Following more than three months without any competitive action, Everton and Liverpool return with one of the most anticipated games in the English football calendar: The Merseyside Derby.
Of course, Liverpool’s unassailable lead at the top of the Premier League table means they already have the title wrapped up. But Everton would love nothing more than to delay their rivals’ title party.
The Toffees have endured an indifferent 2019/20 campaign so far. Marco Silva was sacked in December with the club in the relegation zone, and Carlo Ancelotti came in to steady the ship.
A STUNNING individual strike against Arsenal 👑💫 pic.twitter.com/122v0vxNHx— Liverpool FC (at 🏠) (@LFC) June 15, 2020
A STUNNING individual strike against Arsenal 👑💫 pic.twitter.com/122v0vxNHx
Sure, the team have made vast improvements under Ancelotti. But it feels like Everton have nothing left to play for this season.
Everton are still stuck in 12th – ten points clear of the bottom three and 11 points off the top four – so a mid-table finish is looking likely.
Meanwhile, Liverpool will be aiming to get their hands on the Premier League trophy as early as possible when the campaign resumes.
It is no secret that the Reds will be crowned champions in the coming weeks. But following the delay due to the coronavirus lay-off, manager Jurgen Klopp will be eager to make it official.
Let’s not forget that Liverpool have only suffered one defeat in 29 league games this season and boast the best defensive record in the division.
Liverpool are unbeaten in their previous 19 meetings with Everton in all competitions and haven’t lost against their cross-city rivals in their last 26 Premier League games.
The gulf in quality between the two sides is vast right now, so it’s difficult to imagine Everton bucking that trend when the two teams face off on Sunday.
The Reds thrashed Everton 5-2 in the reverse fixture back in December with an utterly dominant display, recording 60% possession and creating endless goalscoring opportunities.
Looking at the team news, Everton will be without the injured Theo Walcott and Jean-Philippe Gbamin, while Andre Gomes is a doubt after picking up a knock in training.
Forgotten-man Nathaniel Clyne is Liverpool’s only confirmed absentee, so Klopp is likely to field a full-strength starting XI.
It’s difficult to ignore Liverpool’s outstanding record in this fixture. Both sides will be lacking match fitness following the break, but Liverpool should still get the job done quite comfortably.
Forebet predicts that Liverpool will score over 1.5 goals on their way to victory over Everton. A clean sheet could also be on the cards for the away side.