The Toffees trail their neighbours by two points in the race for a Champions League place, and Sunday's fixture is eagerly anticipated.

"I don't think you ever need any incentive in derbies but there will be this year because of how close we are," Howard told Everton's official website.

"We are looking to get a result and that would be the case no matter what."

The gap would have been narrower had Everton not been held to a 1-1 draw by West Ham United on Saturday.

opportunity missed

"It was definitely an opportunity missed," said Howard.

"We were all over them in the first half but after the break it didn't work out the same.

"We feel as though we really dropped three points. It shows how far we have come that we are looking up at fourth rather than down.

"The positive is that we have moved away from the others below us, and at this point of the season we have to take the positives."

www.evertonfc.com