Everton fans have reportedly set off fireworks outside Chelsea’s hotel

Chelsea players have likely not had too much sleep as Everton fans try all they can to gain an advantage in this crucial Premier League fixture.

The Toffees know they must pick up some form of a positive result after seeing Burnley create a five-point gap in the table after they completed a dramatic turnaround against Watford on Saturday afternoon. Coupled with this, Leeds’ defeat against Man City has provided Everton with a chance to drag Jesse Marsch’s side right into the conversation.

Everton come into this fixture after a battling 2-0 loss at the hands of Liverpool in the Merseyside derby last weekend and they must continue to show maximum effort from now until the end of the season. That could cause problems for Chelsea.

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The 1-1 midweek draw against a weakened and out of sorts Manchester United side has added some pressure to the match at Goodison Park, with points still needed for Thomas Tuchel’s side to seal Champions League football again next season.

This will give Frank Lampard some much-needed hope and some fans have allegedly been trying to disrupt Chelsea’s matchday preparations ahead of this Super Sunday fixture. @KAEHIAN_B_S was among those via the Liverpool Echo who picked up on this. ‘Everton fans setting fireworks off outside the Hilton Hotel where Chelsea players are currently staying. 2:40 am atm. Been going on for about hour and a half,’ he tweeted.

As for the game itself and the relationship between the two managers, Tuchel said ahead of the game: “No, we’ve had no lunch. I agree he sent me a very kind, respectful message after I took over at Chelsea that meant a lot. I was a huge fan of him as a player, and he is – and will remain – a legend at our club. This is a given. I was very happy when he wrote me that message, it was very gentlemanly.

“We didn’t have the chance to go out and have lunch, and he also took the chance to go and take charge of Everton. He took an assistant from us, Joe Edwards, and we’re not so happy! Just joking. We will meet some friendly faces [on Sunday] with Joe and Ashley Cole, and Frank, who I have never met in person. I would love to meet him.

“We need the points, and they need the points urgently as well. Everybody tells me about the atmosphere at Goodison Park, how emotional and how tough it is to play there. I am excited to go there, and we expect a tough fight.”