Mikel Arteta wants Everton to be in or close to sixth-place when the festive fixtures have come and gone.
Securing European football would be a major boost for Everton following their disappointing Uefa Cup campaign this season.
Two away wins either side of the dramatic injury-time loss to Aston Villa means David Moyes’ side are two points behind the current occupiers of sixth, Hull.
Arteta is the orchestrator of Everton’s set-pieces and he wants to start the festive schedule off with a win against the away juggernaut which is Chelsea on Monday night.
The late Tim Cahill header - which downed Manchester City last weekend - has huge ramifications for Arteta.
“We are still in the mix,” Arteta told the club’s website. “That was a really important game because we could have ended up losing three or four positions.
“As it is we remain close to the top six so hopefully we can keep going and have a good result against Chelsea.”
A siege mentality seems to have broken out at Goodison Park with Everton ravaged by injuries in the forward line, and the players rolling their sleeves up with limited cash for the forthcoming transfer window.
This made the win against City, on Saturday, doubly pleasing for the former Rangers' player.
“We were so happy in the dressing room. The reaction this season has been terrific. Every time we’ve had a bad game we have reacted as nobody could expect.”
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