David Moyes has expressed his desire for Everton to overcome their baron run at the Bridge ahead of their match-up against Chelsea this weekend.
That particular spell has seen them fail to win a league game at Stamford Bridge this century - a total of 25 attempts.
The Toffees last triumph at Chelsea actually came more than 30 years ago, when Paul Rideout scored the only goal back in November 1994.
Moyes’ record in the blue part of West London is equally as damming, without a single win in any of his 24 games managed there.
The Toffees task also sees them look to bounce straight back from their 2-0 defeat to Manchester City last time out, which ended their six-match unbeaten streak at home.
That result also left Everton with a record of just one win from their previous eight games, with the incentive of successive away victories burning strong as well.
Like the Blues, opponents Chelsea find themselves in an indifferent spell of form - six points taken from their last 15 available to be exact.
A late 2-1 win over West London rivals Fulham last Sunday kept them within touching distance of the newly established top five, as the chase for a Champions League place intensifies.
On the flip side, the Toffees managed to mathematically confirm their status as a Premier League club once more last week, following results elsewhere.
Ending records and talking much-awaited team news were the topics on offer as Moyes answered the media ahead of Saturday’s game.
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Centre-back conundrum
The main theme from last Saturday's defeat was the difference in Everton's play after James Tarkowski was forced off during the second half.
Captain Tarkowski sustained a hamstring injury on 50 minutes, with the Toffees arguably in the ascendancy at that point before City's late flurry.
His effect on the team defensively is clearly pivotal, having been an ever-present since his arrival in 2022, in addition to starting every game under Moyes so far.
Michael Keane replaced him on the day, while Jake O'Brien has been filing in as an auxiliary right-back.
The Everton boss confirmed there will be changes at central defence but remained coy on his potential option.
"Tarky's out, he's going to be out for the rest of the season. He'll have an operation on his hamstring," he said.
"It's a big blow for us because Tarky has played such a huge part of what we've done and how we've done so well in this period."
Quizzed on whether that gap could be filled by O'Brien, Moyes was confident in the Irishman's abilities to step into the role if required.
"Jake is a centre-half so I'm not worried about doing it, that's for sure. He's done a brilliant job at full-back so it 's just weighing up whether we want to make one or two changes in position.
"We've got Michael Keane as well so we have options and we'll look to play those options to see what works best. It's just trying to get the right balance for the team."
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Going in with belief
As mentioned before, the Blues' record at Stamford Bridge leaves a lot to be desired in the eyes of many.
The difference between previous times and now however, is Everton's newfound ability to threaten the "traditional" top six sides.
Since Moyes took over in fact, the Toffees have lost only twice from their six matchups against them.
When taking into account their current away form too, Everton have taken 11 points from their last 18 available.
The stats suggest confidence, a term which Moyes was keen to highlight in assessment of recent performances.
“Their home record’s good and we haven’t got a great record going to Stamford bridge over the years, so from that point of view we know we’re up for a tough game.
"I actually think in the way we’ve conducted ourselves in the games against Man City, Arsenal, Liverpool, I think we’ve done very well in this period of games.
“So we go in there with real confidence and belief that we can go to try and make something happen."
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Every game still matters
Another key takeaway since last weekend has been the fact that Moyes' men are mathematically safe from relegation.
It can be said that Everton's objective being achieved means there is little to play for, despite the club looking to end their last season at Goodison on a high.
In addition to that, Moyes' desire to improve the Toffees' long-term fortunes, may mean that players are playing for their places ahead of next season.
The Scot was keen to stress importance on high performance, with the habit of winning a big aspiration.
“It sounds easy to say but in every game as a manager there’s a level of pressure and you want to win.
"Some are now talking about potentially resting players because 'it doesn't really matter'. I see it as exactly the opposite, it hugely matters here," he added.
"We should be trying to finish the season with great wins, performing well, seeing how we do.
"We're certainly not a club that can pick and choose when we want to win. I want to give players opportunities to see what they can do, and I will do, but ultimately I want to pick a team to give us a chance of winning."
