Carlo Ancelotti's spell in charge of Everton gets underway when his new side host Burnley at Goodison Park in the Premier League on Boxing Day.
The Italian was appointed just hours before the Toffees' 0-0 draw with Arsenal at the weekend, meaning the Boxing Day fixture will be his first official game as manager.
The three-time Champions League winner inherits an Everton side that are unbeaten in 90 minutes across their last four matches after the good work of caretaker boss Duncan Ferguson.
However, he'll face a tough test against a Burnley side who will be desperate to spoil the Christmas party.
Where to Watch
| When Is Kick Off? | Thursday 26th December |
| What Time Is Kick Off? | 15:00 (BST) |
| Where Is it Played? | Goodison Park |
| TV Channel/Live Stream? | Amazon Prime |
| Referee? | Anthony Taylor |
Team News
Ancelotti has a whole host of injuries to deal with in his first game as Everton boss, with as many as six first team players set to be out for the Boxing Day clash. Among them are Fabian Delph and Alex Iwobi, who both came off with hamstring problems in the draw with Arsenal.
Burnley on the other hand have good news in the injury department after Johann Berg Gudmondsson played a full 90 minutes for their Under-23 side last week.
His return could be a timely one after Jeff Hendrick - who has filled in on the right wing in the Iceland international's absence - picked up his fifth yellow card of the season in the win at Bournemouth, meaning he's suspended for this one.
Predicted Lineups
| Everton | Pickford; Sidibe, Mina, Keane, Digne; Holgate, Sigurdsson, Richarlison, Bernard; Calvert-Lewin, Kean. |
| Burnley | Pope; Bardsley, Tarkowski, Mee, Taylor; Cork, Westwood, McNeil, Gudmondsson; Wood, Barnes. |
Stats Centre
Burnley hosted Everton on Boxing Day in 2018, with the Toffees winning 5-1 at Turf Moor under former boss Marco Silva.
Now Ancelotti is the new boss at Everton. In terms of managers to take charge of at least 30 Premier League games, the Italian has the fifth best win rate.
He should be wary of opponents who like to leave it late; Burnley have scored six goals in the final five minutes of matches this season, more than any other side.
Head to Head Record
This will be the 116th meeting between the two sides in all competitions, and the 12th in the Premier League.
The pair have been relatively even throughout their previous fixtures, with the contests ending all square 29 times. Everton edge it terms of wins, with 50 victories to Burnley's 36.
Recent Form
The main reason Ancelotti was appointed as Everton boss was their terrible form under previous manager Marco Silva, but caretaker manager Ferguson did a good job turning the tide, going unbeaten in tough league fixtures against Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal.
Burnley have won their last two games despite being quite patchy for most of this season. They are unlikely to go down, but with the Premier League mid-table so tightly packed a Europa League spot is a distinct possibility. A win on Boxing Day could go a long way to helping them achieve that.
Here's how the two have got on in their last five matches.
| Everton | Burnley |
| Everton 0-0 Arsenal (21/12) | Bournemouth 0-1 Burnley (21/12) |
| Everton 2-2 Leicester (2-4 on Pens) (18/12) | Burnley 1-0 Newcastle (14/12) |
| Manchester United 1-1 Everton (15/12) | Tottenham 5-0 Burnley (7/12) |
| Everton 3-1 Chelsea (7/12) | Burnley 1-4 Burnley (9/12) |
| Liverpool 5-2 Everton (4/12) | Burnley 0-2 Crystal Palace (30/11) |
Prediction
An injury hit Everton will face a tough task against a robust Burnley side, and for that reason this game is hard to call.
Ancelotti was far from convincing during his time at Napoli, but inherits an Everton side with some genuine quality. Whether it will be enough to get them the three points on Thursday remains to be seen.
Prediction: Everton 1-1 Burnley
Source : 90min