Frank Lampard is preparing his side for the 'best version' of Crystal Palace ahead of what he believes could be an historic night at Goodison Park.
The Blues boss said he expected Patrick Viera's side to adopt a serious approach to Thursday's match, even though the visitors are in mid-table and face no threat of relegation - or any prospect of European qualification.
He described the mood at Finch Farm as "determined and focused" ahead of a game in which Everton would secure their Premier League survival with a win, adding the match has the potential to represent a "big night" for the club should survival be confirmed.
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Explaining his thought process ahead of Everton's final home game of the season, Lampard said: "We have to prepare. They put in a very good performance against Aston Villa in the last game, driven by a coach who always had a mentality of a winner. I expect nothing but the best version."
Lampard expects to have Ben Godfrey, Donny van de Beek and Michael Keane available for the matchday squad following issues with injury and illness. He said Fabian Delph and Yerry Mina, whose returns from long-term lay-offs were crucial to the form that saw Everton escape the bottom three, will miss the game. Salomon Rondon and Jarrad Branthwaite are both suspended following their red cards in Sunday's 3-2 defeat to Brentford.
He said he was drawing on recent experience as he sought to plot a way to victory, saying the players' attitude was key: "I think you have to approach every game differently in terms of the opponents. I think against Chelsea there was an expectancy to have only 30% possession, whatever we did in the end, and we had to defend very well and accept their passing and style. Manchester United was different, Palace [will be] different - we understand their threats. There's probably more onus on us against Palace to show more attacking intent and probably have a bit more possession and a bit higher up the pitch, but we will see how that goes.
"So I think it is different in that sense but in terms of the attitude [we need] absolutely the same attitude that we approached Manchester United, Chelsea, Leicester, even Liverpool, and Manchester City because we approached that with absolutely the right attitude and then of course games can go either way at different times... it is really obvious what is at stake in this game... the size of this game can't be [lost] on anyone."
Lampard said the implications of a win made the night an historic one, describing survival as "pivotal" to the club's future.
He said: "I certainly wasn't over-playing the idea of a relegation battle as if that is something to get excited about. It is just the situation we are in is absolutely pivotal, of course, to the future of the club in the short-term to get the results we need to stay in the league. Also, football is about moments and about the opportunity for the players, the staff and the fans to come together and share a moment that means a lot to the club.
"And we shouldn't under-state that. It won't be cause for huge celebrations if we get the right result but at the same time everyone is fighting in the same direction for something so we have to understand what a big night that could be for the club."
