Liverpool will be eager to return to winning ways and widen the gap to Arsenal atop the Premier League table when they take on Everton at Goodison Park on Wednesday.
Gameweek 24 of the 2024/25 Premier League season will finally end on Wednesday with a postponed match. The curtains will fall on the latest round of fixtures with Everton vs Liverpool, the final Merseyside Derby at Goodison Park.
The decision to sack Sean Dyche bewildered many, but David Moyes has hit the ground running since returning to Goodison Park. The Scottish manager lost his first game in charge before embarking on a three-match winning run that has lifted the Merseyside outfit to 16th in the Premier League standings, nine points ahead of 18th-placed Leicester City. However, the Toffees bowed out of the FA Cup this past weekend, suffering a 2-0 defeat to Bournemouth.
Like Everton, Liverpool bowed out of the FA Cup this past weekend, suffering a shock 1-0 defeat to Plymouth Argyle. However, the Reds have been imperious otherwise, losing only once in the Premier League while opening up a six-point lead over Arsenal.
The corresponding fixture last season ended in a 2-0 win for Everton, with Jarrad Branthwaite and Dominic Calvert-Lewin finding the back of the net. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Everton
David Moyes has greeted a positive update on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Everton manager might be bereft of the services of as many as six first-team players vs Liverpool on Wednesday.
Vitaliy Mykolenko is close to returning to action after missing the FA Cup game against Bournemouth due to a calf strain. However, Seamus Coleman (knock), Orel Mangala (knee), Dwight McNeil (knee), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (hamstring), Armando Broja (ankle), and Youssef Chermiti (thigh) remain on the sidelines.
Jordan Pickford is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Everton lining up in a 4-3-3 formation in front of him vs Liverpool on Wednesday. The backline should feature Jake O’Brien, James Tarkowski, Jarrad Branthwaite, and Vitaliyu Mykolenko.
As for the midfield unit, James Garner will hold the fort in the middle of the park while receiving defensive support from Idrissa Gueye and Abdoulaye Doucoure. The latter will also provide the forward thrust from the central areas. Finally, Beto should lead the line for Everton against Liverpool, with Jack Harrison and Iliman Ndiaye being the two wide attackers.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Pickford; O’Brien, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Gueye, Garner, Doucoure; Harrison, Beto, Ndiaye
Liverpool
Unlike his counterpart in the Everton dugout, Arne Slot has a new issue to worry about ahead of the trip to Goodison Park. The Liverpool manager might be without two first-team players on Wednesday.
Joe Gomez is the latest absentee after the recurrence of a hamstring injury. The English centre-back will remain on the sidelines for the next few weeks. Meanwhile, Trent Alexander-Arnold is close to returning after resuming light training. However, Slot might not risk the exit-linked star from the get-go.
Alisson Becker will take his spot between the sticks, with Liverpool lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Everton on Wednesday. The backline should feature Conor Bradley, Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk, and Andrew Robertson.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister in the double pivot. Dominik Szoboszlai will reprise the no. 10 role, with Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo being the two wide attackers. Finally, Luis Diaz should spearhead the Liverpool attack against Everton.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Bradley, Konate, van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo; Diaz
Key Stats
- Everton won their most recent Premier League game vs Liverpool 2-0 in April 2024, last winning consecutive Merseyside derbies in the league in the 1984/85 campaign. The Reds’ loss in this fixture in 2023/24 ended a 12-game unbeaten away run in the Premier League against Everton (W3 D9). They have not lost on consecutive visits to Goodison Park since a run of three between 1992 and 1994.
- Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 19 Premier League games (W14 D5). On both previous occasions that they headed into an away league game against Everton on a 19+ game unbeaten run, they lost – 0-1 in October 1978 while on a 23-game run and 0-1 in March 1988 when on a 31-game run.
- Everton have won their three most recent Premier League games by an aggregate score of 8-2, as many wins as they had had in their previous 21 league games, and as many goals as they had scored in their previous 14. David Moyes last won four consecutive league games in November 2021 with West Ham United, while he most recently did so as Toffees boss in March 2008.
- David Moyes won only three of his 22 Premier League Merseyside derbies in charge of Everton between 2002 and 2013 (D7 L12). Wednesday’s clash will be his first match against Liverpool as Toffees boss since a goalless draw at Anfield in May 2013.
- Mohamed Salah has been directly involved in 21 goals in Liverpool’s 12 Premier League away games this season (G13 A8), the joint-most by a player on the road in a campaign in the competition’s history, level with Andy Cole in 1993/94 (G12 A9).
Player to Watch
Iliman Ndiaye
While Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo, and Beto were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Iliman Ndiaye as our Player to Watch for Wednesday’s game between Everton and Liverpool at Goodison Park.
Ndiaye has scored in his last three Premier League games. The last player to score in four successive Premier League games for Everton was Richarlison in February/March 2021, a run that included a goal in a 2-0 victory vs Liverpool. For the Toffees to take anything from the last-ever Merseyside Derby at Goodison Park, the Senegalese international must deliver the goods on Wednesday.
Prediction
Everton 0-1 Liverpool
Wednesday’s match is the final Merseyside Derby at Goodison Park, a captivating ground under the lights. So, the hosts will be eager to give their fans a lasting happy memory at the hallowed ground. Everton will take the game to Liverpool, leaving nothing to chance.
However, there might not be much to separate the two teams, and Everton’s defensive solidity will shine. The nightmares from the FA Cup defeat to Plymouth Argyle this past weekend will likely resurface for Liverpool as the minutes progress. However, the away side should have the quality to eke a narrow victory.
The Hard Tackle predicts a 1-0 win for Arne Slot and his charges, making the Dutch tactician only the second-ever manager — Kenny Dalglish being the only other to manage the feat — to emerge victorious in an away Merseyside Derby on his first attempt.