Everton manager Rafael Benitez sought to immediately endear himself to the Goodison Park faithful with a bright start to the new campaign. Everton has slipped to 14th in the table, and one of the Premier League’s ever-presents is now just six points above the relegation zone.
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Liverpool took advantage of Chelsea’s draw against Manchester United to move to within two points of the league leaders’ last weak, but the third-placed Reds are also one adrift of Manchester City after 13 games.
Klopp will need no reminding of the importance of points over the Christmas period before his ranks are depleted during the Africa Cup of Nations
Why Should You be Watching Everton vs Liverpool ?
Derbies have always been considered as matches that take form out of the window as these are matches that a more fought more for local bragging rights for fans, this unpredictable nature of the fixture is what makes the neutrals excited, families divided and the experts take note of what comes to be more in the present day rather than focus on the past or future of this fixture as there is much more at stake than neutrals realize.
Build Up with Match Facts of Everton vs Liverpool ?
1) Everton won the last match against Liverpool ending a 20 match winless run against the Reds in the league. They have not back to back meetings against them since beating the Reds twice in the 84-85 campaign
2) Liverpool have scored at least twice in each of their last 17 matches in all competitions, the joint longest run by an English top-flight side since Sunderland in 1927
3) This fixture has also seen the most cards and last-minute goals. The last-minute goals have more so come from Liverpool’s end
4)Benitez is fondly remembered for his time at Anfield but sadly not as long as Klopp’s due to the fact that Klopp has earned his place amongst Liverpool legends such as Dalglish, Paisley, Shankly, Benitez, Houllier, and Watson for being one of the fastest managers to win 200 games.
5)It will be the ninth time Benitez has managed a game against Liverpool, with the 61-year-old having not celebrated a win over the Reds in 19 years. His only 2 wins came when he was in charge of Valencia in 2002
Team Form
Everton: LLDLL
Liverpool form: WLWWW
Head to Head
- Eight of the last 9 encounters have finished level including the last 4 in a row. Since 2010, the Reds have been unbeaten 10 matches at Goodison in the league.
- Rafael Benítez has won just one of his 10 Premier League meetings against his former teams, beating Chelsea 3-0 with Newcastle United in May 2018.
- At Old Trafford, Klopp managed his 229th game with Liverpool in the Premier League, seeing him overtake Rafa Benitez (228) in leading the club in more games since the league’s inception in 1992.
Predicted Lineups
Liverpool
Predicted XI
Formation : 4-3-3
GK: Alisson;
Defense: Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson;
Midfield: Henderson, Fabinho, Thiago;
Attack: Salah, Jota, Mane.
Injuries and Suspensions
Curtis Jones (eye)
Roberto Firmino (thigh),
Joe Gomez (calf)
Naby Keita (thigh),
Harvey Elliott (ankle)
Everton
Predicted XI
Formation: 4-2-3-1
GK: Pickford
Defense: Coleman, Keane, Godfrey, Digne;
CDM: Allan, Doucoure
Attack: Iwobi; Gray, Townsend
ST: Richarlison
Injuries and Suspensions
Richarlison is back from suspension
Mason Holgate has one game left to clear his suspension
Yerry Mina, Tom Davies, and Andre Gomes are all set to miss out as well, despite the latter’s return to training.
Players to Watch Out For
Liverpool
Salah
Only stats can show the importance of a great player on a tight game so here are some.
- Third fastest player to reach 150 goals and assists in the Premier League.
- Salah slots in behind Alan Shearer and Thierry Henry in the charts, reaching a century and a half in 171 games.
- He is also the top African scorer, beating Didier Drogba
Everton
Richarlison
He will cover the holes of the lack of squad depth in the Everton ranks and hope to link up with the likes of Docoure and Townsend on the break. Everton will possibly play deep at the back so he might have to make use of whatever he can get with his pace. He has been Everton’s most dangerous player on the pitch.
Conclusion
The midnight match in Premier League pits two teams up with complete runs of form up against each other. While Liverpool is winning games and scoring goals for fun, for the most part, Everton cannot get all three points in a game at all for one reason or another. With goals and clean sheets also aplenty, Everton will have a tough run. The only bet for them would be to frustrate Liverpool by playing the low block which Liverpool have succumbed to any time in the past and with Benitez at the helms that do not seem unlikely.
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