The Merseyside Derby will be played with one almighty twist this time at Goodison Park, with the Liverpool faithful at the away stand spotting one familiar figure in the coaching staff of their bitter local rivals. Rafael Benitez, who joined Everton in June, will be facing his former club for the first time as the Toffee’s boss.
This has been one of the most talked-about moves of this summer, with Benitez receiving plenty of threats from the Reds fans through wall paintings and social media. However, the Spaniard went through with the move, which came at the expense of a lot of disappointment for the club with whom he won his only Champions League title in 2005.
Liverpool, however, have plenty of great things to focus on ahead of this fixture. They have lost just one game throughout the campaign and went through to the next stages in the Champions League. There could not have been a worse time for the blues of Merseyside to face them, and Liverpool will be seeking vengeance for the defeat Everton inflicted on them last season at Anfield.
Despite starting the season on a grandiose note, Everton have fallen behind quite drastically since garnering a crucial point at Old Trafford in the first week of October. Since then, the club has been on a winless run, losing to West Ham, Watford, Wolverhampton, Manchester City and Brentford. This run also included a 0-0 draw against Tottenham, which finished with red card for Mason Holgate.
These are desperate times for the Spanish boss, who is perhaps the next one in line to get the marching orders among Premier League managers. Thus far, Daniel Farke, Dean Smith, Xisco Munoz, Nono Espirito Santo, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer were relieved of their duties thus far in the league.
Everton’s record against Liverpool for a long period of time in the league has been terrible, excluding the win they mustered at Anfield recently. The Reds have been at the opposite end of this spectrum, demolishing teams for fun and scoring a minimum of two goals in every game this season, barring the league fixture against Chelsea.
Key players
Thiago Alcantara has re-entered the fray in English football after a long spell away due to injury. He has picked up things on a grandiose note, scoring in both the fixtures he has played after coming back, one in the Champions League and the other in the Premier League against Southampton.The Spaniard will be a driving force in the midfield and is expected to cause plenty of trouble for the Everton defence.
A contender to be one of the best in the world right now, Mohamed Salah has been netting goals for fun and has gobbled up more goal contributions in the Premier League than anyone else. He has 11 goals and eight assists in the league, topping the goal-scoring and assisting charts.
Sadio Mane has picked up form in recent games and has been contributing goals in a canter for Liverpool. He scored seven times and assisted once, making him a threatening prospect for most defences in the Premier League.
The Senegalese star has had a terrific goalscoring record against Everton, and he will be desperate to reignite that in this fixture.
Andros Townsend got off to a breathtaking start in new colours this season. He has been at the heart of Benitez’s attacking system and scored some big goals, a notable one coming against Manchester United at Old Trafford.
The former Crystal Palace midfielder scored three and assisted twice in the league for Everton and will be desperate to reincarnate the team with a big performance in this game.
Although he hasn’t been at his best this season, Richarlison has made three goal contributions. He is capable of chipping in with crucial goals, which will keep the fans hoping for something big. He had scored at Anfield in their 2-0 win, alongside Sigurdsson. He last scored in their 5-2 defeat to Watford in the final week of October.
Prediction
This will be a tough outing for Everton, in every way you look at it. Their defence looks diabolic, their midfield has been struggling to keep shape constantly and they have been a major cause behind their downfall. Benitez could set up a very defensive unit for this fixture, with two holding midfielders. They need a stellar performance from the likes of Townsend and Richarlison to keep themselves in the game.
However, it seems like Liverpool will run through Everton in this fixture, and unlike their last visit to Goodison where a controversial VAR call denied three points for the Reds, it is their three points for grabbing. They are on a fabulous run, and there aren’t any signs suggesting a surprise win for the hosts.
Liverpool are predicted to win this fixture 3-0.
