Tonight is also a return to Stamford Bridge for Carlo Ancelotti, who won the double with the club in 2009-10. Not that it really makes much of a difference without fans there to clap politely and for him to wave to.

Ironically, he was sacked as Chelsea boss less than two hours after a 0–1 away defeat against Everton in May 2011.

Everton have excelled away from Goodison Park this season. They are currently unbeaten in nine away league games (W7, D2), which is their longest such run since a 10-match sequence between December 1984 and May 1985.

A 10th Premier League away win of the season to night would be a new club record.

They last won 10 top-flight away matches in a single campaign in 1986-87, when they were crowned champions.

Image source, Getty Images

Ten and counting unbeaten so far for Thomas Tuchel. I mean, let's be honest, he's had a bit of a head start taking on a squad as ludicrously talented and expensive as the Chelsea one, but those games still need to be won (or not lost).

The Blues have earned 18 Premier League points since Tuchel's first game, a total exceeded only by Manchester City in that period.

Solid as a rock appears to be the way forward in the German's early days. Tonight, Tuchel could become the first manager in Premier League history to see his side keep a clean sheet in each of his first five home games in charge in the competition.

You'll remember that they neutralised and picked off Liverpool at Anfield last time out. Fulham have since made that look a tad less impressive.

It's not just Mondays that Chelsea are good at, they're also pretty useful at beating Everton at Stamford Bridge. The Blues are unbeaten in their last 25 Premier League home games against Everton, winning 14 of those matches.

However, they did lose the reverse fixture earlier this season, which Carlo Ancelotti's side won 1-0 thanks to a Gylfi Sigurdsson penalty.

So tonight, Everton are looking to complete their first league double over Chelsea since the 1978-79 campaign.

Mark Lawrenson
BBC football expert

Chelsea still haven't conceded a home goal in four games under Thomas Tuchel and Everton are better on the road than they are at Goodison Park - the Toffees haven't lost an away game since 1 November and 29 of their 46 points have come on the road.

I'm going to go with a Chelsea win here, although it would not surprise me if Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti ends up getting something to show for his return to Stamford Bridge.

Prediction: 2-0

Lawro's full predictions v singer-songwriter Ben Howard

So here's the deal, as already mentioned Everton are fifth in the table. They've played 26 games and have 46 points. This is one point less than tonight's opponent Chelsea, who have played a game more.

Basically, a winner tonight is guaranteed to start tomorrow in the top four.

Lurking just beneath these two is West Ham, who can't squeeze their way into Champions League spots tonight, but can take advantage if one of or both Chelsea or Everton drop points.

The Hammers have 45 points and have played the same number of games as Everton.

And then there's Leeds, who are comfortably sat in mid-table, but will probably want at least another win or two just to push them up to and past that 40-point mark and really nail being safe.

Image source, .

Chelsea make five changes to the starting 11 that began the 1-0 win over Liverpool at Anfield on Thursday.

In come Kurt Zouma, Marcos Alonso, Mateo Kovacic, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Kai Havertz and out go Antonio Rudiger, Ben Chilwell, N'Golo Kante, Mason Mount and Hakim Ziyech.

Centre-half Thiago Silva is back on the bench after missing seven matches because of a thigh injury.

Chelsea: Mendy, Zouma, Christensen, Azpilicueta, Alonso, Jorginho, Kovacic, James, Hudson-Odoi, Havertz, Werner.

Subs: Arrizabalaga, Rudiger, Silva, Kante, Mount, Chilwell, Pulisic, Giroud, Ziyech.

Image source, .

Everton also won 1-0 on the road on Thursday last time out and Carlo Ancelotti makes two changes from the side that began the win at West Brom.

Gylfi Sigurdsson, who set up the only goal less than a minute after coming on, starts, as does Allan, with Bernard dropping out and Abdoulaye Doucoure not featuring.

Midfielder Tom Davies is fit enough to be on the bench after injury, but James Rodriguez again misses out with a calf problem.

Everton: Pickford, Godfrey, Keane, Holgate, Digne, Gomes, Allan, Iwobi, Sigurdsson, Richarlison, Calvert-Lewin.

Subs: Virginia, Tyrer, Nkounkou, Bernard, Davies, Broadhead, Onyango, King, John.

So we're clear, here are the two Premier League games on our plate for this evening. It's near impossible to tell these days, but they promise to be decent...

Chelsea v Everton (18:00 GMT)

West Ham v Leeds (20:00 GMT)

And here is the team news for that first match at Stamford Bridge...

Liverpool's ongoing misery is contrasted sharply by the excitement and optimism currently bubbling away across Stanley Park.

The Blues are currently fifth, a point outside the top four with games in hand.

But there are other sides with Champions League aspirations of their own. Not least of all the side they face tonight and one playing soon after.

By the end of this evening, the race for the top four is likely to be a little clearer.

Image source, Getty Images

If you'd have said last June that one of the Merseyside teams would be bang in form and right in the mix for Champions League qualification with around 10 or so games to go in 2020-21, Everton would probably have been your second choice.

And yet here we are.