The result of this game is going to have a huge bearing on the direction our season takes.
Win and we will only be three points behind fourth place and we would have a chance of taking that last Champions League spot. Draw and our hopes of the Champions League would barely stay alive but we would still stay on course for a spot in the UEFA Cup.
Lose and all hopes of playing the likes of Barcelona and AC Milan would surely disappear for good and our hopes of Europe altogether would suffer a big blow.
The bad news is that Goodison Park hasn't been a happy hunting for Pompey in recent years. The 05/06 season apart, we have been beaten every time and I'm certain that no Pompey fan will want to remember the 3-0 hammering we received last year or that jammy stoppage time winner from Leon Osman either.
The good news is that our past records at grounds we usually lose at have not mattered a jot this season. St. James' Park and Villa Park were two grounds where we hadn't won for years and yet we have come from both of those with outstanding victories so I'm hoping we can do that again.
David Moyes has got his team playing very well and they have picked up some very important wins in recent weeks. We all know the threat Yakubu poses as well as the likes of Tim Cahill, Andrew Johnson, Mikel Arteta and Joeleon Lescott who has chipped in with plenty of goals this season.
Thankfully it looks like another former Pompey player in Manuel Fernandes will miss out through injury but it's safe to say that Everton are in fine form as they are undefeated in 2008 and have only conceded one league goal in that time.
On the other hand we have been scraping wins we barely deserve against lesser opposition. We have a stubborn defence and a 'keeper in outstanding form to thank for our recent wins but we are going to need our midfielders and strikers to be firing on all cylinders if we are to take anything from Goodison Park on Sunday.
Harry Redknapp has hinted that he may play Kanu and Jermain Defoe up front and ditch the successful 4-5-1/4-3-3 that has been so successful away from home this season. Everton are likely to play their customary 4-4-1-1 system and so I think that playing two up front could work really well but only if the midfield does it job properly.
We can't afford to play as badly as we have been in recent weeks because Everton are simply too good to not take advantage of that. However, we always seem to up our game when it really matters and so I'm expecting a strong showing from our boys on Sunday afternoon.
As for a prediction, I'm going to sit on the fence. Both defences have excelled this season and so I think this may end up goalless even with Yak and Defoe on the pitch. A draw wouldn't be the worst result in the world, but do we dare to dream of even greater things?
Predicted Starting Line-Ups
Everton
GK: Tim HOWARD
RB: Phil NEVILLE
CB: Joseph YOBO
CB: Phil JAGIELKA
LB: Joeleon LESCOTT
RM: Mikel ARTETA
CM: Lee CARSLEY
CM: Leon OSMAN
LM: Stephen PIENAAR
AM: Tim CAHILL
CF: YAKUBU
Bench: Stefan WESSELLS, Nuno VALENTE, Dan GOSLING, Andrew JOHNSON, Victor ANICHEBE
Pompey
GK: David JAMES
RB: Glen JOHNSON
CB: Sol CAMPBELL
CB: Sylvain DISTIN
LB: Hermann HREIDARSSON
DM: Lassana DIARRA
CM: Sulley MUNTARI
CM: Papa BOUBA DIOP
AM: Niko KRANJCAR
CF: KANU
CF: Jermain DEFOE
Bench: Jamie ASHDOWN, Lucien AUBEY, Sean DAVIS, John UTAKA, Milan BAROS
Last Time: Everton 3 Pompey 0
Despite a goalless first half where James Vaughan and Gary O'Neil went close for either side Everton gave Pompey a second half drubbing after Mikel Arteta's penalty gave the home side the lead. Yobo added a second minutes later with a header and then Gary Naysmith added a third in stoppage time rub the salt in our wounds.
Pundit Watch
Lawro: Draw (1-1)
Sky Sports: Draw (0-0)
Soccernet: Home Win
Footy-Mad: Draw
Matt Le Tissier: Draw (1-1)
My Prediction: Draw (0-0)