Merseyside Derby

Everton V Liverpool

Date/Kick-Off: Saturday, 1 October 2011 – 12:45 (GMT)

Venue: Goodison Park

TV Coverage: LIVE on SKY SPORTS 2

If you like your football crammed full of passion, desire and the off feisty tackle, the Merseyside derby between Everton and Liverpool will be right up your street. No Premier League fixture has produced more red cards over the years – 19 in total – and there could be more dished out when the pair rendezvous at Goodison Park this weekend, especially as referee Martin Atkinson does have a reputation for flashing the cards.

Everton, after taking four points off their nearest and not so dearest last season, will feel they hold all the aces going into the 37th Merseyside derby in the Premier League era. Goals from Tim Cahill and Mikel Arteta gave the Toffees a 2-0 victory at Goodison Park last October in the corresponding fixture. Historically, though, it has been the Reds who have enjoyed their meetings more, once again during the Premier League era, winning 16 and losing 9.

Everton

League Position: 11th

League Form: LWDWL

In their last league fixture, Everton basically shut up shop in a bold bid to claim what would have been a highly coveted point away to Manchester City. Unfortunately it didn’t work out for David Moyes & Company, with the Toffees going down 2-0 at Eastlands. But those fans who were sceptical with the methods used at the Etihad Stadium can rest assured that their team will be doing everything in their power this weekend to claim all the spoils, and more importantly bragging rights, in the first Merseyside derby of the season.

For the best part of an hour, Everton held firm in Manchester last week. Some were a little critical regarding David Moyes’ negativity, which is understandable. The fact Moyes basically parked the bus at Eastlands, or at least attempted to, basically said ‘we cannot beat you’. Personally, I thought it was shrewd move that unfortunately didn’t pay off, as while the supporters may not want to hear it, Everton can no longer go to top venues and compete like they have done in years gone by, not with their current array of attackers, or lack of them I should say.

The one thing the Man City reverse has done is raise the onus on Everton winning their very next fixture, which just so happens to be THEE game of the season, in the opinion of the supporters. And believe you me, Everton will go hell-for-leather on Saturday in search of a priceless victory. However, their record against their arch rivals isn’t all that encouraging: last season’s 2-0 win at Goodison Park, which came courtesy of goals from Tim Cahill and Mikel Arteta, was only Everton’s first win over Liverpool in nine Premier League matches, losing five of those.

More woe for supporters, though more so for manager David Moyes, is news that Tim Cahill – the club’s talismanic Aussie play-maker – may not even feature, after the 31-year-old damaged his shin in the defeat to Man City. Moreover, Mikel Arteta, scorer in last season Goodison win over the Reds, has moved on while there isn’t a recognised striker at the club in any sort of scoring form; Louis Saha has fallen down the pecking behind Cahill, who isn’t even a striker by trade, while loanee Denis Stracqualursi is only a bit-part player.

So, who will score the goals for Everton on Saturday? It’s a puzzler, that’s for sure.

Liverpool

League Position: 5th

League Form: WWLLW

Great things are expected from Liverpool this season after a summer of upheaval, with Kenny Dalglish shaking things up at Anfield. Plenty of talent has arrived through those pearly Anfield gates, and just as much driftwood has been allowed to drift on out, but it’s been a rather bland start. Results haven’t always been forthcoming, despite taking what would appear a decent enough tally of points from their first six games, but the important thing is the team are on course to complete their main objective this season, which is to finish inside the top-four.

It’s imperative the club earn the right to play amongst Europe’s finest, in the UEFA Champions League, but in order to finish above seventeen other teams in the division, Liverpool must find some consistency. So far they’ve been indifferent, which is understandable to a degree when you consider how many new faces there are at Anfield these days. Even Steve Clarke, Dalglish’s assistant, insists it’s been an ‘average’ start from the Reds. So they must improve, and fast, as their next few league assignment are corkers to say the very least.

Next up for King Kenny and his Reds is Everton in the first edition of this season’s Merseyside derby, but just after the international it’s arch rivals United at Old Trafford. So a couple of pivotal encounters for Liverpool, two games which could define their season. Flop in both, as they did so emphatically away at Tottenham recently, when they were comprehensively beaten 4-0 in North London, and serious questions will be asked of their top-four credentials. Heck, even fans may start wondering whether this current crop, who are unproven as a package, are capable of taking this massive club forward.

So, time for a fair few to stand up and be counter. Fortunately, a player who is as reliable as they come and rarely fails to raise his game for the crunch encounters is back in contention. Steven Gerrard, the Liverpool skipper who has more Merseyside derby appearances than most – he’s also seen red a few times in this fixture, too – has returned from a six-month injury lay-off and after successive second-half appearances against Brighton and Wolves, both in 2-1 wins, could we see the return of unarguably one of the club’s greatest players to the first-team fold?

Match Pointers

- Everton took four points from their two league fixtures with Liverpool last season, recording a 2-0 victory at Goodison before later earning a 2-2 draw at Anfield.

- The Toffees have won just one of the previous nine Merseyside derbies, although it was the last at Goodison Park.

- David Moyes’ team have lost only one of their last fourteen Premier League matches at Goodison Park (W8 D5 L1).

- Liverpool have kept just one clean sheet in their last seven Premier League away matches, losing their last two by a disconcerting aggregate of 0-5.

- Dirk Kuyt has netted one goal in each of his last three appearances for Liverpool versus Everton.

Betting Verdict

Last season’s Goodison Park encounter didn’t live long in the memory for Liverpool, who may as well stayed at home that day. Everton’s hunger saw them through against their beleaguered rivals who, at the time, were a club in turmoil and in dire straits under then manager Roy Hodgson. They’re a different proposition entirely under Kenny Dalgish, who has added plenty of home-grown creativity to his ranks since taking the helm in January. So it could pay to put some faith in the Reds, who’ll be buoyed by the return of skipper Gerrard, having too much fire-power for a toothless Everton who once again will be spearheaded by their makeshift forward, Tim Cahill.

Everton can never be criticised for a lack of spirit or endeavour, but there’s a distinct lack of goals in this team. The same cannot be said for Liverpool, however; Adam, Downing, possibly Gerrard, and most definitely Luis Suarez, can be a right handful and all are capable of unlocking a dogged home defence.

Match Prediction: Liverpool to WIN – 6/4 VictorChandler

Value Bet: Luis Suarez First Goalscorer – 11/2 Coral

Match Odds

Everton – 21/10 Bet365

Draw – 23/10 SkyBet

Liverpool – 6/4 VictorChandler

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

Everton V Liverpool

Sunday, 17th October – 13:30 GMT
Venue: Goodison Park
TV Coverage: Sky Sports HD1

Merseyside derbies have always been enthralling to watch, but we don’t recall a clash between Everton and Liverpool representing as much importance as Sunday’s meeting at Goodison Park, where the pair find themselves near the very foot of the table with the loser almost certain to spend the next seven days floundering in the relegation zone.

With the Red side of Merseyside in turmoil, on and off the pitch, with the club no nearer to a finalised sale and performances on the pitch leaving a lot to be desired, you could argue that Everton have never had stronger claims for the win. But the omens do favour Liverpool, whom haven’t lost a Merseyside derby since going down 3-0 at Goodison Park in 2006. Since then, Liverpool have won five of the last seven league contests and were they to leave Goodison with all the spoils on Sunday, would probably reward loyal punters with their biggest ever return, odds wise, in a Merseyside derby.

But it’s Everton who have recently turned a corner with their first win of the season coming away at Birmingham City a fortnight ago. So will the Toffees double up with victory over Liverpool? Or will the Reds once again reign supreme on Merseyside as they also go in search of just their second win of the campaign, their first since August.

Everton

League Position: 17th
League Form: LDLDW

A dire run of six matches without registering a win finally came to an two weeks ago at St Andrews, which ironically killed of Birmingham’s remarkable unbeaten home run of 18 matches. And the three points gained from their Birmingham exploits was enough to see them jump out of the bottom three and as a result relegate Liverpool down to 18th position, so you could say it was the perfect weekend for the Toffees, who effectively killed two birds with one stone and with their tails now firmly up and wagging, will fancy their chances of ending another lengthy streak without winning, this time the seven-match run without winning a Merseyside derby.

A huge sigh relief rang out around Everton as David Moyes’ team finally ended an alarming drought of six games without a league victory. However, the lack of form and confidence from their strikers is still very much a talking point, with Everton’s winning goals against Birmingham coming from the head of Tim Cahill and the foot of a Birmingham defender. All that matters was picking up that elusive win, but in the gran scheme of things Everton still haven’t quite managed to shake off those forward cobwebs which have seen the likes of Louis Saha, Yakubu and Jermaine Beckford fail to score a league goal all season.

Seven games down and Everton have only conjured six goals, failing to score in just over half of their fixtures so far. It’s a huge problem which needs resolving fast, but David Moyes has been scrathing his head over a possible resolution for some time now and the best he can come up with is bunging Marouane Fellani and Tim Cahill up front. The pair are menacing in the air but are largely ineffective on the ground, which is why goals have dried up since last season. Yakubu has started up top for Everton’s recent games but he’s been useless up till now, so unless Liverpool put in another defensive horror show like they did last time out against Blackpool, you’re racking your brain as to how and who will score for Everton on Saturday. Funnily enough, their last league goals at home to Liverpool came via an own goal, so perhaps that’s an avenue punters should explore as we don’t hold out much hopes on the likes of Fellani, Yakubu and Beckford.

Defensively the Toffees have done OK, while their general performances have been very good. Creating chances hasn’t even been a problem, the converting part has. However, their plans have been disrupted by injuries to key personnel, the sort of personnel which would have brought both stability and creativity to the fore. Steven Pienaar, a player with a quick turn of foot and ambitious with his runs, is missing with a groin problem while defender Phil Jagielka, Everton’s most accomplished centre-back, is a massive doubt with a hamstring injury sustained while training with England. Although, Louis Saha could return to to bolster Everton’s attacking options.

Liverpool

League Position: 18th
League Form: WDLDL

If you were to grab yourself a tent and drop it on top of Anfield, you’ll have yourself a circus. I’ve not seen such controversial scenes involving the ownership of a football club since, well, forever. For most the international was a God send, a week or so away from the day-to-day life of the Premier League where players would have some time away to reflect and relax. That hasn’t been possible for Liverpool, who have seen just about everything during a calamitous week which has involved everything from an embarrassing court case to their own owners suing the club for $1.6 billion in damages. It’s not even the stuff of films, it’s the sort of material nightmares are made up of.

So while Liverpool’s nightmare season continues reach horrifying new heights, the players have to somehow, almost impossibly, put the well publicised off-pitch chaos to the back of minds and focus on a must win Merseyside derby which, should they lose, would result in Liverpool remaining in the relegation for at least another seven days, possibly for the foreseeable future if the club’s destiny isn’t finalised soon, with a nine-point deduction for entering administration very much a realistic outcome.

Amidst the chaos, the team is at rock-bottom. It has been well over a month since the team last celebrated victory in the Premier League, while defeat last time out to Blackpool at Anfield was officially an all-time low for a club which was previously steep in history and tradition but has seen all that tarnished by two clowns by the names of Tom Hicks and George Gillette. But as we’ve already pointed out, the players have to somehow blank out the mess which is Liverpool FC and concentrate of digging the actually team out of a gigantic hole which has been dung by themselves following a disastrous start to the season, where Liverpool have won just one of their opening seven matches – A routine 1-0 win over West Brom at home – and find themselves in the precarious position of 18th.

Burnley 4-0: Liverpool’s only away win in the Premier League in 2010. A total of twelve away fixtures have been contested by Liverpool in 2012 and yet all they have to show for themselves is an expected rout of relegated Burnley, who went down with the worst defensive record in Premiership history. We’re looking for inspiration, some evidence as to why Liverpool are a sublime bet at 2/1 in a fixture they’ve generally come good in but we’re struggling, badly. If you put aside their impressive record against their local rivals then you have nothing, no reason whatsoever as to why Liverpool should be backed. And to add insult to injury, Dirk Kuyt is facing months on the sidelines with an ankle injury, Daniel Agger is also a major doubt for Saturday’s clash while Fernando Torres has only just returned to first-team training but has looked a wantaway forward all season. Who would dare wish to be in Roy Hodgson’s shoes?!

Match Prediction: Draw – 3.30 SkyBet

I don’t think I’ve ever backed Everton to win in the Merseyside derby, but I came within a whisker of doing so this time around.

Liverpool are in dire straights right now, and that includes in every single department, on and off the field of play. Not only is the financial state of the club a complete and utter mess, the players have been performing to an unsatisfactory level all season and have clearly been feeling the strain and pressure from everything that’s going on around them. Their best player has been Steven Gerrard, and by some distance, but their match winner, Fernando Torres, hasn’t turned up this season and until he does, we fear the worst for Liverpool as the potential is there for them to embark upon their worst run in the Premier League for some time, as well as the possibility of a drastic finishing position.

At the same time, Everton haven’t exactly been blowing teams away, far from it in fact, and with their issues regarding the forwards still very much prominent, we would feel uneasy and by no means confident backing them either. So the draw is the only logical prediction, as two sides steeped in history and success contest a relegation six-pointer.

Over/Under: Under 2.5 Goals – 1.73 totesport
Correct Score: 0-0 Draw – 9.75 Unibet
Half-Time/Full-Time Betting: Draw/Draw – 5.00 bWin

Match Odds:

Everton – 2.50 StanJames
Draw – 3.30 SkyBet
Liverpool – 3.20 BetFred

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)