Liverpool against Everton is always one of the biggest games in the Premier League, with the first Merseyside Derby of the season now just around the corner.
Anfield will host the clash between the Reds and the Toffees on October 21st and it will be the 243rd meeting between these two famous old clubs.
While Liverpool have tended to treat games against Manchester United as their most important clash of the season in more recent times, there is no doubting the significance of the derby.
Little else will be spoken about on Merseyside in the build up to the big game, with the Liverpool vs Everton betting odds suggesting it could be a miserable trip across Stanley Park for Sean Dyche and his team. Liverpool are hoping that the latest redevelopment of the Anfield Road Stand will be complete in time to open for the visit of Everton, guaranteeing a bumper crowd.
Key players
Reds fans will be sleeping soundly once more after the closure of the transfer window in Saudi Arabia led to Mohamed Salah remaining a Liverpool player.
Al-Ittihad were reported to have made an offer worth a staggering £150 million for Salah, but Liverpool held firm with manager Jurgen Klopp insisting his side’s star man is not for sale.
Yet many within the game feel it is inevitable that Salah will be drawn to the Saudi Premier League sooner rather than later, potentially in January or at the end of the 2023-24 season.
Indeed, the Saudi league’s director of football Michael Emenalo has told the media that the door remains open for the 31-year-old Egypt international to make the move at a later date.
The upcoming Merseyside Derby could therefore be the last time Salah lines up for Liverpool against Everton at Anfield and he will be determined to make his appearance count. Salah has a good record in derbies, having scored four times in his past six games against the Toffees.
It seems inevitable that Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford will be in for a busy afternoon here.
The England number one has had his ups and downs in the past when it comes to the Merseyside Derby but he has made a strong start to the new Premier League season.
Pickford recorded an early contender for the save of the season when he made a remarkable triple-stop to preserve a point for Everton against Sheffield United. Pickford will have been relieved that match ended in a 2-2 draw as he had inadvertently scored an own goal earlier in the piece, with Cameron Archer’s strike hitting the woodwork and rebounding in off the goalie.
But Pickford has twice felt the need to apologise to Everton’s fans after making mistakes in the Merseyside derby and he will be hoping to avoid having to do so for a third time.
Recent form
While it is still early in the season, these two sides head towards the derby in contrasting form. Liverpool and Everton seem certain to be battling at opposite ends to the table this season.
The Reds kicked off their campaign with a run of three wins on the back of a draw with Chelsea to go into the September international break with 10 points out of 12, then won at Wolves.
Liverpool have also yet to lose at home in the league in 2023, with Leeds United the only team to have celebrated Premier League success at Anfield since Fulham in March 2021.
Defensively, there are question marks over Liverpool, though. Virgil van Dijk no longer seems invincible at the heart of their defence and there are still doubts about Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Prior to their fine 3-0 Anfield defeat of Aston Villa, Liverpool were yet to keep a clean sheet.
Everton, meanwhile, endured a torrid first few games and took a single point from their opening quintet of fixtures, meaning Dyche’s men sat just inside the relegation zone.
They did not score a single goal in their first three matches but the signing of new striker Beto gave them a boost for the trip to Bramall Lane, where fellow new arrival Arnaut Danjuma struck.
Everton conceded nine times in their first five matches, with Dyche needing to fix their defence.
Head-to-head record
Everton have had a miserable time in recent Merseyside Derby clashes and the historic head-to-head record between the two sides shows Liverpool have won 98 out of 242 games.
There have been 77 drawn games between Liverpool and Everton to date, while the Toffees are lagging behind on 67 victories against their near neighbours.
Everton’s record at Anfield is particularly poor. They did celebrate a famous victory at the home of their rivals in 2021, but that was their first victory on enemy turf since 1999.
Since then, Liverpool have reasserted their Merseyside Derby dominance with three wins out of the past four meetings between the sides.
Last season, the game ended in a comfortable 2-0 win for the Reds. Inevitably, Salah’s name was on the scoresheet and Cody Gakpo also scored his first goal for the club in that victory too.
One of the most memorable Merseyside Derbies at Anfield was in 2016.
It was Klopp’s first taste of this famous fixture and his side ran out 4-0 winners.
Betting Preview
The bookmakers have not yet priced up odds for this game, but we recommend comparing the bookies with the lowest betting margins to ensure you get the best value odds for your money.
We do however expect Liverpool to come in as strong favourites to beat Everton in the next Merseyside Derby clash to take place in the Premier League.
Understandably, given Liverpool have tended to dominate their rivals in recent times.
Everton did hold Liverpool to a draw in last season’s Merseyside Derby at Goodison Park, so it is not impossible that they prevent the Reds from taking the bragging rights on this occasion.
Salah is almost always the favourite in the first goalscorer betting odds – and rightly so. The Egypt superstar has hit at least 19 Premier League goals in every season since he joined the club from Roma in July 2017, going on to become a club legend.
A bet on Salah to score first in a Liverpool victory over Everton could be a good option. A longshot pick of Liverpool to win 2-0 with Salah scoring first could also appeal depending on the odds given.
Conclusion
Everton have found the Merseyside Derby to be a challenging assignment in recent times and it is hard to see them returning home with any points from their latest game with rivals Liverpool.
The way that these two teams have started the season suggests Liverpool could be ready to challenge for the Premier League title again after a summer midfield revamp. Everton, however, are facing another difficult battle against relegation.
Liverpool seem highly likely to win this one and a 2-0 win for the Reds is a possible result.
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