Sunderland under-23s visit Goodison Park on Tuesday evening keen to build on their early season form.
Ahead of the trip safc.com has put together an all you need to know guide...
Fixture: Everton U23 v Sunderland U23
Location: Goodison Park
Date and kick-off: Tuesday 13 September, KO 7pm
Competition: Premier League 2
Speaking Welsh – Sunderland under-23 coach Andy Welsh
“We have been pleased with our start to the season, especially as we have played against some tough opponents.
“A lot of our opponents have given us respect and fielded strong teams and that has been great for our player’s development.
“Last week at Rochdale I thought the players did really well and it was another test that the players showed what they could do.
“In the end it was a shame we couldn’t hang on but the players will learn from that and now it’s important we build on our strong start to the season.”
How they line-up: Everton
League position: 1st
League wins: 3
League defeats: 0
League goals scored: 8
League goals conceded: 1
Form guide in all competitions: W-W-W-W-W
Spotlight: Everton under-23 head coach David Unsworth
David Unsworth made over 300 appearances for the Toffees in two spells at the club, in between a stint at West Ham United, across 12 years.
The 42-year-old scored 34 times in the Premier League for the Merseyside club, and was well known as a dead ball expert despite being a defender.
After leaving Goodison Park, spells at Portsmouth, Ipswich Town, Sheffield United, Wigan Athletic, Burnley and Huddersfield Town followed before he called time on his playing career in 2009.
Unsworth then turned to coaching as Preston North End's first-team coach and that was later followed by a return to his former side Sheffield United as head of academy.
In 2014 the defender rejoined to his boyhood club Everton and became under-23s coach.
One to watch: Courtney Duffus
The towering centre-forward Courtney Duffus arrived at Everton alongside younger brother Tyrone in the summer of 2012.
Previously at Cheltenham Town, Duffus helped Everton under-18s clinch the Premier League title in May 2014 and he has since become a regular with the club’s development side.
A five-game loan spell with League Two Bury followed for the young forward before he was then an unused substitute in the first leg of Everton’s Europa League round of 32 clash against Young Boys at the Stade de Suisse.
Since then Duffus has gone from strength to strength and has begun the 2016-17 campaign in fine fettle with two goals already for the Toffees.
