, and when the ball comes in he blows for a free kick to Everton. Perhaps atoning for his own mistake there.

CHANCE! Almost a perfect start for Everton, and it is no surprise to see Lukaku involved. The ball breaks into the path of the overlapping Holgate, who plays a low cross into the box. Lukaku is in space and probably should do better in truth, but he fires his effort straight at Heaton.

UPDATE: We could have had one here, and it is early goals galore elsewhere in the Premier League today. West Ham lead Sunderland through Ayew, Stoke are ahead against Hull courtesy of Arnautovic and Robert Huth has given Leicester the lead against Crystal Palace.

Here at Goodison it is Everton who have seen the majority of the ball in the opening exchanges, es expected. Burnley look like playing more of a long-ball game based on their early tactics, which goes some way to explaining the absence of Gray.

SAVE! Barton tries his luck from a long way out as the ball falls kindly for him, but he fails to really catch his 35-yard strike and it is easy for Joel to collect. The visitors are winning a lot of second balls in this one, though.

Joel needs to be alert here as Barnes sense a chance to nip in on Jagielka's back-pass, but there is just enough on it for the keeper to get there first. It has been a surprisingly nervy start from the Toffees.

Burnley have made the brighter start to this match. They look lively all over the pitch - both on the ball and off it - whereas Everton are looking a bit sluggish. The hosts have not been able to get into any sort of rhythm so far.

SAVE! Better from Everton as they put Burnley under some prolonged pressure for the first time today. Gueye exchanges passes with Lukaku on the edge of the box before firing a low strike towards goal, but Heaton has his angles right and makes the save.

Burnley have a chance to test Robles with a free kick right on the edge of shooting range, and sure enough Brady goes for goal. His powerful strike hits the top of the wall and flies over the bar for a corner, though.

OFF THE LINE! Burnley are so close to a shock opening goal, and but for a brilliant piece of defending from Barkley they would have got it! Keane peels to the back post to get on the end of the corner and his firm header beats Robles, but Barkley is there to nod the ball off the line.

SHOT! Moments later Burnley play another corner short, working the space for Brady to shoot, but his curling effort from the edge of the area flies a few yards over the top.

Ward hoists a high ball into the Everton area that tests Joel under pressure from a couple of Burnley players, and the keeper is not convincing at all. He spills it into a dangerous area and needs Jagielka to hack it away.

This time the delivery arrives from the opposite flank, and it is an absolute beauty from Lowton, but Barnes, Vokes and Brady are all just a yard or so short of getting a touch on it.

Burnley are very much on top here, and Sean Dyche will be delighted with what he has seen from his side in the opening 20 minutes or so. The only thing missing for the visitors is a goal.

Everton finally manage to relieve some pressure and win a free kick in a good crossing position. The hosts look jittery and unable to deal with Burnley's pressure at the moment, so a goal would really settle their nerves...

The delivery is cleared as far as Gueye, whose powerful first-time strike is blocked and suddenly Burnley are able to break. Holgate does well to track back, but concedes a corner - Burnley's fourth of the afternoon already.

UPDATE: Breaking news from the Stadium of Light - Sunderland have scored a goal! After more than seven games without one, they have ended the drought in bizarre fashion as Wahbi Khazri scores directly from a corner on his first start since October. They level things up at 1-1 against West Ham. Hope for Moyes and co?

YELLOW CARD! Gueye is the first player in the book this afternoon following a challenge on Ward.

We've had half an hour at Goodison Park and so far this has been more of a contest than the pre-match stats suggested. It looked like a nailed-on Everton win, but Burnley have more than held their own so far.

CHANCE! Big chance for Burnley to take the lead! One ball forward beats the entire Everton defence and Vokes races on to it, but Jagielka chases back and manages to put pressure on the striker. Robles also comes out and makes a good save to deny Vokes when he finally gets a shot away.

CHANCE! Another big opening for Vokes! Jagielka's back-pass to Robles has nowhere near enough on it and two Burnley players are queueing up to race on it to. Vokes takes control, but tries to shoot first time and sends a tame shot straight at the keeper.

SAVE! Everton look to respond at the other end as the ball drops back to Holgate after seeing an initial attempted pass blocked. The youngster goes for goal with his second bite at the cherry and it needs a smart low save from Heaton to push it away.

CHANCE! Another decent chance for the hosts as Baines lifts a cross into the middle that Lukaku meets with a towering header, but he cannot get over the ball and nods it over the bar.

Everton have responded well to those two Vokes chances, putting Burnley under some pressure themselves having struggled to do that previously in this first half. Some sloppy moments for the hosts will be of concern to Koeman at half time, though.

CHANCE! Gueye has had a few good shooting opportunities today, but he gets this one all wrong. Baines nods the ball back to the midfielder in space on the edge of the area, but he slices his attempted first-time effort closer to the corner flag.

Everton continue to keep Burnley under pressure, and they have a very good chance to test Heaton again here with a free kick in a promising position...

CLOSE! Mirallas takes the free kick and it takes a big deflection off Boyd in the wall before floating just past the top corner. Heaton was as much a spectator as everyone else after that deflection!

Two shooting chances in quick succession for Barkley on the edge of the box, but both are difficult ones on the volley and he can't catch either of them well enough to trouble Heaton.

There will be a minimum of one minute added time at the end of this first half.

Mark Clattenburg brings an end to the first half at Goodison Park, then, and we are still all square between Everton and Burnley. It has been a much more even contest than many would have expected considering Everton's home form compared to Burnley's record on the road. The Clarets are very much in this match and we are in for a very intriguing 45 minutes in the second half.

It is Burnley who have come the closest to scoring through Keane, who beat Robles with his header but saw his effort cleared off the line by Ross Barkley. Sam Vokes has seen a couple of clear chances go begging too, with Robles denying him on both occasions, while the Everton keeper has also kept out a long-range strike from Barton and seen a Brady curler fly over the crossbar.

Everton have had chances of their own too, and ended the half on top with a good spell of pressure following those two Vokes chances. Mirallas almost gave them the lead right on the stroke of half time when his deflected free kick flew just past the top corner with Heaton well beaten. Lukaku has had a couple of sights of goal too, the best of which came after just four minutes when he could only fire the ball straight at the keeper.

KICKOFF: Everton get us back underway for the second half and the hosts have made a change at the interval, with Enner Valencia replacing Idrissa Gueye. Interesting switch from Koeman.

SAVE! Valencia is immediately involved too, with his powerful strike is pushed away by Heaton.

What a start to this second half for Everton! They find the breakthrough within five minutes of the restart and it is Jagielka who scores yet again! It is an almighty scramble in the six-yard box with Lukaku and Jagielka both in there, but the skipper manages to squeeze it over the line.

Burnley produce the perfect start to falling behind, levelling things up within three minutes courtesy of a large helping hand from Robles. It is utter madness from the Everton keeper as he races out to try to tackle Vokes, despite the Burnley man heading away from goal. The keeper brings him down and Mark Clattenburg has no choice but to point to the spot, allowing Vokes to dust himself off and hammer his spot kick home.

This has been a brilliant response from Burnley. Having got their equaliser they are now on the front foot again and Brady swings a beauty of a ball in towards the back post that Baines needs to put behind for a corner.

Koeman will be very unhappy at the nature of that Burnley goal. His side had just taken the lead after a difficult opening 45 minutes, only for Robles to throw it away with a rush of blood to the head.

CHANCE! Big chance for Everton to regain the lead! Barkley does well to get away from Keane before sliding a pass to Mirallas, but the Belgian's finish is so tame and straight at Heaton. He should have done a lot better there.

We have half an hour remaining in this one, and as things stand it will be a very good result for Burnley. They would still be without an away win this season, but few people expected them to halt the Everton home juggernaut today.

CHANCE! Big chance for Everton to move ahead, but Heaton responds with a big save too! The Belgian's first effort is scuffed, but it comes back to him and he sees his effort brilliantly kept out at the near post by the Burnley keeper.

Heaton deserves a lot of the praise he has got this season, but he didn't actually make that save! It looked like it initially, but the replay shows that Mirallas's effort actually hit the post!

SHOT! Another shooting chance for Mirallas as the space opens up for him outside the area, but this time he drags his effort a few yards wide.

Everton regain the lead over Burnley, and it is Ross Barkley who wheels away in celebration. It could well go down as an own goal, though, as Barkley's strike from a Mirallas cut-back took deflections off Keane and Mee before looping over the despairing dive of Heaton.

BURNLEY SUB: Change from the visitors as Andre Gray replaces Vokes.

He has been quiet today, but you can't keep Lukaku down for long - particularly at Goodison Park! It is a thunderous goal from the Belgian, who collects a pass from Baines and uses his power to spin past Keane before lashing his finish past Heaton from a difficult angle. Brilliant centre-forward play for the Premier League's top scorer, who is almost guaranteed a goal at Goodison now. That is nine home matches in a row he has scored in!

EVERTON SUB: The hosts made a change in the wake of that goal too, with Gareth Barry replacing Mirallas.

Those two goals are a hammer blow for Burnley, who were very much in this game until then. Now, though, it looks like a long way back for the Clarets.

Burnley have a chance to get themselves back into this game with a free kick on the right flank...

The ball arrives in the Everton box, but it is easy for the hosts and they deal with the danger comfortably.

BURNLEY SUB: Another change from the visitors as Daniel Agyei replaces Barnes.

BURNLEY SUB: A third and final change for Burnley as Ashley Westwood replaces Hendrick in a straight swap in the middle of the park.

EVERTON SUB: Everton's turn to make a change now as Ademola Lookman comes on in place of Barkley.

There will be an additional three minutes at the end of this match.

The match comes to an end at Goodison Park, then, as Everton climb up to fifth with a 3-1 victory over Burnley in which Lukaku scored once again. It is an eighth consecutive home win for the Toffees in the Premier League - something they have never managed before.

Right, that is all we have time for this afternoon! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for today's match as Everton march on at home to beat Burnley. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction too. From me, though, it is goodbye for now!