Liverpool head to Goodison Park for the final time on Saturday, as Everton look to dent their rivals’ Premier League title hopes.
Everton vs. Liverpool
Premier League (15) | Goodison ParkDecember 7, 2024 | 12.30pm (GMT)
The Reds might solely draw 3-3 at Newcastle on Wednesday, as they noticed their lead on the high of the Premier League lower to seven factors.
Subsequent up is the weekend journey to Everton, with a probably emotional event seeing Goodison host one ultimate derby until the pair draw one another within the FA Cup.
Right here’s all it is advisable to know forward of an enormous sport for Liverpool.
1. Key gamers nonetheless lacking for Reds
Liverpool picked up no new harm issues in opposition to the Magpies, however necessary gamers are nonetheless absent.
Saturday’s sport will come too quickly for Alisson, however the Brazilian is nearing a return on a regular basis, which is a lift after Caoimhin Kelleher‘s late error at St James’ Park.
Conor Bradley, Ibrahima Konate, Kostas Tsimikas and Diogo Jota are all nonetheless lacking, however the latter is “shut” to being again within the fold.
2. Mac Allister an enormous loss by suspension
Liverpool will even be with out Alexis Mac Allister for the journey to Everton.
The World Cup winner picked up his fifth Premier League reserving of the season at Newcastle, that means he should serve a one-match ban.
Mac Allister is suspended for subsequent Tuesday’s journey to Girona within the Champions League, too, affording him a breather within the subsequent couple of matches.
Ryan Gravenberch is just one reserving away from a ban of his personal, whereas Dominik Szoboszlai is on three yellow playing cards within the league for the season.
3. Everton hit kind simply earlier than derby conflict
Everton needed to go and discover some kind simply earlier than enjoying Liverpool, didn’t they?
The Blues’ received 4-0 at house to Wolves on Wednesday evening, giving Sean Dyche some much-needed respite, amid doubts over his future.
It has nonetheless been an uninspiring season at Goodison, although, with Everton sitting fifteenth within the desk and solely 5 factors above the relegation zone.
That mentioned, Liverpool might clearly be enjoying their native rivals at a greater time.
4. Potential Liverpool lineup
Liverpool seemed drained at Newcastle, particularly within the first half, so it is going to be attention-grabbing to see what number of modifications Arne Slot makes.
The Girona sport affords a a lot better alternative to rotate, although.
Trent Alexander-Arnold will certainly return rather than Jarell Quansah at right-back, with Joe Gomez partnering Virgil van Dijk, regardless of a poor evening on Wednesday.
With Mac Allister out, Curtis Jones ought to sit deeper alongside Gravenberch, with Szoboszlai returning to the workforce.
Darwin Nunez didn’t supply sufficient in midweek, so Luis Diaz ought to begin at centre ahead.
Predicted Liverpool XI: Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Jones, Szoboszlai; Salah, Gakpo, Diaz.
5. Predicted Everton XI
The quickfire nature of this week’s fixtures doesn’t make life straightforward for Dyche, however an identical beginning XI to the aspect that thumped Wolves is predicted.
That may imply 39-year-old Ashley Younger beginning at right-back, which must be an space for Liverpool to focus on.
In the meantime, Iliman Ndiaye and Dwight McNeil will present the width in assault, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin main the road.
Chermiti and Armanda Broja are long-term absentees for Everton, whereas Michael Keane is “contact and go” to be match.
Potential Everton XI: Pickford; Younger, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Gueye, Mangala, Doucoure; Ndiaye, McNeil, Calvert-Lewin.
6. Slot assured about Kelleher’s mindset
Talking in his pre-derby press convention, Slot spoke positively about Kelleher’s psychological state, following his expensive mistake:
“Sadly for Caoimh, within the place he’s in, in the event you make a mistake or misjudgement, it’s very troublesome for another person to cowl it up for you.
“He’s accomplished that a number of occasions for us, if another person makes a mistake he’s all the time there to assist us.
“Sadly, we, as a workforce, usually are not capable of assist him if he misjudges a ball as he’s the final participant.
“I feel he’s in place, though he’s disillusioned like all of the others as a result of we dropped factors from a profitable state of affairs one minute earlier than the tip.”
7. Infinite attracts in Goodison derbies
It’s straightforward to imagine that Liverpool have dominated this fixture, attributable to their house kind in it, however they typically discover life robust at Goodison.
Final season’s 2-0 defeat nonetheless stings, and in reality, the Reds have solely received there as soon as of their final seven journeys.
5 of these video games have been attracts, with three 0-0s alongside the way in which.
This highlights what a tough job Saturday has the potential to be, and why Liverpool have to be much better than they had been in opposition to Newcastle.
8. Did You Know?
If Mohamed Salah scores twice on Saturday, he’ll be a part of Steven Gerrard as Liverpool’s document scorer in opposition to Everton within the Premier League with 9 objectives.
At the very least a brace for him would additionally see him grow to be the primary Reds participant within the Premier League period to attain not less than twice in three successive away video games.
Salah is now simply two objectives away from becoming a member of Billy Liddell in joint-fourth place in Liverpool’s all-time scoring charts.
He might be within the Reds’ three finest gamers in historical past at this level, alongside Sir Kenny Dalglish and Gerrard.
9. Derby referee confirmed
Michael Oliver will referee Saturday’s much-anticipated conflict, with the 39-year-old seen by many because the main official within the nation.
Not that everybody thinks that!
Oliver’s solely Liverpool sport of the season up to now was the shock 1-0 defeat at house to Nottingham Forest.
Stuart Burt and James Mainwaring are his assistants, Tony Harrington is the fourth official and Chris Kavanagh is within the VAR sales space.
10. Comply with the match with TIA
Everton vs. Liverpool is reside on TNT Sports activities 1 from 11am (GMT), with kickoff at 12.30pm.
Harry McMullen is on This Is Anfield matchday reside weblog responsibility from 11.45am, in what might be a nerve-wracking 90 minutes for him to cowl.
An amber extreme wind warning has been issued by the Met Workplace for Merseyside for all the day, with followers urged to permit for further time and take care if heading to the match.
Come on you Reds!
