Preview: Everton vs Sunderland - prediction, team news, lineups

One of a few unofficial David Moyes derbies, Everton and Sunderland square off in the penultimate Premier League gameweek at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday.

Just one point separates the Toffees and the Black Cats in the middle of the Premier League table, and Europe is still not mathematically out of the question for either.

Match preview

The final home game of a first season at the Hill Dickinson Stadium awaits Everton, whose new ground has not yet achieved fortress status, evidenced by Moyes's men winning just 33% of their Premier League home games in 2025-26.

Nevertheless, Sunday's hosts are still in with a slim chance of forcing their way into the top seven, despite only taking three points from the last 15 on offer during a five-match winless run, their longest such sequence of the campaign.

Twice Everton led against Crystal Palace last weekend, and twice the Conference League finalists fought back in a 2-2 draw at Selhurst Park, leaving the 10th-placed Toffees four points shy of the top seven.

Formerly associated with tight, low-scoring affairs under Moyes, Everton's recent matches have taken an unexpectedly chaotic turn; at least three goals have been scored in each of their last six games, while a total of 20 have flown in across their last five matches.

The Toffees have conceded at least twice in all of their five games during their current winless streak, though, whereas Sunderland have positioned themselves among the league's best in a clean-sheet sense.

Sunday's visitors registered their 11th shut-out of the Premier League season - the fourth-most behind Arsenal, Manchester City and Crystal Palace - against Manchester United last weekend, albeit while frustratingly failing to find a way through at the other end.

The Black Cats could - and should - have capitalised on Michael Carrick making a handful of changes with Champions League football secured, but they had to settle for a goalless draw with a Senne Lammens-inspired Man Utd, leaving them with a perfectly symmetrical Premier League record.

Sunderland's 36 top-flight matches have brought 12 wins, 12 draws and 12 defeats to appropriately leave Regis Le Bris's men 12th in the table, five points off the top seven, a position that has earned the visiting coach a Premier League Manager of the Season nomination.

Like their hosts, however, Sunderland's Premier League season is also petering out with just two points from their last four matches, while only four of their top-flight away games all year have ended in victory.

The Black Cats have already tasted success at the Hill Dickinson Stadium once this season, though, prevailing on penalties in the third round of the FA Cup after also holding Everton to a 1-1 draw at the Stadium of Light in the top flight.

Everton Premier League form:

Sunderland Premier League form:

Team News

Everton came out of their draw with Palace with no fresh concerns on the injury front, but veteran midfielder Idrissa Gueye remains a slight doubt for Sunday due to the minor injury that kept him out of the trip to Selhurst Park.

Jack Grealish (foot) and Jarrad Branthwaite (thigh) are the hosts' only two guaranteed absentees at the time of writing, but the former's omission has not proved as costly as feared thanks to the recent goalscoring feats of Beto.

The Guinea-Bissau international bagged Everton's second at Selhurst Park last weekend, his fifth goal from his last five games in the Premier League, having scored just four in his previous 30 before that.

As for Sunderland, the Black Cats failed with an appeal over Daniel Ballard's red card against Wolverhampton Wanderers before the draw with Man United, so the suspended centre-back will not play again this season.

Le Bris stated that only Ballard and Romaine Mundle (thigh) would be sidelined for the visit of the Red Devils, but winger Bertrand Traore also missed that game with a knee injury, albeit one that has now cleared up.

Fellow wide man Nilson Angulo and Jocelin Ta Bi were both in the matchday squad in gameweek 36 after recovering from their own blows, but neither should force their way into the first XI here.

Everton possible starting lineup:

Pickford; O'Brien, Keane, Tarkowski, Mykolenko; Garner, Iroegbunam; Rohl, Dewsbury-Ball, Ndiaye; Beto

Sunderland possible starting lineup:

Roefs; Geertruida, Mukiele, Alderete, Reinildo; Xhaka, Sadiki; Hume, Le Fee, Talbi; Brobbey

We say: Everton 1-1 Sunderland

Neither Everton nor Sunderland should take their foot off the gas with Europe still on the line, and the Black Cats should feel confident of capitalising on the Toffees' recent defensive woes.

Moyes's men have found their groove in attack too, however, and we are finding it impossible to separate the two teams, who could play out a third 1-1 draw in 90 minutes this season.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.