While Everton had hopes of a top-six-finish at the beginning of the season, a large part of this campaign has been spent trying to move away from the Premier League relegation zone.
However, replacing Marco Silva with Carlo Ancelotti in December has worked wonders for the Toffees, who are now almost the same margin from the bottom three as they are to the top four.
That scenario could have been much better, though, with Everton picking up just one point from games against Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea before football was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Ahead of a possible resumption in June, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at the Merseyside outfit's final nine outings, assuming that they are played in the same order.
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As it stands, a behind-closed doors derby with leaders Liverpool at Goodison Park will be Everton's first game back, a fixture in which they have not prevailed since October 2010.
That is due to be followed by a visit to bottom-of-the-table side Norwich City, who are looking to claim a double over the Toffees after their surprise 2-0 triumph at the back end of last year.
Everton are scheduled to continue their tough run of matches with a double-header against Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur respectively - clubs who are fighting for a place in the Champions League.
Three defeats came against the Foxes in 2019, the last on penalties in the EFL Cup, while Spurs currently possess a 14-game unbeaten streak against Everton in the Premier League.
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Although Ancelotti may welcome the opportunity to return to Goodison Park to take on Southampton, the Saints have won six of their 14 away games this season, the sixth-best return in the division.
An away game against Wolverhampton Wanderers will provide a tough test, but Everton are unbeaten on their last four visits to Molineux.
Should they require points in the race for a European spot, Ancelotti will be confident of gaining a maximum return at home to Aston Villa and Bournemouth respectively, who have lost 22 of 30 games between them on the road this season.
However, sandwiched between those contests should come an away meeting at Sheffield United, who boast one of the best home defensive records in the top flight.
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Despite their remaining opponents having an average position of 10.66, Everton still have to play the current bottom three, providing them with a window of opportunity to get points on the board.
Toffees fans should not get their hopes up, however. Just seven points came from the nine reverse fixtures earlier in the season, including six defeats.
Everton's remaining Premier League fixtures
Liverpool (h)
Norwich (a)
Leicester (h)
Spurs (a)
Southampton (h)
Wolves (a)
Aston Villa (h)
Sheff Utd (a)
Bournemouth (h)
Darren Plant
