Everton and Southampton will go head-to-head in Goodison Park's final men's fixture in what is set to be a momentous occasion on Sunday afternoon.
The fixture dates back just as long as Goodison Park itself, with the first meeting coming over 100 years ago, and it is one that will live on in folklore as the last men's game ever to be played at this historic venue.
It is a clash that has been a regular occurrence in the English football calendar over the past six decades, with the Toffees just edging the head-to-head record.
Here, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at the head-to-head record and previous meetings between the two sides.
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Head-to-head record
Previous meetings: 111
Everton wins: 52
Draws: 23
Southampton wins: 36
Never really becoming a regular fixture until the 1960s, the first five meetings between Everton and Southampton all came in the FA Cup, with both clubs winning two ties apiece, including one after a replay for the Saints.
There were a few clashes in the early-1930s and early-1950s, but the two were both in the top flight almost concurrently all the way from the 1960s, through to the mid-2000s.
In one of their early top-flight campaigns, Southampton were one of the few clubs to beat Everton in the second half of their victorious 1969-70 title-winning season, as the Toffees lost 2-1 at the Dell, but still sauntered to the title under Harry Catterick.
The Blues were excellent against the Saints during their glory years in the 1980s though, because despite being held 2-2 at Goodison early into another title-winning campaign in 1984-85, that result kickstarted a run of 16 games unbeaten in the fixture - 13 of which ended in victory.
Everton have also enjoyed some of their biggest-ever league wins over Southampton, recording an 8-0 victory in 1971, just two months after being knocked out of the League Cup by the Saints, as well as a 7-1 hammering in 1996, which remains the largest number of goals the Toffees have scored in a single Premier League fixture.
In more recent times, the fixture has become much more difficult to call, especially since 2015, as the 20 matches in that spell have seen Everton win eight, and Southampton nine, with three ending level.
Over the past half-decade in particular, both clubs have found themselves battling at the wrong end of the Premier League, like in February 2022, when a 2-0 Saints win aided their survival push greatly, and pushed Everton closer to danger, but both would go on to stay up.
Southampton enjoyed no such luck the following season, as they finished bottom of the Premier League, despite winning 2-1 at Goodison in the January, thanks to a brace from James Ward-Prowse that all but ended Frank Lampard's time in charge on Merseyside, with Sean Dyche eventually coming in to keep the Toffees up.
On Southampton's return to the Premier League for the 2024-25, they have endured a torrid time of it, and will finish bottom, but Everton were one club they enjoyed rare success against, as Dyche's men were the only team they beat in their opening 23 games of the season, courtesy of a 1-0 success at St Mary's.
In that same season, Southampton also dumped Everton out of the EFL Cup on penalties at Goodison Park, with Ashley Young being the unfortunate player to miss after the shootout went to sudden death, as the visitors won 6-5.
Everton were victorious in the most prestigious meeting between the two though, which came in the semi-finals of the FA Cup in 1984, when Adrian Heath's 117th-minute winner at Highbury sent the Toffees to Wembley, where they beat Watford, marking the beginning of a very successful spell in the club's history.
Last 20 meetings
Nov 02, 2024: Southampton 1-0 Everton (Premier League)
Sep 17, 2024: Everton 1-1p Southampton (EFL Cup Third Round)
Jan 14, 2023: Everton 1-2 Southampton (Premier League)
Oct 01, 2022: Southampton 1-2 Everton (Premier League)
Feb 19, 2022: Southampton 2-0 Everton (Premier League)
Aug 14, 2021: Everton 3-1 Southampton (Premier League)
Mar 01, 2021: Everton 1-0 Southampton (Premier League)
Oct 25, 2020: Southampton 2-0 Everton (Premier League)
Jul 09, 2020: Everton 1-1 Southampton (Premier League)
Nov 09, 2019: Southampton 1-2 Everton (Premier League)
Jan 19, 2019: Southampton 2-1 Everton (Premier League)
Oct 02, 2018: Everton 1-1p Southampton (EFL Cup Third Round)
Aug 18, 2018: Everton 2-1 Southampton (Premier League)
May 05, 2018: Everton 1-1 Southampton (Premier League)
Nov 26, 2017: Southampton 4-1 Everton (Premier League)
Jan 02, 2017: Everton 3-0 Southampton (Premier League)
Nov 27, 2016: Southampton 1-0 Everton (Premier League)
Apr 16, 2016: Everton 1-1 Southampton (Premier League)
Aug 15, 2015: Southampton 0-3 Everton (Premier League)
Apr 04, 2015: Everton 1-0 Southampton (Premier League)
Last 10 Premier League meetings
Nov 02, 2024: Southampton 1-0 Everton (Premier League)
Jan 14, 2023: Everton 1-2 Southampton (Premier League)
Oct 01, 2022: Southampton 1-2 Everton (Premier League)
Feb 19, 2022: Southampton 2-0 Everton (Premier League)
Aug 14, 2021: Everton 3-1 Southampton (Premier League)
Mar 01, 2021: Everton 1-0 Southampton (Premier League)
Oct 25, 2020: Southampton 2-0 Everton (Premier League)
Jul 09, 2020: Everton 1-1 Southampton (Premier League)
Nov 09, 2019: Southampton 1-2 Everton (Premier League)
Jan 19, 2019: Southampton 2-1 Everton (Premier League)
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Andrew Delaney
