The Merseyside Derby headlines the Premier League weekend on Sunday, with bragging rights up for grabs in what will be a huge occasion. Liverpool are competing for the league title, which means there is an opportunity for those bragging rights to be even sweeter for Everton supporters, as they can derail their rivals’ title bid. Given the recent results of this fixture, that seems unlikely. The Toffees haven’t tasted victory in this fixture since 2010, in what is a very poor recent record.l
Everton have had an odd season. They remain on course to challenge for 7th position, which would mean they are ‘the best of the rest’. However, there have been some very poor results and doubts have been cast regarding Marco Silva’s ability to lead them where they want to go. The Portuguese manager has been highly-rated since arriving in England, but there have been notable failures on his CV. If he fails to succeed with Everton, he may be considered a flop in this country. This is a major opportunity for him and his team to make a major statement.
Liverpool are heading into the most important run-in of their recent history. They have flirted with the league title since the turn of the century, but this is their greatest chance. Jurgen Klopp has built an excellent squad and he has the ability to lead them to glory. He won two Bundesliga titles in Germany, which is no mean feat given Bayern Munich’s dominance. This weekend is a major obstacle to overcome, but a win would provide lots of momentum for the weeks to come.
Interesting stats
Everton’s failure to win in the last 18 meetings between the two clubs marks their worst run of results in this fixture.
Liverpool have accumulated 69 points from 28 matches. No team has achieved this feat and failed to win the league title.
Key men
Sigurdsson
There has been a lot of money spent on the Everton team since the current owners took over the club. One of the big signings was Gylfi Sigurdsson and his settling in period wasn’t as long as he would have expected. The Icelandic international has had a long career in England with the highlight being with Swansea City. This current opportunity is the biggest he has been afforded, but it remains a tricky one for him considering the gap between the top six and Everton. Sigurdsson scored twice against Cardiff City in the week and Marco Silva will be hoping that is the start of a hot streak.
Salah
This is an opportunity for Mohamed Salah to prove himself in a big game. Despite his record-breaking debut season, there remains heavy criticism about the Egyptian. It will be interesting to see how he finishes the season and whether he can turn the tide. His record this season remains up there with the very best and he could finish as the league’s top scorer for the second successive season. That would be a remarkable campaign. He has currently contributed 17 goals and seven assists in the Premier League. Everton are a team that can be vulnerable at the back and the visitors have a player that can cause them real problems with his movement.
Team news
Andre Gomes is expected to return to the starting eleven after sitting out of the victory against Cardiff. Leighton Baines is the only player currently on the injury list and he could be set to miss the rest of the season.
Roberto Firmino could be passed fit to start for Liverpool. Dejan Lovren is pushing for a return to the starting eleven. It is expected that Trent Alexander-Arnold retains his place after an excellent performance against Watford, in which he contributed three assists.
Betting Odds
Liverpool are the 4/7 favourites with the bookmakers to win this game while Everton are available at odds of 11/2 and the draw is on offer at 16/5. Our prediction of 2-1 Liverpool can be backed at odds of 7/1 and make sure you take advantage of any available free bets you may have in your betting account to make this a risk free bet. If you’d like to be a little more adventurous, we can add Sadio Mane as first goalscorer in a 2-1 Liverpool win for odds of 44/1.
Verdict
This has the potential to be a difficult game for Liverpool. At times, Everton have played within themselves this season and this game could prove to be a turning point. There is no pressure, yet they have the chance to get one over on their local rivals. If they were to win, it would provide momentum and the supporters would start to believe in Marco Silva. That said, the talent that the visitors possess is huge and they should have enough to take the three points.
Everton 1-2 Liverpool
