Home-and-away Monday assignments

The Sky Sports scheduling has set up a first trip to the Hill Dickinson Stadium this evening for the Reds' first team, as we look to extend our nine-game unbeaten run in the division, since the 2-1 loss at Aston Villa before Christmas.

Michael Carrick's men know a point would take us back above Chelsea, into fourth in the table, while victory would close the gap on third-placed Villa to three points. 

Opta have discovered that this is only the third time we are facing a side in both fixtures on a Monday, since the league started in 1992/93.

The reverse clash at Old Trafford ended in a 1-0 reverse on 24 November, as Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's 29th-minute strike proved enough for the 10-man Toffees to land a frustrating away win.

United were unbeaten, though, when meeting Coventry City in the inaugural Premier League campaign.

United thrashed the Sky Blues 5-0 on 28 December 1992, hitting top form to cruise to an impressive victory.

Ryan Giggs took only six minutes to open the scoring, before Mark Hughes doubled the advantage before the break.

Eric Cantona tucked home a penalty, Lee Sharpe made it four and Denis Irwin rounded things off, with seven minutes remaining.

It was our biggest win of that title-winning league campaign.

The return clash at Highfield Road took place on Easter Monday, traditionally a period when the championship could be won or lost.

A tight encounter was settled by Irwin's precious low strike from distance, after 40 minutes, but it was a tense affair, even with home striker Mick Quinn receiving a red card in the closing stages.

Of course, Alex Ferguson's side went on to win our first top-flight title since 1967, in memorable fashion.

The only other occasion when we have faced the same team on Mondays came in 1994/95, one that would end in the agony of narrowly missing out on both the Premier League and FA Cup.

The away game was a Boxing Day cracker at Stamford Bridge, won 3-2 in dramatic fashion.

Hughes netted against his future club, before the ever-reliable Cantona slotted in another spot-kick, after converting two of them earlier that year, against the same opponents, to help us complete our first Double, with a 4-0 FA Cup final success at Wembley.

In this game, John Spencer halved the deficit with a penalty for the Blues and Eddie Newton levelled in the 78th minute.

The Reds remained undeterred and Brian McClair instantly restored our lead, it proving enough to earn three points on the road.

The Old Trafford fixture finished goalless on 17 April 1995, which, ultimately, proved costly as Blackburn Rovers won the league by one point.

This is the fifth time that Everton have played the same club twice on a Monday in a Premier League season, and let's hope we can avenge the loss at Old Trafford this evening.