Championship side Hull City host top tier Everton in the third round of the FA Cup on Saturday afternoon.
England's premier cup competition serves as a welcome break from the travails of league football for both clubs. Hull sit just four points above the Championship drop zone having played a game more than 22nd-placed Peterborough United while Everton have precisely one win across October, November, December and the start of January.
Here's all you need to know about this meeting between a pair of out of form sides.
How to watch Hull vs Everton on TV/live stream
When is kick off? Saturday 8 January, 17:30 (GMT)
Where is the match being played? MKM Stadium
TV channel/live stream? BBC One, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport Website (UK), ESPN+ (US), Sportsnet (Canada)
Highlights? The FA Cup (10.30pm - BBC One)
Referee? Andrew Madley
Hull team news
Hull have been besieged by a raft of injury and COVID absentees during the festive period which led to the postponement of two games after Christmas. City did return to the pitch on New Year's Day for a 1-0 defeat to Blackpool but lost wing-back Callum Elder - one of the division's most creative defenders - after barely a quarter of an hour to a groin strain.
Fellow defender Ryan Longman and forward Josh Magennis also came out of the contest worse off than when they entered which leaves their involvement on Saturday in doubt. This latest gaggle of injuries joins Alfie Jones, Lewie Coyle and Josh Emmanuel in the treatment room.
As head coach Grant McCann told the Hull Daily Mail: “We’ve got a lot of bumps and bruises at the minute."
Everton team news
Everton have been lumbered with their own slew of injury concerns. Alex Iwobi's participation in the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations robs Rafa Benitez of another option while Richarlison (calf), Yerry Mina (calf) and Andros Townsend (foot) are set to remain sidelined by fitness concerns.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin marked his long-awaited return with a missed penalty against Brighton but may not be risked for the cup tie after such a lengthy spell in recovery.
Jarrad Branthwaite and Fabian Delph were both left out of the squad that stumbled to defeat against the Seagulls to kick off 2022 with a whimper. Although, new signing Vitaliy Mykolenko could be in line for a debut after the club failed to register him in time for their last league outing.
You can read Everton's predicted lineup for the game here.
Hull vs Everton head-to-head record
Everton's near ever-presence in England's top flight has limited their meetings with Hull City to just 21 games across all competitions. The pair first had to play three matches to find a winner of their FA Cup fourth round tie in 1927 - Hull were the eventual victors against a Toffees team that would win England's top flight the following season.
However, since the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, Hull have beaten Everton just twice in 15 meetings (D4 L9).
Hull vs Everton score prediction
Hull's precarious position in 19th is, on the face of it, built upon the solid foundations of the division's fourth-best defence in open play (per Opta). However, this record owes a lot to the impressive individual campaigns enjoyed by both players to have guarded Hull's net - though neither have been able to stem the flood of concessions from set pieces.
Everton are hardly a force to be reckoned with at either end of the pitch but may well have enough to avoid an upset against a depleted squad which sits 24 places below them in the footballing pyramid.
Prediction: Hull 1-2 Everton
Source : 90min