Everton and Crystal Palace Desperate for Vital Points in Relegation Battle

Both sides are in desperate need of three points to ease their relegation fears as Everton and Crystal Palace clash tonight in a key scrap between two struggling teams on Merseyside.

Everton and Crystal Palace are on a run of seven matches without a win in the Premier League, with the Toffees set for yet another nervy end to a season as they push for survival. Victory at Goodison Park would move them just two points off Palace though, and they recently beat them in an FA Cup replay.

Crystal Palace produced a more positive display last time out against Chelsea but had nothing to show for it after conceding two goals late on. It is now just two wins in 13 League matches for Patrick Vieira and his players. However, the Eagles boss was taken to the hospital and will not be involved tonight, with assistants Paddy McCarthy and Ray Lewington taking charge as Palace visit Goodison.

Abdoulaye Doucoure is nearing a return for Everton from a hamstring issue and could be involved tonight. Amadou Onana and Seamus Coleman are both available again, but Arnaut Danjuma is out and the game will likely come too soon for FA Cup match-winner Andre Gomes. Ben Godfrey has recovered from illness, but Dele Alli remains sidelined. On the Palace side, they are still without Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze, while Marc Guehi is also out with a knee problem.

In the relegation battle, Everton currently sits in 18th place, closely followed by Burnley and Sheffield United. Crystal Palace also faces the threat of relegation with 24 points not enough to keep them safe from the bottom of the table.

The lead in the Premier League is held by Liverpool with Arsenal and Manchester City closely behind. The race for survival at the bottom of the table intensifies as Everton and Crystal Palace face off at Goodison Park in what promises to be a crucial match for both teams.