EVERTON will head into the final game of the 2022/23 Premier League season at home to Bournemouth on Sunday afternoon, with the prospect of relegation still looming.

There remains the very real risk that the club’s current run of 69 consecutive seasons in the English top flight could come to an end.

Everton managed to avoid the drop last season with a game to spare after fans put in a monumental effort, rousing the players to memorable, vital victories against Chelsea and Crystal Palace at Goodison Park and away at Leicester City.

It has been more difficult for the supporters this time around. Having put so much effort into last season’s Premier League survival, they would be right to feel that those efforts have not been matched by the club themselves.

Everton have stood still, although that might be a compliment as, if anything, they have actually got worse.

Keeping faith in Frank Lampard, perhaps fooled by the high of escaping relegation and the celebrations that surrounded it, turned out to be an error.

At the time it was genuinely something to celebrate, but escaping relegation should not be something Everton are celebrating on a regular basis, especially given the amount of money the club have spent in previous years.

That careless spending didn’t improve the team and, worse, has led to a Premier League investigation into the club’s finances on the back of an alleged breach of the league’s profit and sustainability rules.

While the fans stepped up when needed, it has become increasingly clear that those running the club have not reciprocated, or have not been able to due to their previous failings.

They are paying the price for years of mismanagement. The punishment for this could come administratively on the back of the Premier League investigation, or in a sporting sense in the form of relegation to the second tier.

To some extent, the mismanagement of the club from the top relieves managers such as Lampard, his predecessor Rafa Benitez, and sporting directors of some of the blame, but you couldn’t see the club getting out of the rut they found themselves in under Lampard, and Sean Dyche was hired to replace him.

A change of manager cannot magically make Everton’s problems go away, but under Dyche, they have scraped enough points to lift themselves out of the relegation zone.

They have only lost four of their last 12 games, picking up six points from draws and six points from wins against Brentford and Brighton.

“I came in here and realised things needed a lot of work, a lot of change,” Dyche said ahead of the final game of the season. “I wasn’t expecting it to just be an easy run.

“A lot of these players were here last season in a similar sort of position, so I think they’re aware of [the task] and I think the club have probably become aware of it too, certainly over the last couple of seasons.

“It comes down to a big performance on Sunday.”

Going into the final round of matches Everton are the best-placed of the three teams fighting to stay in the division.

They sit two points above Leicester and Leeds United with a goal difference that is slightly better than the latter, who are now managed by former Everton boss Sam Allardyce, but worse than the former, so a draw won’t be enough if Leicester win.

Leicester host West Ham while Leeds welcome Spurs to Elland Road. It’s difficult to say which of these opponents offer the biggest obstacle for the relegation-threatened teams, but it would probably be Tottenham at Leeds. 

Despite the north London club’s obvious failings this season, they are still in the hunt for a place in the Europa Conference League and still have one of the best players in the division in Harry Kane.

Everton, meanwhile have the benefit of having their fate in their own hands. A win against Bournemouth would secure their survival, but it could still be difficult, especially with striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin out injured.

Injuries to key players like Calvert-Lewin have exposed the poor squad planning at Everton and a lack of like-for-like back-up players.

Dyche has regularly spoken about an “imbalance” in the structure of the Everton squad and did so again ahead of this final game.

“There was an imbalance in the squad, everyone knows that, and it’s just unfortunate it’s been tested to the limit by injuries but that’s part and parcel of the game,” he said.

Dyche will know where the current weaknesses in the squad lie and will have concrete ideas as to what he would need for next season, perhaps more so than previous managers given he has distinct styles of play that require certain types of player.

Everton’s financial issues mean plenty of dealing will need to be done to raise funds in order to bring players in, and at this stage, there is still the unthinkable prospect of having to sign players for a Championship squad rather than a Premier League one. 

All eyes in Goodison Park will be on an Everton win, but if starts to look like a win might not come, there will be plenty of glances to the scores at Leicester and Leeds to determine whether the Merseyside club will be around for a 70th consecutive season in the top division of English football.