The first Merseyside Derby of the season will take place this Saturday, and once again it will be Liverpool who bears the burden of the early kick-off.
The Saturday lunchtime kickoff immediately following the international break will be faced by Jurgen Klopp for the second time this season. If that weren’t enough, the Manchester City game following the November break is also set for that time period, giving the Reds a perfect record. It seems fair.
Even though the match is taking place at an unfavourable time, Liverpool will be looking to use their bitter rivals as a punching bag to demonstrate that the title battle is still very much alive despite picking up just one point from the previous two league games.
Even though Liverpool has a great record at Anfield against their football rivals, winning is not a given since, as the old saying goes, “never back the early kick-off.”
Here is all the information you need to know about the game after that.
DATE, KICK-OFF, STADIUM, REFEREE & VAR
Date: Saturday, 21 October 2023
Kick-off time: 12:30 BST / 07:30 ET / 04:30 PT
Stadium: Anfield
Referee: Craig Pawson.
Assistants: Marc Perry, Wade Smith.
Fourth official: Thomas Bramall.
VAR: David Coote.
Assistant VAR: Stuart Burt.
HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD
The fixture list of Liverpool and Everton, two of the top teams in English football, clearly reflects that fact; in total, the two teams have met 293 times across all competitions.
While derby day used to always be a close contest, the gap between the two Merseyside clubs has never been wider. The Reds have won 124 of those games, drawn 86, and lost 83. As a result, they have outperformed the opposition overall.
Everton has only won one game in the previous 28 matches between the Reds and the Blues (and even that came during a terrible season for Liverpool).
Even worse news for the visiting team is painted by the Toffees’ track record at Anfield throughout the Premier League era.
Since the Premier League’s inception, Liverpool has faced Everton 32 times at Anfield, and they have only suffered three losses. The Reds have won 17 of the games throughout that span, while the other 12 have ended in draws.
With a combined score of 23-7, Liverpool has also triumphed in seven of the previous 10 home league encounters between the teams. Discuss dominance.
Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo scored goals for the Reds in the 2-0 victory over the opposition in this matchup last year.
WHERE TO WATCH LIVERPOOL VS EVERTON ON TV
For UK viewers, the game will be shown as the early kick-off on TNT Sports (formerly known as BT Sports)
European viewers can find the game on DAZN.
In the USA, the match will be available on the USA Network and to live stream on Fubo.
As always, the full match and highlights will be available on LFCTV GO afterwards.
LIVERPOOL TEAM NEWS
Unfortunately, Andy Robertson dislocating his shoulder against Spain meant that the Reds were unable to avoid injury during the second international break.
The Scotsman is undergoing a scan this week to determine the extent of the injury, but there is a good probability he will miss a lengthy amount of time. Not at all good news.
Scotland is currently under fire from Liverpool because promising teenager Ben Doak had to be replaced due to injury, this time while playing for the Under-21 team against Hungary.
Doak, who doesn’t precisely start for the Reds, is extremely disappointed by this as he was expected to be called up to the senior Scotland side for the friendly against France after performing well in the youth league.
Both Caoimhin Kelleher and Stefan Bajcetic’s anticipated return dates are not yet known. After spending several months on the sidelines, the Spaniard encountered a setback in his recuperation and won’t be rushed back, while Liverpool’s backup custodian needed stitches just before the break and had to leave the Republic of Ireland team.
With Jurgen Klopp hinting at a potential post-break comeback for the veteran playmaker, Thiago Alcantara might be close to making a comeback. Conor Bradley is still unavailable, though.
Cody Gakpo, who suffered a knee injury against Tottenham and had to leave the stadium wearing a knee brace, may be able to play this weekend thanks to the well placed break. It is unknown what role, if any, he will play on Saturday.
Curtis Jones is officially ruled out following his appeal to have the contentious red card he received against Tottenham rejected.
EVERTON TEAM NEWS
Seamus Coleman, Dele Ali, and Andre Gomes will all be absent for Everton ahead of the match on Saturday; a return date for each player is not yet known.
However, with the knowledge that Idrissa Gueye is getting close to being fully fit, Sean Dyche ought to have a first-choice midfield at his disposal.
The Toffees have a complete roster and no new suspensions aside from that.
PREDICTED LINEUP
In order to send a strong message to the rest of the Premier League following the poor results against Tottenham and Brighton, expect to see the strongest XI that Liverpool has available.
Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Tsimikas, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Gravenberch, Salah, Nuez, and Diaz make up the 4-3-3 formation.
PREDICTION
Liverpool has an outstanding record against their rivals at Anfield, and the team will feel pressure to perform after entering the break with just one point from two games.
Every time the Merseyside Derby is played, Liverpool should prevail.
Everton loses to Liverpool 2-0.
What is your prediction?