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Match preview
This’ll be the 242nd edition of the Merseyside derby and, with these two clubs currently tenth and 18th, both are in desperate need of a victory.
Liverpool are still searching for their first victory of 2023 and, even if they do win this one, it’ll be the latest they’ve won their first league match of a calendar year since 1963, with Everton crowned champions back then.
Last weekend, Jürgen Klopp’s team were demolished 3-0 by Wolves and Molineux, with the most surprising part the fact it wasn’t really a surprise at all.
So, having taken just one point from the last 12 available, the Reds kick off in tenth place.
They haven’t finished in the bottom half of any division since 1954, and have now conceded as many goals as their city-rivals this season.
As for Everton, they’ll make the extremely short 0.8 mile journey across Stanley Park rejuvenated, having rolled the Dyche and won.
The only goal came from a corner made in Burnley; Dwight McNeil’s delivery nodded home by James Tarkowski.
Before this, the Toffees had taken just two points from eight games, leading to Frank Lampard getting the boot last month.
Now though, under Dyche, despite kicking off in the relegation zone, the general zeitgeist is that the Blues will have more than enough to survive.
Just two Everton managers have won their first Merseyside derbies, these being Joe Royle in November 1994, also a Monday night fixture, and Dick Molyneux all the way back in September 1899.
The Blues did win at Anfield during lockdown, but haven’t won there with supporters present since 1999.
Will that fact change here?
Liverpool team news
There is optimism that Diogo Jota will be on the bench for this one; he hasn’t featured since 16 October in the win over Man City.
However, Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konaté and Luis Díaz all remained sidelined, although the latter said this week he’ll be back ‘soon’.
Without van Dijk and Konaté, Joe Gomez and Joël Matip will continue at centre-back, and we all saw how well that went at Molineux.
In midfield, 18 year old Stefan Bajčetić has established himself as a key figure since the World Cup, keeping Fabinho on the bench.
Mohamed Salah has scored four times in Merseyside derbies, although his last league goal came on Boxing Day.
Amazingly, Liverpool’s highest scorer in the Premier League since the World Cup is Wout Faes…. of Leicester.
Predicted XI (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Matip, Robertson; Bajčetić, Thiago, Henderson; Salah, Núñez, Gakpo.
Everton team news
Despite having only been in the job for less than a week, Sean Dyche constructed an organised, well-drilled side against Arsenal last weekend.
Having had another eight or so days on the training ground, expect more of the same, possibly from an identical starting XI.
Captain Séamus Coleman will continue at right-back with Nathan Patterson injured.
Amadou Onana, Abdoulaye Doucouré and Idrissa Gana Gueye were immense last time out, so will be confident of winning the midfield battle once again.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin has never scored in seven appearances at Anfield, but will fancy his changes of changing that.
Predicted XI (4-5-1): Pickford; Coleman, Tarkowski, Coady, Mykolenko; Doucouré, Gana Gueye, Onana, Iwobi, McNeil; Calvert-Lewin.
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Liverpool vs Everton: Head to head statistics
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