Everton vs Sunderland: Premier League Mid-Table Clash

Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool stages a tense mid‑table Premier League meeting on 17 May 2026, as Everton host Sunderland in Round 37 of the 2025 season. With just one point separating the sides – Everton 10th on 49 points, Sunderland 12th on 48 – this is effectively a play-off for a top‑half finish and the financial and psychological boost that comes with it.

Context and stakes

In the league, Everton have been drifting. They sit 10th with a goal difference of 0 (46 scored, 46 conceded) and a recent form line of “DDLLD”, just two points from the last five matches. Sunderland are only marginally better in terms of recent momentum: “DDLLW” from their last five, but they arrive with the confidence of having already knocked Everton out of the FA Cup at this very venue in January 2026.

Across all phases, Everton’s season has been defined by inconsistency. They have 13 wins, 10 draws and 13 defeats from 36 league games, with an almost perfectly balanced goals record. Sunderland mirror that symmetry in results (12 wins, 12 draws, 12 defeats) but not in goal difference: 37 for, 46 against, leaving them at -9.

With two matches left, both clubs are safe from relegation and out of European contention, but a top‑half finish and the bragging rights of finishing above a traditional rival carry real weight. The table is tight enough that a win here could swing positions significantly.

Everton: solid base, blunted edge

In the league, Everton’s home record is modest: 6 wins, 5 draws and 7 defeats from 18 at Hill Dickinson Stadium, scoring 25 and conceding 24. That 1.4 goals scored per home game against 1.3 conceded underlines how fine their margins are.

Across all phases, their season stats reinforce the picture of a side that rarely runs away with games but is competitive in most:

• Fixtures: 36 played, 13 wins, 10 draws, 13 losses.
• Goals for: 46 (25 home, 21 away), average 1.3 per game.
• Goals against: 46 (24 home, 22 away), average 1.3 per game.
• Clean sheets: 11 (6 at home).
• Failed to score: 9 matches.

The “biggest wins” data – 3-0 at home and 0-2 away – suggests their ceiling performance is controlled rather than explosive. Their heaviest home defeat, 1-4, shows that when they lose control, they can be punished heavily.

Tactically, Everton have been stable. Their most-used formation is 4-2-3-1 (21 games), with 4-3-3 appearing only once. That double pivot in midfield is likely to be central to how they try to manage Sunderland’s transitions, especially given some key absences.

Team news is a concern. Jarrad Branthwaite (hamstring injury), Jack Grealish (foot injury) and Idrissa Gueye (injury) are all listed as missing for this fixture. Branthwaite’s absence weakens their defensive structure, Grealish removes a creative and ball-carrying threat between the lines, and Gueye’s injury strips the midfield of an important defensive shield and ball-winner. For a side that already lives on small margins, losing spine players in defence and midfield could tilt the balance.

From the spot, Everton have been reliable this season: 2 penalties taken, 2 scored, with no recorded misses. That gives them a useful weapon in tight games, though the small sample size means it is more a comfort than a defining trait.

Discipline-wise, Everton’s yellow and red card distribution shows a tendency for late bookings, especially from 46-90 minutes, which hints at physical intensity and perhaps fatigue or tactical fouling in the second half. That could matter if they are chasing the game.

Sunderland: away-day fragility, tactical flexibility

Sunderland’s league away form is clearly their weak point: 4 wins, 6 draws and 8 defeats from 18 away fixtures, with 14 goals scored and 27 conceded. They average just 0.8 goals scored and 1.5 conceded per away match, underlining why they sit in the bottom half despite a solid home record.

Across all phases:

• Fixtures: 36 played, 12 wins, 12 draws, 12 losses.
• Goals for: 37 (23 home, 14 away), average 1.0 per game.
• Goals against: 46 (19 home, 27 away), average 1.3 per game.
• Clean sheets: 11 (4 away).
• Failed to score: 13 matches (8 away).

Their “biggest wins” include a 3-0 home victory and a 1-2 away win, but the heaviest defeats – 0-5 at home and 3-0 away – show that when they crack, they can concede in bunches.

Unlike Everton’s relative tactical rigidity, Sunderland have been highly flexible:

• 4-2-3-1 used 19 times.
• 4-3-3 used 5 times.
• 5-4-1 used 5 times.
• 4-4-2 used 3 times.
• 4-1-4-1 used 3 times.
• 3-4-3 used once.

That range suggests a coach willing to tailor game plans to opponents and game states. Away to an Everton side likely to use 4-2-3-1, Sunderland could mirror the shape to match up zones or switch to a more conservative 5-4-1 to protect their fragile away defence.

They are also perfect from the penalty spot this season: 4 penalties taken, 4 scored, with no misses recorded. In a tight, nervy match with mid‑table stakes, that composure could be decisive.

Team news brings its own problems. Dan Ballard is suspended after a red card, removing an important defensive presence. Romain Mundle is also out with a hamstring injury, reducing their wide attacking options. For a side already conceding 1.5 goals per away game, losing a central defender is a major tactical headache.

Their disciplinary profile shows a high concentration of yellow cards between 46-75 minutes and a spread of red cards in the 16-45 and 91-105 ranges, hinting at vulnerability when the game becomes stretched.

Head-to-head: Everton edge, Sunderland’s recent cup sting

Considering the last five competitive meetings between the sides (excluding friendlies):

• 10 January 2026, FA Cup Round of 64, Hill Dickinson Stadium: Everton 1-1 Sunderland, Sunderland won 0-3 on penalties.
• 3 November 2025, Premier League, Stadium of Light: Sunderland 1-1 Everton.
• 20 September 2017, League Cup 3rd Round, Goodison Park: Everton 3-0 Sunderland, Everton win.
• 25 February 2017, Premier League, Goodison Park: Everton 2-0 Sunderland, Everton win.
• 12 September 2016, Premier League, Stadium of Light: Sunderland 0-3 Everton, Everton win.

Across these five competitive games, Everton have 3 wins, Sunderland have 0 wins in regular time, and there have been 2 draws. However, that FA Cup tie in January 2026, finished 1-1 in regulation and extra time before Sunderland prevailed 0-3 in the shootout at Hill Dickinson Stadium, is fresh in the memory and will give the visitors belief that they can handle this environment.

Tactical patterns to watch

• Midfield control: With Gueye out, Everton’s double pivot in the 4-2-3-1 loses a key ball-winner. Sunderland’s choice of shape – whether a packed 4-2-3-1/4-3-3 or a more cautious 5-4-1 – will determine if they can overload central areas and exploit that absence.
• Set pieces and penalties: Both sides have 100% penalty records this season. In a fixture that has produced clean sheets and comfortable Everton wins in the past but two recent draws, any spot-kick could be pivotal.
• Everton’s home risk profile: Their biggest home defeat (1-4) and Sunderland’s capacity to score three in their best away displays show that if Everton overcommit, Sunderland can hurt them on transitions, despite their low average away goals.
• Sunderland’s defensive reshuffle: Without Ballard, the visitors must adjust their back line. If they opt for a back five, it may shore up the centre but leave them reliant on quick counters from a side that has failed to score in 13 league games.

The verdict

The table, the underlying numbers and the head‑to‑head history all point to Everton as marginal favourites. They are slightly stronger at home than Sunderland are away, have a better goal difference, and have won three of the last five competitive meetings, including two 2+ goal victories at home.

However, Everton’s recent form is poor, key injuries weaken their spine, and Sunderland’s tactical flexibility plus the psychological boost of that FA Cup shootout win at Hill Dickinson Stadium narrow the gap considerably.

A tight, tactical contest is likely. Everton have enough structure and home advantage to avoid defeat, but Sunderland’s threat on set pieces and penalties means a share of the points – with either side capable of edging it by a single goal – feels the most logical expectation.