The latest edition of the Merseyside derby will be a desperate battle when Liverpool host Everton on Monday in an English Premier League match at Anfield. Liverpool (8-5-7) are stuck mid-table, sitting 10th after finishing last season as runners-up. Everton (4-6-11) are in the relegation zone, sitting 18th in the Premier League table. But the Toffees come off a huge 1-0 victory against league leader Arsenal in their first match under new manager Sean Dyche. Liverpool have taken just one point from their last four Premier League matches. The most recent was an embarrassing 3-0 loss to relegation-threatened Wolves.
Liverpool vs. Everton spread: Liverpool -0.5 (-165)
Liverpool vs. Everton over/under: 2.5 goals
Liverpool vs. Everton money line: Liverpool -165, Everton +430, Draw +300
LIV: The Reds have scored at least once in nine of 10 home league matches
EVE: The Toffees have allowed more than one goal once in their past eight games
Why you should back Liverpool
Only one of the Reds’ seven losses have come at Anfield, and they have a 23-9 goal differential on home soil. They still have dangerous attackers, with Mohamed Salah leading the charge. The Egyptian striker has seven goals, which is not up to his standard, but he is still a dangerous presence. Salah shared the Golden Boot last season with 23 goals. Darwin Nunez, who has 10 goals in all competitions, and Cody Gakpo also can create a lot of problems for defenders. Gakpo had 12 goals in 19 matches with PSV Eindhoven before arriving after the World Cup.
Liverpool have had a ton of injuries, but they face an Everton squad that has scored just 16 goals. If their talented attack can find at least one goal, they’ll be in good shape. The Toffees are 1-4-5 on the road and have scored just six away goals. The Reds are 12-9-1 in their past 22 home meetings with Everton. The last meeting ended 0-0, but Liverpool had an 8-3 advantage in shots on target and held 61% possession.
The Toffees, in the midst of a battle to avoid the drop, started life under their new boss in a huge way, stunning league leaders Arsenal in Dyche’s first game in charge. Dyche’s mentality of toughness and grit has given Everton fans hope for a turnaround akin to last season when the storied club narrowly avoided the drop.
Why you should back Everton
The Toffees found a huge spark with Dyche taking over on the bench following Frank Lampard’s sacking. The longtime Burnley manager relies on a fierce defensive game, and Everton should frustrate the Reds all day. Dyche went with a 4-5-1 against Arsenal, with physical midfielders Abdoulaye Doucoure, Idrissa Gueye and Andre Onana in the center. Dwight McNeil and Alex Iwobi help the fullbacks, and James Tarkowski and Conor Coady are a stout pairing in the middle. Jordan Pickford, who is third in the league with 75 saves, is the last line of defense.
Liverpool, on the other hand, have gone winless in four league games and are sputtering in mid-table. It has led to talks of Jurgen Klopp’s dreaded “seventh season syndrome,” alluding to the time when things went wrong at his previous jobs and how that seems to mirror this season’s decline.
There’s plenty of Premier League football left to be played this season for both clubs to either achieve turnarounds or suffer disappointment, and this match may offer up a hint of what could be in store for the rest of the campaign.
Although Everton are coming off a win over Arsenal and Liverpool haven’t won a Premier League match since December 30, Liverpool are still the heavy betting favourites to bring Everton back down to Earth. The Reds are nearly 1/2 on the moneyline, while Everton are 5/1 underdogs.
Further lending to the belief that Everton are second-best, the “no” selection on both teams to score is slightly favoured, while the over 2.5 goals total is as well, meaning the market thinks goals will come, but that Everton will struggle to score.
Liverpool vs Everton: Three things to know
Here are some basic facts to know about the Merseyside derby, including trends and potential lineups.
Liverpool vs Everton match facts
Date: Monday, February 13
Kickoff Time: 3 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. GMT / 7 a.m. AEDT (Thu, Dec. 15)
Location: Anfield (Liverpool, England)
Official: Simon Hooper
Liverpool vs Everton team news
The Reds are slowly getting back to health, but their injury list remains lengthy. Diogo Jota, Virgil van Dijk, and Roberto Firmino have returned to training, and all three make the bench against Everton. Ibrahima Konate will be shortly behind them, as will Arthur, while the timeline for Luis Diaz calls for a few more weeks.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been ruled out of the game, due to a thigh injury, with Michael Keane only fit enough for a spot on the bench at Anfield. Nathan Patterson and James Garner are out, while Andros Townsend is nearly back from his torn ACL.