How Everton run-in difficulty compares to Premier League relegation rivals

Everton might be in the middle of a mini-break right now, but they will still no doubt be keeping a close eye on the Premier League fixtures that are taking place this weekend.

Frank Lampard's side are not in action on Saturday or Sunday as they were due to take on Crystal Palace in this matchweek. The Eagles, however, are taking on Chelsea in the semi final of the FA Cup this weekend instead, with their meeting with the Blues rescheduled to next month.

However, there are still important matches to take note of for Everton in terms of their relegation battle. Burnley make the visit to West Ham on Sunday while Watford host Brentford on Saturday afternoon.

The Blues have eight matches left of their Premier League campaign and are faced with a number of tough encounters before bringing the campaign to a close. Lampard's squad must travel to face both Arsenal and Liverpool in those remaining games, while also welcoming Chelsea to Goodison Park.

The Analyst have provided research on how easy or difficult the remaining fixtures of the term are for each side, .using the average points-per-game of each team's remaining opponents to decipher how difficult their matches are. The results place Everton as the side with the fifth-toughest run-in of anyone in the top division.

Brighton top the list with Leeds United, Wolves and Norwich City making up the top four - with that potentially providing some level of good news for the Blues with two sides still in the relegation fight having tough games to come.

However, what may not be good reading is that Burnley find themselves on the lower end of the scale, with the seventh-easiest run-in of any Premier League side. They still need to face Champions League-chasing Tottenham Hotspur