TEAM NEWS
Everton welcome back Richarlison from suspension but Yerry Mina and Dominic Calvert-Lewin remain unavailable.
Andre Gomes has returned to training, meaning Tom Davies is Everton’s only other absentee.
Liverpool have no new injury concerns for the trip to Goodison Park, with Roberto Firmino set to miss another week with a thigh problem.
Naby Keita, Joe Gomez and Curtis Jones are all still sidelined by injury.
LAWRO’S PREDICTION
This was the game where Virgil van Dijk got injured last season so if it is possible to have any more spice than a normal derby, Wednesday night will be it.
However you look at the game, Liverpool have to be favourites. Everton have not won since the end of September and when I watched them against Brentford on Sunday they never ever really looked like scoring. The Bees could even have won by another goal or two.
Rafael Benitez will be hoping his defensive block will hold out but I don’t see it – especially when Everton have got so little to offer at the other end. They won’t be able to give themselves a breather during the game.
Quite often going into these derby games, I think it doesn’t matter whether teams are at the top or bottom of the table because they feel so different but, this time, the sheer quality of Liverpool means I cannot see them creating chances without taking some of them.
Prediction: 0-2
Lawro’s full predictions v CBeebies presenter Ben Cajee
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
- Everton’s 2-0 triumph in February ended a run of 20 Premier League games without a win versus Liverpool.
- The Toffees could win back-to-back league meetings for the first time since 1985.
- Liverpool have not lost a Premier League match at Goodison Park in 11 years. However, eight of their past nine visits have finished level, including the last four.
- The Merseyside derby has produced more 90th-minute winning goals than any other Premier League fixture – but they’ve all been scored by Liverpool players: Ronny Rosenthal (1993), Gary McAllister (2001), Dirk Kuyt (2007), Sadio Mane (2016) and Divock Origi (2018).
Everton
- Everton are winless in seven Premier League games, their longest sequence since April 2016 under Roberto Martinez.
- The Toffees have scored four goals and conceded 13 during that run.
- Their tally of two points from those seven fixtures is the lowest of any Premier League team.
- Everton are one short of becoming the first club to lose 400 Premier League matches.
- A 10th home defeat of 2021 would equal the club top-flight record at Goodison Park in a calendar year.
- Everton can fail to score in four successive Premier League games for the first time since April 2006 under David Moyes.
- They have only lost one of their past 13 midweek league fixtures (W7, D5).
- Manager Rafael Benítez has won just one of his 10 Premier League meetings against his former teams, beating Chelsea 3-0 with Newcastle in May 2018.
- Napoli’s 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund in the 2013-14 Champions League is Benitez’s only victory in seven matches versus Jurgen Klopp. Klopp was sent off in that game.
- Benitez was in charge of 350 competitive games for Liverpool and guided them to winning the 2004-05 Champions League, 2005 European Super Cup and 2005-06 FA Cup.
- His three defeats in 14 Merseyside derbies as Liverpool manager all came at Goodison Park.
Liverpool
- Liverpool are just the second team in Football League history to score at least twice in 17 consecutive matches in all competitions, emulating Sunderland in 1927.
- The Reds have scored 39 league goals this season, their highest-ever total at this stage of a top-flight campaign.
- They have kept a clean sheet in each of their past 10 Premier League victories, including all eight this campaign.
- Liverpool have won four league games by four or more goals this season – twice as many as in the whole of last season and one more than in their title-winning season of 2019-20.
- They could become only the second Premier League team, after Manchester United in 2020, to score at least twice in 10 successive away matches.
- Liverpool have netted 498 Premier League goals under Jurgen Klopp.
- However, the Reds could lose consecutive Premier League games on the road for the first time since February 2017.
- Diogo Jota has scored eight goals in his last 11 Premier League starts.
- Mohamed Salah’s 19 direct goal involvements (11 goals and eight assists) are the most of any player in the top five European leagues.
Choose your Everton formation and starting line-up. It’s up to you how to approach it – you could go for the team you WANT the boss to pick or the one you THINK he will.
Choose your Liverpool formation and starting line-up. It’s up to you how to approach it – you could go for the team you WANT the boss to pick or the one you THINK he will.
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