So, the fate of Everton's season has essentially boiled down to how many points they can pick up in their next two home games.

Because of course it has.

In any other year, the Blues would have been ultimately pretty confident of their chances when heading into matches against already relegated Sheffield United and a below-par Wolverhampton Wanderers side to round off their Goodison Park term.

But as everyone related to the club is all-too aware of, this is not a normal campaign by any stretch of the imagination.

There's no explanation that can be universally accepted as to why Everton have consistently missed the mark in so many matches on their own turf that would usually have been almost guaranteed points.

Burnley, Newcastle, West Ham, Leeds, Fulham and Aston Villa have all come away from Goodison with victories in the space of one campaign. Every time you're reminded of that fact, you have to shake your head and wonder.

The absence of fans might have been key at the beginning, but that's surely no excuse now. There's no advantage of having over 30,000 Evertonians cheering the side on, but the Blues aren't suddenly at a disadvantage, in the same breath.

It should be a level playing field, in an empty stadium that the Blues know like the backs of their hands, but that just hasn't been the case so far this season.

Carlo Ancelotti believes that his side haven't been able to strike the right balance when looking to play in a more progressive manner on their own turf, which is understandable when you look at those matches.

But at the same time, it doesn't tell the full story.

On many occasions on their own turf it's not just been tactically that Everton have struggled, it's in terms of attitude as well. The manager has said as much in multiple post-match press conferences, even most recently following the defeat against Aston Villa.

In a full stadium, that wouldn't be acceptable. In an empty Goodison, that statement still stands.

Statistically, this is the Blues' worst campaign on their own turf in their entire history. A record of 1.12 points-per-game puts it below the previous low of 1.14 achieved in the 1957/58 campaign.

This season could well have an asterisk next to it in the future, signifying the bizarre nature of the psuedo-football we have been forced to endure with no fans in attendance.

But Everton can't place the blame solely there. They must take responsibility for the abject displays posted at Goodison over the course of this unnatural season.

Even with that dreadful home record though, another opportunity is looming on the horizon.

Sign up to our free EFC email newsletter



Sign up here - it only takes a few seconds!

It's almost tiresome at this point, with the club coming to the end of a strange emotional rollercoaster. But not a real theme park ride, more like one of those virtual experiences you sometimes waste a couple of pounds on in an arcade.

In this season full of inconsistency, big victories, missed opportunities and a frustrating amount of teetering optimism - the Blues somehow find themselves with yet another chance at their feet.

Win the next two home matches and their aim of European football is still very much alive, anything aside from that basically ends the dream. It's really as simple as that.

It shouldn't be a tough task in all honesty. Everton's squad hasn't got the quality fans would like and there are still vast improvements to be made in the summer, but they easily have enough to take six points from Sheffield United and Wolves.

That would improve their points-per-game ratio at Goodison to the relatively heady heights of 1.32.

It would still be a pretty dreadful home campaign in the grand scheme of things, but no longer even in the bottom five worst in the club's history.

No-one would forget the shocking record in L4, and how even the slightest improvement could have made the campaign itself a lot more smooth.

But the chance facing Everton now is to flip the form book on its head. Laugh in the face of previous home matches and set out the stall for the future.

Who knows when a full compliment of supporters will be back inside the ground. The Blues need to change things up at some point, and this is the last chance saloon to make sure that happens.

Secure six points out of the next two matches and Everton have given themselves a fantastic chance of still being able to achieve their goals.

That will bring them up to 62 points, with just the small matter of a trip to face champions Manchester City on the final day to contend with before the campaign comes to a close.

Regardless of what anyone might think about the mentality of Pep Guardiola's side in that match, or Everton's away record, it's going to be a tough ask to secure a result from that game.

There couldn't be more emphasis on these two matches for Everton. This tiring, strange season rests almost entirely on the next 180 minutes of football at Goodison Park.

The Blues have missed almost every opportunity that's come their way at home this term.

Take these two chances, and those previous mistakes can start being forgotten.