Liverpool will travel to Goodison Park to face Everton in the Merseyside Derby on Wednesday, looking to keep their title hopes alive.
Liverpool are coming into the game against Everton on the back of a 3-1 victory over Fulham, and they will be reasonably confident of building on their performance against the West London club.
The Reds have a formidable record against the Toffees in recent years, and they will look to pile further misery on their crosstown rivals. Liverpool are currently second in the Premier League table, and they cannot afford to drop points if they want to stay in touch with Manchester City and Arsenal.
On the other hand, Everton are 16th after their points deductions, and they could easily be dragged into the relegation battle if they continue to falter. They have picked up just two wins from the last six league matches and will be desperate to pick up a win here. It would boost their survival hopes and dent the title hopes of their bitter rivals.
Team News & Tactics
Everton
Nathan Patterson misses out with a thigh injury, while Dele Alli is ruled out for the season with a groin injury. Meanwhile, Seamus Coleman is expected to return next week from his pelvic injury.
Everton will shape up in a 4-4-1-1 formation, with Jordan Pickford in goal. Ashley Young and Vitaliy Mykolenko will start as the full-backs. They will look to add defensive cover to the side and help out during counter-attacking situations. James Tarkowski will start in the central defensive pairing alongside Jarrad Branthwaite.
Jack Harrison and Dwight McNeil will start in the wide areas. They will look to add pace and flair from the flanks. In the middle of the park, Idrissa Gueye should line up alongside James Garner. They will look to shield the back four and breakdown opposition attacks.
Abdoulaye Doucoure will start as the attacking midfielder, and he will look to link the midfield with the attack. Finally, Dominic Calvert-Lewin will lead the line for Everton against Liverpool in the Merseyside Derby.
Probable Lineup (4-4-1-1): Pickford; Young, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Harrison, Garner, Gueye, McNeil; Doucoure; Calvert-Lewin
Liverpool
Joel Matip and Thiago Alcantara have been ruled out for the season. Conor Bradley will return from his ankle injury next month, while Diogo Jota is sidelined after picking up a muscle injury against Fulham.
Liverpool will shape up in a 4-3-3 formation, with Alisson Becker in goal. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson will continue as the full-backs and they will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. Ibrahima Konate will start alongside Virgil van Dijk at the heart of the defence.
In the middle of the park, Wataru Endo will start as the defensive midfielder, with Harvey Elliott and Alexis Mac Allister adding creativity and control on either side of him. Finally, Darwin Nunez will lead to the line for Liverpool against Everton, with Mohamed Salah on his right and Luis Diaz on the left.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Elliott, Endo, Mac Allister; Salah, Nunez, Diaz
Key Stats
- Liverpool are undefeated in 28 of their last 29 matches against Everton in all competitions.
- Everton have drawn five of their last six home matches against Liverpool in all competitions.
- Liverpool have kept a clean sheet in their last four matches against Everton in all competitions.
- 13 goals have been scored in the last six meetings between these two teams.
- Liverpool have conceded at least once in five of their last six matches.
Player to Watch
Mohamed Salah
The 31-year-old made a cameo against Fulham, and he will be fresh for the derby game. He will look to make his mark in the final third with his creativity and goalscoring ability. He has 17 goals and nine assists in 24 league starts this season, and he is our key player to watch out for.
Prediction
Everton 1-1 Liverpool
Despite the fact that Liverpool picked up a win over Fulham, their performance was not as convincing. They have been quite vulnerable in recent weeks, and this will be a tough game for them.
Everton will be desperate to end Liverpool’s title hopes, and they will look to put their best foot forward. This is likely to be a close contest and the two teams are likely to cancel each other out. The Hard Tackle predicts a 1-1 win in the final Merseyside Derby of the 2023/24 season.
