Everton may not have played but the Easter weekend has proved to be pivotal in the Blues' season.
All three teams in the bottom three failed to win - with Burnley missing a major opportunity to close the gap to the Blues to just a single point. Results above Everton also provided clarity on the battle for survival in the Premier League.
Meanwhile, away from the first team, youth stars shone for both the club's U23s and the sides they represent on loan, with several scoring important and impressive goals. These are some of the some of the key points following another significant weekend for the Blues.
Threat from below reduced after relegation rivals suffer defeats
Watford conceded a last minute goal as they fell to a 2-1 defeat at home to Brentford, while a plucky performance from Norwich at Manchester United still finished with the Canaries leaving Old Trafford empty-handed. The results mean the bottom two missed their latest opportunities to put pressure on Everton. Both have played two games more than the Blues and have significantly worse goal differences. With Norwich seven points behind Everton and Watford six points adrift, both now look unlikely to mount a challenge for survival at the expense of the Blues.
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Burnley fail to take advantage of huge opportunity
Burnley remain the main threat to Everton and looked set to cause an upset at Champions League-chasing West Ham for much of their match on Sunday. Wout Weghorst's second goal for the Clarets would have put them within a point of safety had they been able to hang on in caretaker boss Mike Jackson's first game in charge following the shock dismissal of Sean Dyche. But a late Tomas Soucek goal rescued West Ham and eased the Blues' nerves ahead of the Leicester City game. The 1-1 result leaves Burnley three points beneath Everton having played one game more.
Everton benefit from Cornet's struggles just weeks after his crucial winner against the Blues
The biggest moment of that game at the London Stadium was undoubtedly Maxwel Cornet's penalty miss for the visitors. Had he scored, Burnley would have been 2-0 up heading into half-time and on course for a momentum-shifting three points. But Cornet, who scored the late winner against Everton earlier this month, pulled the penalty wide. After an important miss in his side's defeat at Norwich last week, Cornet's heroics against Everton have largely been undone as the battle for survival has shifted back in Everton's favour.
Newcastle United reach apparent safety
Sunday afternoon's other Premier League tie saw Newcastle United come from behind to snatch a win at home to Leicester City. Bruno Guimaraes' brace moved Eddie Howe's side 12 points clear of Burnley. Now above Leeds United - and Aston Villa - Newcastle appear to have removed any doubts about their chances of Premier League survival.
Where does defeat leave Leicester City?
The side that will have the biggest say in Everton's survival bid is Leicester City, who they play twice in their last eight games. Their defeat to Newcastle leaves the Foxes 12 points off the top seven and unlikely to qualify for Europe through the league. Their season is far from over, however, with Leicester through to the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League. Brendan Rodgers left key players James Maddison and Harvey Barnes out of the starting line up after the win over PSV Eindhoven in midweek. If the club is treating Europe as its priority then Everton could benefit in the closing weeks of the campaign.
Starlets offer glimpse of bright future for young Blues
While the first team did not play over the weekend, several of Everton's young stars were in action. The U23s impressed with a 2-0 win over Chelsea at Goodison Park on Friday. Loan signings Nathan Broadhead and Ellis Simms alos showcased their talent. Broadhead scored two vital goals to boost Sunderland's hopes of promotion from League One while Simms hit a screamer as Hearts beat Hibernian in the Scottish League Cup semi-final.
