Everton have their task cut out against a high-flying Liverpool at Anfield – Premier League preview, brought to you by Dashing…
Liverpool and Everton face-off in a gigantic Merseyside derby at Anfield on Wednesday, 5th December, as both teams grapple with pressures at either end of the table.
The hosts will look to set the ball rolling and capture all three points. If they successfully avoid defeat, it’ll be their 31st consecutive game without a loss in the league, marking their longest ever undefeated streak in the competition.
Jürgen Klopp will look to create history as he marches onto a century of league wins and what better way to do it than against your cross-town rivals. He’s won 99 of his 158 Premier League games and, with another win, he’ll be runner-up to Jose Mourinho as the fastest to the landmark, while taking the podium as the fastest ever Liverpool manager to reach a centenary of wins.
A serious headache for Klopp will be the absence of Alisson who will be suspended after a direct red card. Adrian is expected to man the posts instead. Fabinho, a midfield powerhouse for the Reds, is also ruled out until January 2020 with an ankle injury.
Yet, Liverpool have an unmitigated stranglehold in this particular fixture. They have not tasted defeat in their last 19 games in all competitions (17 in the Premier League) against the Toffees.
Meanwhile, while Everton haven’t won away in a league Merseyside derby since September 1999, since Kevin Campbell’s decisive strike separated the two. The blue half of Merseyside have drawn nine and lost 10 of their previous visits to their illustrious neighbours’ parish.
An even more agonizing stat staring Evertonians in the face is that Liverpool have scored more late goals (90+ minutes) against Everton than against any other league side in history. Divock Origi scored so to settle this tie, last season.
Marcos Silva’ reign at Everton looks to be coming to a disheveled end. 17th on the league table and hovering above the relegation spots, the Portuguese manager is at his nadir at the helm at Goodison Park.
Under Silva, Everton have lost eight of their opening 14 league matches of a season for the first time since 2011-12. In only one season in their entire history have they lost more after 14 games – 10 in the 1948-49 season.
After a depressing loss to Leicester City, where they scored a winner in the 93rd minute, Marcos Silva could only take solace in his team’s effort.
Everton have also failed to score in seven of their last 11 Premier League meetings with Liverpool, netting just once in each of the other four.
Silva will look to vindicate his critics and clawback some respectability. He’ll look to rally his side and ensure that Liverpool’s serenade to the 19/20 title is delayed or hampered.
Surprisingly, this fixture has thrown up more red cards than any other in Premier League history.
With pressure mounting on both sides, for a different spectrum of expectations, Liverpool and Everton will lock horns in the 234th edition of the Merseyside derby, on Wednesday evening.
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