Tottenham face the team against whom they secured their Premier League status on the final day of last season, this weekend, aiming for three points that will kickstart their new 2026/27 into gear.
Everton are the visitors to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Spurs winless in their opening three matches, only picking up their first point of the campaign in the goalless draw with Nottingham Forest last time out.
Tottenham will look on the fixture as a real opportunity to get their season up and running, with only one defeat against to Toffees in the last 11 Premier League fixtures between the sides.
And head coach Roberto De Zerbi could be boosted by the return of a key player.
Spurs have struggled for goals this team, failing to score in each of their opening three matches and not having a single shot on target in the goalless draw with Forest at the weekend.
Creativity has become a real problem, but James Maddison could be ready to return, if not to the starting lineup, then to the subsitutes' bench for this clash with Everton.
Maddison spent the majority of the 2025/26 campaign on the sidelines, coming back late on in the campaign to play some cameo roles under De Zerbi as he guided the Lilywhites to safety by the skin of their teeth.
Maddison can add much-needed creativity to Spurs side
The Englishman got 22 minutes off the bench against Brentford on the opening day of this season, but has been missing since with a shoulder injury.
However, he has been back in full training with his teammates this week and could give De Zerbi a major boost by making himself available to play.
Maddison's return almost coincides with Dejan Kulusevski's latest absence from the squad.
The Swede, who has not played since the end of the 2024/25 campaign, returned to full first-team training with his teammates last week, although De Zerbi revealed that a "small problem" was still keeping him away from a matchday squad.
Kulusevski started with us in the beginning of the week, and then the last two days, a small, small problem, stopped, but I think he’s in a good way. It’s going very well.
And he has not been in training this week, with the Swede not spotted in footage from Hotspur Way.
National team boss Graham Potter has been "impressed" with the 26-year-old's personality, however, and expects to have him back with the Sweden squad soon enough.
He said: "He is actually very close. I am so impressed with him, how he has handled his injury.
"Of course, we have to be careful with him. I hope he comes with us, but we have to talk to Dejan and Tottenham first. He is incredibly important to the team. We love him, his character and qualities. He is a world-class player, and it helps enormously to have him with us."