England Premier League
Monday 13th February 2023
Kick off at 8pm GMT
Venue: Anfield
Match Preview:
The Merseyside derby is always a unique occasion and Jurgen Klopp will be up against yet another Everton manager on Monday evening. Sean Dyche will be the 7th different manager Klopp has faced in the same number of years but will he come up against the same old Everton team?
Liverpool have had a poor season by their standards and while everyone believed that they would be challenging for a league title last summer in reality they will be lucky to play Europa League football next season. The Reds come into this game in 10th place with 29 points and are closer to the bottom three than the top four. It is quite remarkable to think of their fall from grace and granted they have had key injuries but like Chelsea for example they still have a very strong first 11 to choose from and yet the results are not coming in. Liverpool have gone their last 4 games without a win and 3 of those have been defeats. Every club can have bad spells of course but it has probably been the nature of these defeats that will be most concerning to the club; a 3-1 loss against Brentford, 3-0 against Brighton who also knocked them out of the FA Cup and a 3-0 defeat against a team who have struggled this season in Wolves.
Even a win here would only take Klopp’s side up one place above Chelsea and they have fallen 12 points behind fourth. Though Liverpool have had a miserable season so far their home form is much better and they have lost just 1 game and won 60% of their fixtures here. Their last home game finished 0-0 against Chelsea but also of note is that the club have only conceded 9 goals at home so far.
Everton looked like a different side in Sean Dyche’s first game in charge which was an incredibly difficult game to kick start his Everton career with, against the league leaders Arsenal. Up to that point the Gunners had lost just once this season and yet Everton who have been so poor managed a 1-0 victory in incredible scenes that reminds us how special football can be. It’s a good sign of course and usually when a new manager comes in there is a heightened belief and spirit but now the Toffees face their ultimate test as Liverpool have usually been too good for them and many believe it isn’t just about the difference in quality on the pitch but also about psychology. There have been many times when it has been a good time to face Liverpool over the years and still Everton have come up short, and this game is set to be an incredibly interesting one.
In the league Everton are still in plenty of danger and even though they beat Arsenal they are in 18th and currently going down. Time is on their side though but they will need a win on Monday evening to get out of the bottom three. Form is not good with 4 points earned from their last 15 but that doesn’t matter now with a new manager in charge. The Toffees have only won once away from home so far with 7 points earned from a possible 30 and have scored just six times.
Team News:
Liverpool: Diogo Jota is being tipped to return after a lengthy lay off. Arthur will be assessed due to fitness issues after injury. Fabinho missed the last game after illness but is being tipped to be fine for this game. Luis Diaz is out long term with his knee, Roberto Firmino could return but has fitness issues and will be assessed. Virgil van Dijk isn’t expected to return for this game because of a lack of match fitness. Thiago is only 50/50 to make this game due to his recovering from a hip injury. Ibrahima Konate remains sidelined with his hamstring.
Everton: Dominic Calvert-Lewin is a doubt with a tight hamstring and is only 50/50 to make this game. James Garner and Michael Keane have both recovered from injuries but both have some fitness issues and will be assessed ahead of the game. Nathan Patterson won’t be back for this game after his knee injury but could return next week. Andros Townsend is still sidelined due to a lack of match fitness.
Liverpool vs Everton Head to Head:
Last season this fixture finished 2-0 to Liverpool.
Earlier in the season in the reverse fixture the game ended 0-0.
In the last 27 meetings in all competitions Everton have won just 1 game against Liverpool.
Liverpool vs Everton Prediction:
Liverpool need to get back to winning ways and fans will be much appeased if the Reds can turn up and beat their local rivals. It would be 3 points but would feel like much more and Klopp understands that too. A win in the derby could really set up a nice run for Liverpool and they may have a couple of players back too. Namely Diogo Jota is one and they have really missed him this season but he might be understandably rusty, so we will have to wait and see.
As for Everton there is a huge belief in the club and it is actually very difficult to back against them. After all they have just beaten the league leaders and every player is fired up at least for now under Dyche. However it's one thing pulling off a shock at Goodison, it's another thing going to Anfield and pulling off a shock result. You have to remember that Everton have won only once at Liverpool in 24 years and that was during Covid when no fans were present. We also have to respect that as poor as Liverpool have been this season they have been solid at home and have beaten Manchester City here too. It should be a frantic derby full of the usual passion but we expect the home win despite Everton's great performance in their last game..
Liverpool vs Everton Betting Tips:
Full time result (Liverpool) at 1.70
Half Time Correct Score: 0-0 at 3.25
Under 2.5 goals at 2.10
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