As the players approach Goodison Park on Sunday they will be left in no doubt over just how big the Chelsea fixture is.
Supporters will line Goodison Road and City Road to welcome the arriving stars as part of determined efforts to create the perfect environment for them to perform. Calls have been made for that buzz to be replicated inside the famous stadium too, for the home crowd to turn it into a bubbling cauldron that inspires the Blues while intimidating their visitors.
The supporters have been immense throughout this season. Despite the miserable campaign they have endured they have remained in fine voice and backed the players continuously. They do not deserve the sleepless nights and relegation-inspired nightmares thrust upon them but even in recent weeks, when it would have been so easy for those fears to seep into the atmosphere, they have backed the team.
