Today is the day that Swansea City fans will get a first look of Francesco Guidolin in the dugout. The Italian, who was appointed as head coach to work alongside interim boss Alan Curtis earlier this month, certainly has a big task ahead of him. The Swans have travelled to Merseyside this afternoon to take on an underachieving Everton side - thanks for joining Sports Mole's coverage, let's hope it's a memorable encounter.

But, before we get into the nitty gritty of the significance of this fixture, let's take a look at the team news, starting with the home side...

EVERTON XI: Howard; Baines, Stones, Funes Mori, Oviedo; Barry, Besic; Mirallas, Barkley, Deulofeu; Lukaku

EVERTON SUBS: Joel, Kone, Lennon, Cleverley, Osman, Pienaar, Coleman

His side may have an important League Cup semi-final second leg clash with Manchester City on the horizon, but that has not stopped Roberto Martinez from naming a strong lineup here. There is no Phil Jagielka, but aside from that, there are no surprises in that Everton team. Ramiro Funes Mori and Gerard Deulofeu have been included, with Aaron Lennon having to settle for a place among the substitutes. Kevin Mirallas starts, as does Romelu Lukaku up front.

And now for the visitors...

SWANSEA XI: Fabianski; Rangel, Fernandez, Williams, Taylor; Britton, Cork, Ki, Sigurdsson, Routledge; Ayew

SWANSEA SUBS: Nordfeldt, Naughton, Amat, Barrow, Montero, Emnes, Eder

So, Guidolin's first Swansea matchday squad does not contain Bafetimbi Gomis, who his with his wife as she prepares to give birth. As a result, Andre Ayew will play the role of lone striker, with Wayne Routledge in support. The only change is at right-back, with Angel Rangel coming in for Kyle Naughton.

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Staying with Swansea, it seems that Guidolin is going to be very much involved today. Curtis is still on the coaching staff. but it is the new man - all tracksuited up - that is currently on the pitch during the warm-up talking to the players on an individual basis.

Guidolin watched on from the stands as Swansea claimed a much needed victory over Watford last time out. Speaking to Sky Sports News, here is how he saw that game:

"In the first half we played very well. I saw a team that was solid, concentrated and had good quality in the play. I hope to see my players play with confidence and without fair. Everton is a good team, but my team is a good team."

Former Leicester City defender Matt Elliott has been having his say on Swansea's situation over on BBC Sport. It's fair to say he's not overly confident that Guidolin will keep them up:

"Francesco Guidolin needs to make an impact, It is difficult for a foreign couch to come in and make that impact so quickly. It is a similar situation at Aston Villa, where Remi Garde needed to change things straight away and that has not happened. There is not a bedding in process. I don't think the Swansea players have that relegation dogfight mentality. I fear for them."

What has the 60-year-old Italian inherited then? With just five wins from their opening 22 games, the Swans find themselves in 17th place and just one point above the drop zone. They've won just once on the road, scoring eight times and conceding 14 goals. Even so, a win today would make a big difference, moving them above Bournemouth and into 15th.

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And what of Everton? Here's some of what their boss Martinez told reporters during the week:

"We need the support of everyone at Goodison Park. In the last two performances, we have really enjoyed that.

I think [looking at where Swansea are in the table] just highlights the competitive nature of this league," he added. "The margins are so, so small in the table that real highs and lows are going to happen.

"But I'm sure now Swansea will find stability with a new manager and the support from Alan Curtis. I expect them to have a really strong end to the season - and that's why we will have to be at our very best."

As far as the Premier League goes, it's been a disappointing season for the Toffees. Of their 22 outings so far, 11 have ended in draws. Quite simply that is too many for a side that at the start of the campaign would have had aspirations of battling for a place in Europe.

STAT! Even so, Everton can at least take some confidence from this:

0 - Swansea have never won a league game against Everton in 21 attempts (D8 L13). Stuck. — OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 24, 2016

THE DUGOUT! With not long left now until we are off and running on Merseyside, why not give Sports Mole's new podcast 'The Dugout' a quick listen? You know you want to!

PREDICTION: How is this game going to pan out? Neither side is in particularly great form, but I fancy Everton. They have plenty of attacking talent, topped off by the clinical Lukaku. Two goals today would see him break a club record of most goals scored in a single Premier League season and you wouldn't bet against him doing that. Let's go 3-1 to the hosts, with a brace from their Belgian centre-forward.

Right, the players have come out of the tunnel at Goodison Park and are going through the pre-match handshakes. Game on shortly...

KICKOFF! Visiting Swansea get proceedings underway on Merseyside.

POST! After a mundane start, Besic goes ever so close to lighting up this game. The Everton midfielder picks up possession on the halfway line and drives forward unopposed. Having got as far as the edge of the Swansea penalty area he takes aim with a low shot that leaves Fabianski in the away goal rooted to the spot. Thankfully for the visitors, the ball cannons to safety off the base of the post and the Bosnian's wait for a first Everton goal continues.

Despite that Besic effort, it's Swansea that have started the better of the two sides. However, it's their crossing that has let them down. Twice Ayew has been well placed inside the Everton box, but the quality of the delivery has been badly lacking.

EVERTON SUB: Some bad early news for the hosts as Besic, who went ever so close to scoring, has limped off with what appears to be a hamstring injury. Tom Cleverley has come on in his place.

It's all a bit scrappy at Goodison right now. Both sides are giving away possession far too easily, but neither is able to capitalise. It's a game badly lacking in quality.

SAVE! Young Everton winger Deulofeu tries to provide that quality with a speculative effort from 25 yards out, but it flies straight into Fabianski's midriff.

Everton centre-back Stones has all the potential in the world, yet he does like to take risks and on this occasion he's been punished. His back-pass for Howard is under-hit, which allows Ayew to nip in and go down under a challenge from the Everton goalkeeper. It's a certain penalty, which Sigurdsson then duly fires into the top corner. Even if Howard had gone the right way, he wouldn't have saved it. More defensive errors from the hosts, who trail.

And there could be another problem for Everton. They are already 1-0 down and have lost Besic to injury and now Mirallas is limping. Lennon has been sent out to get warmed up.

However, whatever was troubling Everton's Belgian winger is not doing so anymore. He's moving much more freely, so it would seem that he will continue.

What a time for Barry to get his first goal in two years, because Everton were struggling! Deulofeu sends a corner dipping towards the near post, where the veteran midfielder advances to find the far corner with a deft flicked. It's poor marking from Swansea, but take nothing away from the finish, it was top class.

EVERTON SUB: Totally disregard what I said about Mirallas before that goal because he, like Besic earlier, has limped off. It appears to be a thigh problem. Steven Pienaar has taken his place.

Okay, I'll hold my hands up to another error as well! That Barry finish was not as good as it first appeared. Replays have shown that his effort was in fact going wide, only to end up in the net via deflection of Swansea midfielder Cork.

CHANCE! Half an opening for the Swans to regain the lead as the ball breaks kindly for Routledge eight yards from goal. The winger gets his shot away, but Baines is across in time to get in a block and the ball flies out for a corner.

Stones is not enjoying himself out there at the moment, that's for sure. Swansea full-back Taylor slides a pass through for Ayew, who sees his rather weak shot from a narrow angle loop up off Stones over Howard and into the back of the net. Everton are unhappy because they believe that there was a handball earlier in the move, but referee Anthony Taylor is having none of it. The Welsh side are back in front.

CHANCES! Almost an immediate response from Everton as Lukaku drags his shot wide of the target before Taylor does well to block Barkley's goalbound effort.

STAT!

46 - There have now been 46 Premier League goals at Goodison Park this season, more than any other ground. Entertainment. — OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 24, 2016

BOOKING! Silly challenge from Swansea right-back Rangel, who ploughs through the back of Cleverley and is rightly cautioned.

There will be three minutes of added time at the end of this first half.

The half-time whistle is greeted by jeers from sections of the Everton faithful, who are not happy with their side's performance. As for Swansea, it's a case of so far so good.

There is very little intensity about Everton's play. Stones in particular is taking too long to release the ball in the centre-back position, while Barkley has dropped deeper and deeper to get involved. It all means that Lukaku has spent much of the first half cutting a frustrated and isolated figure up front. It's a big 15-minute team talk for Martinez, that's for sure.

In the other dressing room, Guidolin must be wondering why his side are so far down the standings. They've been good in possession, with the likes of Ayew, Routledge and Sigurdsson in that false nine role causing problems for the Everton defence, who don't seem to know who is marking who. One word of caution - they switched off badly for the Everton goal and it's important that isn't repeated after the restart. It could be the difference between a crucial three points and one (or worse).

MATCH ACTION! Here's a shot of Ayew celebrating the goal that splits the two teams with his teammates.

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RESTART! Everton, who find themselves 2-1 down, get us back underway at Goodison Park.

SAVE! It's been a positive start to the second half by Swansea and they probably should be 3-1 in front. Ki slips a pass through for Routledge and he speeds away from the Everton defenders. There is plenty of power in his shot, but it's straight at Howard, who saves well.

BOOKING! A second caution of the game for Swansea and it goes to their goalkeeper Fabianski for time wasting.

CHANCE! For the first time this afternoon Deulofeu has been afforded enough space to whip in one of his trademark dipping crosses from the right wing. The ball bounces right across the face of the Swansea goal and eventually lands for Pienaar. However, the angle is against Everton's South African midfielder and he fires well over.

And Deulofeu has just produced an almost identical cross, but on this occasion nobody is on the end of it. The young Spaniard shows his displeasure, as do many Everton fans.

SAVE! It's end to end stuff right now. Swansea playmaker Sigurdsson shows good feet to carve out a chance for himself 20 yards from goal. He has Ki to his left screaming for the ball, but the Icelander goes for goal himself and Howard saves with ease. Ki's frustrated reaction is both comical and understandable in equal measure.

Everton's clearances have been particularly poor today. This time it's Oviedo that makes a hash of things and Cork goes for goal, but his effort is badly lacking in power.

BOOKING! Another yellow card for the away side as Sigurdsson is cautioned for hacking out at Cleverley following a 50/50 challenge.

EVERTON SUB: A third and final change for the hosts as fit again right-back Coleman takes the place of Oviedo.

PENALTY APPEAL! Huge calls for a penalty from the Everton players and supporters. Coleman's cross does indeed strike Taylor's arm, so you can understand the appeals. But, there was very little distance between the two players. You could accept it had it been given, but it would have been harsh.

How many more dangerous Deulofeu crosses do Everton need to score? He's sent over yet another one that is impossible to defend,but Lukaku somehow fails to make contact at the back post. More groans of disapproval from the Goodison Park faithful.

SWANSEA SUB: A change for the away side as the lively Routledge comes off to be replaced by Amat.

Fabianski has had a storming second half for Swansea. He's caught virtually every high cross into the box and when that hasn't been possible, the Pole has punched well. It's relieving so much pressure on his team.

SAVE! Everton's best chance for a while is created by Barkley, who crosses the ball from the left byline. Lukaku is first to it, but his downward header is well held by a diving Fabianski.

SWANSEA SUB: As Coleman shoots wide for Everton, Swansea frontman Eder enters the action in place of Ayew.

SWANSEA SUB: As four minutes of stoppage time is shown on the board by the fourth official, Swansea make their final change with Naughton taking the place of Rangel. Can the Swans hang on for a crucial three points?

Coleman misses a sitter from virtually underneath the crossbar to equalise and with that goes the final whistle. More boos from the home fans, who are not happy at all. How did Coleman miss?! Swansea won't care mind you, they've picked up a crucial three points in their fight against relegation.

That is all we have time for from Goodison Park - thanks for joining us this afternoon and until next time, goodbye.