rewrite this title Everton vs Liverpool: Preview, predictions and lineups

Table toppers Liverpool make the short trip across Stanley Park on Saturday as they visit Everton at Goodison Park for the final time in the Premier League.

With the Toffees moving to a new stadium for the 2025/26 campaign, this will be the last time they host Liverpool at Goodison in the Premier League – and likely ever. The venue has witnessed Merseyside derbies since 1892 and Everton will want to end this particular chapter on a high this Saturday.

Everton won their home meeting with Liverpool last season and have only lost one in their last seven against their neighbours at Goodison. After Wednesday’s 4-0 thrashing of Wolverhampton Wanderers on home soil, the Toffees will be raring to go this weekend.

Liverpool endured a tougher midweek test as they travelled to St James’ Park. An enthralling 3-3 draw with Newcastle United saw their lead at the summit of the Premier League table cut to seven points and another slip-up on Saturday is likely to be capitalised on by the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City.

Arne Slot’s side have still only been beaten once this season and his first Merseyside derby is one that could have huge ramifications. He will swiftly get a taste of the ferocity of this fixture on Saturday lunchtime.

Here is 90min’s guide to the Merseyside derby.

Everton vs Liverpool H2H Record (Last Five Games)

Current form (all competitions)

Everton’s big win midweek will serve as an enormous confidence boost ahead of Liverpool’s visit and the Toffees seemingly came through the match unscathed on the injury front. Sean Dyche has a strong squad heading into Saturday but does still have a few fitness concerns.

In midfield, James Garner and Tim Iroegbunam are missing for Everton, with neither expected to return until the end of December. Up top, Youssef Chermiti remains sidelined with a long-term foot injury suffered in pre-season.

Dyche is unlikely to name a lineup drastically different from the one that put four past the Old Gold on Wednesday night, with a 4-4-1-1 formation likely utilised to frustrate the division’s leading side.

Everton predicted lineup vs Liverpool (4-4-1-1): Pickford; Young, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Ndiaye, Gueye, Mangala, McNeil; Doucoure; Calvert-Lewin.

Slot could well make changes from the midweek draw on Tyneside, especially in defence. Trent Alexander-Arnold will return to the starting XI after registering two assists from the bench against Newcastle, while Jarell Quansah and Joe Gomez – both of whom were unconvincing on Wednesday – will be competing for a centre-back spot in place of the injured Ibrahima Konate.

Alisson is closing in on a return and Caoimhin Kelleher’s disappointing performance on Wednesday shows that he’s still some way off his teammate’s level despite being an excellent deputy. However, the Brazilian, much like Kostas Tsimikas at left-back, remains likely to miss the Merseyside derby, while Conor Bradley is still absent at right-back.

Alexis Mac Allister accumulated his fifth yellow card of the season against Newcastle and will miss the Everton clash through suspension. Curtis Jones could drop into a deeper role to cover or Slot could turn to Wataru Endo or Tyler Morton.

In the forward line, Diogo Jota is still missing after suffering a rib injury against Chelsea back in October. Federico Chiesa has returned to team training and could be part of the matchday squad on Saturday.

Liverpool predicted lineup vs Everton (4-2-3-1): Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Jones; Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo; Diaz.

Despite Everton sitting 15th in the table at present, Liverpool know better than anyone the dangers of visiting Goodison. They have only tasted victory in two of their last 12 trips across Stanley Park, with nine of those journeys ending in a draw.

With their ego slightly bruised from Wednesday’s trip to St James’ Park and some key contributors missing in defence and midfield, Liverpool could find life difficult up against the stubborn and combative Toffees.

Liverpool will be obvious favourites for this one but you can never bet against a draw in a Merseyside derby at Goodison. It would be a fitting result on the stadium’s farewell tour.

Prediction: Everton 1-1 Liverpool

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