Life under Marco Silva has been one that has been largely uninspiring for Everton fans. The promise that his arrival was meant to herald has not materialised, and it is fair to say that the pressure is starting to mount on the former Hull and Watford manager.
Admittedly that pressure was relieved in midweek after Everton picked up an impressive win over Cardiff and it is one that sees them move back up to ninth in the table. At the same time, many will feel that current standing is not good enough for a club of their stature.
And that pressure could well return after the weekend’s events, what with the small matter of the Merseyside derby on the horizon. For Everton, it’s not just playing host to their arch rivals but also the Premier League table toppers.
And Liverpool will be looking to build on the momentum that they are starting to re-assemble after an impressive 5-0 win over Watford on Wednesday. One that keeps them a point clear of Manchester City in second.
However, it could well be that Liverpool go into the derby clash lying second in the table and having to play catch up. That’s because City play a day before at Bournemouth and any positive result would see them return to the top of the table.
This could make life more difficult for Liverpool, but at the same time though it will also be a real test of their title wining mettle, especially as we head into the final quarter of the season and with the finishing line being in sight.
One key man for Liverpool who has been a bit quiet as of late is Mohamed Salah, the Egyptian international has not scored in any of his last three matches across all competitions and he subsequently is now second in the Premier League scoring charts.
For Everton they will look to keep Salah quiet once again and in turn hope to frustrate both he and his teammates. At the same time though, Liverpool’s win over Watford showed that goals can come from all over the park.
The Toffees start the weekend four points off of a potential Europa League place next season and they know that a win over their Merseyside rivals would undoubtedly give those hopes a real shot in the arm.
The underlying problem for Everton though has been consistency, something that they have seriously been lacking and this is clearly apparent when you consider that they have lost four of their last six league outings.
And due to this lack of consistency it is also clear to see that Everton are clearly a work in progress, the question remains as to whether or not Marco Silva will be given the time required to kickstart their fortunes.
They need to start showing that they are capable of turning in some decent performances against the toughest sides in the division and they don’t get much tougher than this. Unfortunately for them, it looks as if Merseyside will be painted red come Sunday evening.