Liverpool V Everton

Liverpool V Everton

Sunday, 16th January – 14:05 (GMT)
Venue: Anfield
TV Coverage: Sky Sports HD 1

Liverpool

As you would expect, Kenny Dalglish’s return to the Liverpool helm has dominated the headlines in the surrounding area. The fans are delirious, though the punters are still wary despite this new found optimism around Anfield.

Back-to-back defeats is hardly the dream start for a Kop icon, a club legend in actuality, and although there’s little doubt as to the impact the Scot has already made since resuming the role of caretaker manager following Roy Hodgson’s dismissal last Saturday; the support from the terraces now right behind their manager and the team, while the players themselves are reportedly delighted with the appointment. However, there is still so much work to be done and, following a disastrous start to his tenure, many are even speculating whether it’s too big a job even for King Kenny, the man who left Liverpool nearly 20 years ago as a European powerhouse but resumes the role with the club in dire straights and flirting with Premiership exile.

After a woeful first half to the season which seen Roy Hodgson fail in his bid to steady the Liverpool ship, with the club hovering precariously above the relegation zone, just four points in fact, it’s pretty evident that the morale back at camp Melwood, the Liverpool training ground, isn’t exactly sky-high at the present time. The squad are demoralised following a season full of torment and constant criticism, and the team are desperately in need of a morale boost lift. Unfortunately, the arrival of Kenny Dalglish isn’t enough to quench their thirst, though victory over their Merseyside rivals on Sunday just might do the trick.

You need to cast your minds back to 1999 for the last time Liverpool were beaten at Anfield in a Merseyside derby, and the subsequent encounters have produced 5 wins and 5 draws for Liverpool. In a season where this current bunch of misfits and underachievers have seemingly strived to dig themselves an even bigger pit on a weekly basis, defeat on Sunday really would be an all-time low, and that’s some statement considering defeats at home against Blackpool and Wolves are right up there in terms of the club’s lowest ever moments in the Premier League, a league they’ve never been relegated from, or even looked liked a candidate, yet many believe another loss at the weekend, what would be their fourth on the spin following back-to-back defeats in the league away at Blackburn (3-1) and Blackpool, and of course the controversial 1-0 loss at Old Trafford to arch-rivals United in last weekend’s FA Cup third-round tie, would genuinely put their status as a top-flight club in serious jeopardy.

Sunday’s Merseyside showdown genuinely has that make or break feel to it, with a victory possibly sparking some sort of mini-revival under a man collectively loved by everyone on Merseyside, bar the Toffees of course. Defeat, though, and it could spell disaster, as the team lack any sort of mettle or resilience to recover from what would be such a demoralising result.

Everton

There have been many striking greats down the years who have been fortunate enough to put on the famous blue colours of Everton, though Kevin Campbell isn’t one. Scorer of just 36 goals in 137 appearances for the Toffees, the now retired Campbell remain the last Everton player to have scored a winning goal at Anfield way back in 1999. A whole host have failed to repeat the feat since including Nigerian powerhouse Yakubu, who was booted out of the door earlier in the week where he will spend the rest of the season out of David Moyes’ hair at Leicester City.

If scoring at Anfield has proved troublesome for Everton over the years, simply finding the back of the net at any venue is proving a beastly concept for the Toffees this season. Between Jermaine Beckford, Louis Saha and Yakubu, four league goals have been scored since the start of the campaign. Without Tim Cahill’s determination to make up the forward’s slack, the Aussie chipping in with nine league goals this season, Everton would be in a more dire predicament then they re currently, which on reflection, judging by their inability score frequently in plentiful sums, is actually very healthy.

As you are all well aware by now, Cahill is out in Qatar, Asia, with the Australian national team bidding to win the 2011 AFC Asian Cup. So what exactly are Everton deprived of? Well, at first glance nine goals and a proven goalscorer. More importantly however, David Moyes is without arguably his most passionate, devoted and determined Toffee. He’s without a player which tore up parity when the two sides’ first clashed back at Goodison. In the Aussie’s wake, Moyes is left with an uninspiring bunch, a group of players whom while they were winners in their two most recent competitive matches, the latter a 5-1 rout of Scunthorpe in the FA Cup while the former an impressive 2-1 win at home over Tottenham Hotspur, were pathetic away at Stoke on New Year’s.

Now the onus is on Louis Saha to cover the loss of Cahill, although pressing concerns are about Everton’s ability to carve out opportunities. Normally, Steven Pienaar and Mikel Arteta are two of the most creative players on the pitch, but the latter has been out-of-sorts all season while the former is seemingly a significant step closer to sealing a move elsewhere. Leighton Baines and Seamus Coleman, the two full-backs, are likely to be Everton’s most creative outlets at the weekend, and that isn’t necessarily a positive as the pressure applied on them to assisting in the final third will leave aches of space at the back.

The one characteristic you can never really doubt is their hunger and determination levels, nor is their passion for the big matches questioned. But, with Cahill absent and key men off-form, we simply cannot help but have our doubts. Then again, have Liverpool ever been more ripe for the taking?

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Last 5 Results

Liverpool

Premier League: Blackpool 2-1 Liverpool
FA Cup: Manchester United 1-0 Liverpool
Premier League: Blackburn Rovers 3-1 Liverpool
Premier League: Liverpool 2-1 Bolton Wanderers
Premier League: Liverpool 0-1 Wolves

Everton

FA Cup: Scunthorpe 1-5 Everton
Premier League: Everton 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur
Premier League: Stoke City 2-0 Everton
Premier League: West Ham 1-1 Everton
Premier League: Manchester City 1-2 Everton

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Head-to-Head

2010/2011: Everton 2-0 Liverpool

2009/2010: Liverpool 1-0 Everton
2009/2010: Everton 0-2 Liverpool

2008/2009: Liverpool 1-1 Everton
2008/2009: Everton 0-2 Liverpool

2007/2008: Liverpool 1-0 Everton
2007/2008: Everton 1-2 Liverpool

2006/2007: Liverpool 0-0 Everton
2006/2007: Everton 3-0 Liverpool

2005/2006: Liverpool 3-1 Everton
2005/2006: Everton 1-3 Liverpool

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2010/2011 Premier League Statistics

Liverpool

League Position: 13th
Win-Draw-Lose: 7-4-10 (Home: 6-2-2)
Goal Difference: 25-29 (Home: 17-8)
Form: LLWLL (Home: WWWLW)
Top Scorer: Fernando Torres (7)

Everton

League Position: 11th
Win-Draw-Lose: 5-10-6 (Away: 2-6-3)
Goal Difference: 23-25 (Away: 11-12)
Form: DWDLW (Away: DDWDL)
Top Scorer: Tim Cahill (9)

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Betting Odds & Tips

Match Prediction: Draw – 3.30 BetFred

There have been so many enthralling Merseyside derbies over the years and rarely is there ever a dull moment. Christmas may have been and gone but on Sunday, on Merseyside, you’ll see several cards brandished, although only in shades of yellow and red. No fixture in Premiership history has produced more red cards than the Merseyside derbies, which says all you need to know about just how important both clubs treat this fixture.

Steven Gerrard, who has seen red in several Merseyside encounters during his time, is ironically suspended following his red card offence at Old Trafford last Saturday. His absence is telling as now Dalglish is without one of a select who genuinely know what losing a Merseyside derby feels like, a local boy who grew up in the surrounding area. Jamie Carragher is another, the stalwart still out with a shoulder injury. Thes likes of Martin Skrtel, Daniel Agger, Lucas, Raul Meireles and, more significantly, Fernando Torres will need to stand up and be counted on Sunday, something I’m not overly confident they’ll do.

Phil Jagielka and Steven Pienaar are both doubts for Everton, though both are expected to be in contention. Tim Cahill is, of course, over in Asia and his absence is just as telling as Steven Gerrard’s for Liverpool. However, David Moyes still has several individual who rarely fail to give their all in the crunch clashes; Phil Neville, Marouane Fellani and Leon Osman among those, so there shouldn’t be any lack of effort of endeavour from the Toffees. Whether they can get into their rhythm early on at an atmospheric Anfield remains to be seen.

I don’t see a great deal between the two, with Everton in stuttering form and Liverpool, well, they have none whatsoever. Liverpool’s players have done more sulking than performing, so, if anything, I’d have to choose Everton over the Reds. However, home advantage is crucial what with Liverpool unbeaten in their last ten Merseyside derbies on home soil, although interestingly five of those were draws.

Value Bet: Fernando Torres First Goalscorer – 5.50 PaddyPower

The Spaniard is enduring a disppointing campaign so far, though remains a world-class striker. Chances were few and far between on Wednesday, as Liverpool were downed by Blackpool for the second time this season, yet he took the very first which came along, underlining just how emphatic and clinical a finisher he can be. ‘El Nino’ to the fans, Torres has scored three goals in four appearances league appearances against Everton.

Match Odds:

Liverpool – 2.25 Bet365
Draw – 3.30 BetFred
Everton – 3.60 VictorChandler

Liverpool V Everton

Saturday, 6^th February – 12:45 GMT

The Merseyside Derby – LIVE on Sky Sports 1

Liverpool

League Position: 5th

Recent Form: WDWDW

Liverpool, a side which should have some new found belief after going six games unbeaten in the league, put their six match unbeaten run well and truly to the test as they welcome their bitter and local rivals; Everton, to Anfield for this hotly anticipated Merseyside derby. The first encounter of the season between these two bitter foes saw the red side of Liverpool take all the spoils in a 2-0 victory at Goodison Park back in November. However, The Toffee’s are desperate to avenge that defeat as they felt aggrieved to have lost that fixture and will be doing their utmost to avoid being on the wrong end of a league double against the Reds’.

It’s been a patchy season to say the least for Liverpool and even now, after stringing a six match unbeaten streak together, they still aren’t performing to the level we all know they can play at – which is high! Their performance on Saturday wasn’t pleasing on the eye nor was it entirely convincing, with Bolton creating several decent openings which scared the living daylights out of home supporters. However, the big plus point was that Liverpool won the game without playing well and it was also pleasing to see Steven Gerrard close to his best after a handful of poor displays this season. The Liverpool skipper wanted the ball throughout, which hasn’t always been the case at times this season, and there was glimpses of the old Gerrard; the one that shot on sight and had a keen vision for through passes and pinpoint long balls. The Kop will demand a lot from their talismanic captain this Saturday as they hope he will take this game by the scruff of it’s neck and drive Liverpool towards a much needed victory.

A win on Saturday, in what is the weekends early kick-off, would be a huge scalp for Liverpool as it would lift the spirits of the players as they are desperate for a morale boosting win as they begin their assault on the top four. Then again, Liverpool are in good form at Anfield, having won their last three games at home in the league. However, only one of those three victories seen Liverpool put in a decent shift and that was against Tottenham, a game which was being touted as one of their biggest games of the season. That night, like many others when Rafael Benitez and his players are under scrutiny, Liverpool were sensational from start to finish; from their work rate to chances to created, Liverpool were top notch. It was arguably their best displays of the season and it brought back memories of their performance against their arch enemy, Manchester United, when they beat United 2-0 at Anfield earlier in the campaign. They were under the cosh that day before kick-off and rose to the challenge, completely outplaying United for most parts of the game, but when the pressure isn’t on them as much, much like this game in all fairness because they are now unbeaten in six, Liverpool do have this tendency to come unstuck and did so at home to Arsenal back in December, losing 2-1 at Anfield, right after things were looking up after previously going four games unbeaten in the league

Liverpool are a huge club, not only in England but around the globe, and it’s sometimes their reputation alone that has them priced up as firm favourites in some matches. Saturday’s match up with Everton is no exception, and while they should win, we can’t see an awful lot of value in backing a side which generally only comes good when their backs are firmly up against the wall. Some will say their season is still at a low, which it is in some respects, but the players won’t be feeling the pressure as much after a decent run of results and we can’t help but have reservations over their motivation ahead of this fixture; which is an absurd comment to make considering it’s a local derby but that’s the state Liverpool are in at the moment in that you just don’t know which Liverpool will turn up – The classy outfit which could beat absolutely anyone on their day or the side that looks lost and rarely breaks a sweat as they underachieve yet again.

Everton

League Position: 9th

Recent Form: WDWWW

Everton won’t care about their form heading into this fixture nor their position in the table but will instead concentrate solely on the task at hand and securing a victory at a venue they haven’t won at since 1999 when Kevin Campbell scored the only goal of the game in a 1-0 win for the visitors. Since, however, The Toffee’s haven’t been sweet enough and haven’t won at Anfield since the turn of the Millennium. A run they will be eager to better on Saturday.

Everton, much like their neighbours, are having an under-par season thus far but do appear a team firmly on the up after putting together a nine match run without losing in the Premiership. It’s a staggering run when you consider that this streak of theirs was built upon three successive defeats in the league after a poor month of November. However, this impressive streak of theirs is a credit to the staff and players as Everton have risen to the challenge and ridden the immense pressure put on them by the press and by their expectant fans and just like their match day opponents, Everton are also gunning for a European finish and are also having to play catch up.

Everton head into this eagerly awaited fixture with better form than their counterparts, winning their previous three league encounters. All were impressive, all were to NIL, with Tim Howard in the Everton goal having not conceded in the league for 270 minutes after clinical victories over Man City (2-0), Sunderland (2-0) & Wigan Athletic (0-1). The last one, an away win at Wigan, came at just the right time as questions would have been asked of Everton going into this fixture after previously not managing an away win in the Premiership in five outings. It was, however, still just their third away win of the season and it was against a beleaguered Wigan side, but it will only be a positive from an Everton perspective as it keeps up this momentum and their improving confidence levels.  

Even a poor Liverpool would require a big display from Everton if they were to win on Saturday, but the Toffee’s have proven in their recent fixtures that they can up their game and they can be a match for any side. In this inspiring eight match unbeaten run of theirs, three more matches unbeaten than Liverpool, Everton have had to pull some huge team displays out of the hat, earning incredible draws at both The Emirates; drawing 2-2 with Arsenal, and at Stamford Bridge; drawing 3-3 with Chelsea. Both games saw Everton at their very best, counter-attacking at pace and in numbers, and the fact they’ve now scored five goals in their last two away fixtures with ‘Big Four’ opposition is a massive positive heading into their fourth and final away clash of the season against one of last seasons top four sides.

Head-to-Head (Last 10):

Liverpool W: 7 Everton W: 1 Draws: 2

•  Everton have won just one of the last ten meetings with Liverpool; A 3-0 victory at Goodison Park back in 2006. 

•  Everton have earned a draw in two of their last three visits to Anfield

•  There hasn’t been an Overs (2.5) game at Anfield between the two in their last three encounters, with the last coming back in 2006 when Liverpool won 3-1. 

•  Liverpool are unbeaten in six league meetings with Everton; three at Anfield and three at Goodison Park. 

•  The previous six meetings at Anfield have seen Everton come away with more booking points, with Liverpool generally quite clean in that aspect. 

• Everton will seek inspiration from their FA Cup win at Anfield last season when they won 2-1 after extra-time via a Dan Gosling strike.

Match Verdict: Draw - 3.60 Bet365

We would love to tip up Liverpool but we have too many unanswered questions surrounding them and so the draw is our selection as we cowardly sell out for a stalemate. To be honest, though, Everton are enjoying a good spell of form and look a tough proposition for Liverpool on paper. They’ve gone three more games than Liverpool without losing and have won their last three league encounters, all without conceding a goal. You would feel the Everton squad will be the more confident of the two but you can never back against Liverpool on their own turf and so a draw, however gutless it may seem, could turn out to be the smart bet here. Also, a wee punt on Everton receiving more booking points than Liverpool could prove beneficial.

Match Odds:

Liverpool – 1.90 BlueSquare

Draw – 3.60 Bet365

Everton – 5.00 Boylesports

SoccerBetting Value Pick: Everton (More bookings or booking points)