Everton and Sheffield United know that a win will probably propel them into the top half of the Premier League when they play each other for the first time in more than eight years this weekend.
Coach Marco Silva is calling for a response from his side following a 3-1 defeat at Bournemouth which he said lacked aggression, defensive fortitude and a clinical edge.
In the opposition technical area, Chris Wilder would probably take a point after seeing his side finish all square on their first two trips of the campaign, grabbing a late equaliser at Bournemouth before mounting a surprise comeback at Chelsea.
Match preview
© Reuters
Two sides in search of an upturn in form meet at Goodison Park on Saturday, when Everton look to return to winning ways against newly-promoted United.
Following a promising start to the season in which they kept clean sheets in their first two matches, Everton have lost two of their last three games, sandwiching an entertaining 3-2 home victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers with a 2-0 loss at Aston Villa last month and defeat at Bournemouth last Sunday.
That defeat in Dorset will be of particular concern to the Toffees, who set their sights on threatening the top six before the start of the campaign.
Their home form remains impressive, avoiding defeat for seven matches since losing 2-0 to champions Manchester City in February, including six straight shut-outs before Wolves scored in both halves to twice equalise before Richarlison's 80th-minute winner.
That result will have been too close for comfort for Silva, who has overseen the longest winning run at Goodison since an eight-match sequence of victories under Ronald Koeman in early 2017.
© Reuters
Sheffield United have impressed in the early stages of their return to the Premier League, registering four points from their first two matches with that creditable 1-1 draw at Bournemouth and a fine 1-0 win over Crystal Palace in their first game at Bramall Lane.
The Blades have not won away in the top flight since December 2006, when a 1-0 victory at Wigan was only a brief ray of light ahead of a run of form that ultimately saw them relegated.
Following the draw at the Vitality Stadium, when a late Billy Sharp goal gave them a share of the spoils, United proceeded to pick up a spirited point at Chelsea, rallying from two goals down at half-time to hit back almost immediately through Callum Robinson before an 89th-minute Kurt Zouma own-goal.
Wilder is aiming to lead the club he supports to a first win at Everton since 1993 and end a run of three successive defeats at Goodison, although they won this fixture on their travels three times in a row between the 1990-91 and 1992-93 seasons.
Of the 100 wins in the meetings between this pair, Everton have a marginally better record, totalling 53 victories to United's 47.
Everton form: DWLWWL
Sheffield United form: DWLWDL
Team News
© Reuters
Midfielder Andre Gomes missed the defeat at the Vitality Stadium after failing a fitness test due to a rib injury, and Silva has been unable to confirm that he will be back on Saturday, adding that the club will assess the Portuguese throughout the week.
Gomes, who signed permanently from Barcelona in the summer following a loan spell last season, sustained the injury in the win over Wolves.
Another of the club's summer signings, Ivorian Jean-Philippe Gbamin, has been restricted to two appearances so far this season because of a quad problem.
The defensive midfielder has been capped by France's youth teams and signed from Mainz for £25m but is expected to be out until at least October with the problem.
Another Mainz alumni, goalkeeper Jonas Lossl, is yet to appear for the club following his switch from Huddersfield Town during the close season. The Dane will not be ready until mid-September because of a calf problem.
Sheffield United's most notable absentee is Sharp, whose experience and eye for goal will be missed following his dismissal for a clumsy challenge at the end of last week's 1-0 home defeat to Southampton.
The striker only came on in the 65th minute but headed down the tunnel prematurely for a straight red card, and Wilder has decided not to push for the punishment to be overturned on review.
Despite drawing a blank against the Saints, there was better news for Wilder on two of Sharp's fellow forwards - David McGoldrick and Robinson both featured, having been doubts following knocks picked up while on Republic of Ireland duty.
Robinson entered the fray for the final six minutes of normal time against Southampton and could be the main candidate to replace Sharp in attack.
Everton possible starting lineup:
Pickford; Coleman, Keane, Mina, Digne; Gomes, Delph; Iwobi, Sigurdsson, Richarlison; Kean
Sheffield United possible starting lineup:
Henderson; Basham, Egan, O'Connell; Baldock, Lundstram, Norwood, Freeman, Stevens; Robinson, McBurnie
We say: Everton 1-1 Sheffield United
Everton are on a mini-slump, conceding seven goals in three Premier League matches. Even their home impenetrability seems on the slide, ending a long run of defensive grit by almost dropping points in that eventful win last time out at Goodison.
Their visitors, on a long poor run in this fixture and looking to continue their unbeaten start to the season on the road, will look to seize the advantage by making a rare early breakthrough - Southampton are the only side apart from Sheffield United not to have scored in the first half so far this season.
No Data Analysis info
Germany
Switzerland
Hungary
Scotland
Spain
Italy
Croatia
Albania
England
Denmark
Slovenia
Serbia
Austria
France
Netherlands
Poland
Romania
Belgium
Slovakia
Ukraine
Portugal
Turkey
Georgia
Czech Republic
