Anfield go host the 247th Merseyside derby as Premier League champions Liverpool dey face Everton this Saturday for lunchtime.
Na bragging rights dey waka between these two sides again, wey last jam each other for April when late Diogo Jota score the only goal wey give Liverpool narrow 1-0 home win.
Match Preview
E clear say Liverpool dey get habit of dey collect late goals to secure three points. Wednesday 3-2 win against Atletico Madrid for Champions League na the fifth time this season wey Reds need late goal after 83rd minute to win match.
Liverpool first carry two-goal lead waka as early goals from Andrew Robertson and Mohamed Salah cancel out by Marcos Llorente double.
But captain colossus Virgil van Dijk save them day, header the 92nd-minute winner for Arne Slot 47th birthday.
For all competitions, 29% of Premier League goals wey dem score for 90th minute and beyond na Liverpool (4/14) so far this season.
Dem don need stoppage-time winners for three of their four league matches to start title defence correct, including Mohamed Salah 95th-minute penalty for narrow 1-0 win at Burnley last weekend.
Slot praise im Liverpool boys mentality midweek but admit say team “supposed make am easier for ourselves”. Fans sabi say dem no fit dey rely on late goals forever, but if e happen again, dem no go complain.
Liverpool dey top Premier League with full 12 points, and dem dey try win all their first five matches for start of PL campaign for just third time.
Dem fit back themselves to collect positive result Saturday as dem don lose only one of last 28 home games against Everton in all competitions (W17 D10), and don win last four in a row since 2-0 defeat February 2021.
On the other hand, Everton don bounce back after opening-weekend loss to Leeds United. Dem don collect seven points from last three PL matches plus progress to third round EFL Cup.
Toffees win back-to-back league games against Brighton & Hove Albion (2-0) and Wolves (3-2) before draw 0-0 with Aston Villa last weekend. Only Everton vs Liverpool (12) get more 0-0 results than Everton vs Villa (9) for Premier League history.
David Moyes dey happy say Everton don keep four clean sheets in five competitive games this season, but e still dey regret lack of “finishing touch” against Villa as dem only register 2 of 20 shots on target despite dominating for home ground.
Everton dey try improve their bad Merseyside derby record, wey dem don win only 2 of last 29 PL encounters with Liverpool (D14 L13) and fail to score in five of last seven.
Moyes never win PL game for Anfield in 20 attempts (D6 L14) – na record with Stamford Bridge too (D7 L13). But dem fit dey optimistic as Everton don win six of last 11 PL away matches (D2 L3), same as the number wey dem win for previous 30 games combined (W6 D10 L14).
All six wins na for 2025 and dem last get seven away wins one year for 2021, including 2-0 win at Anfield.
Liverpool Premier League Form:
W W W W
Liverpool Form (All Competitions):
L W W W W W
Everton Premier League Form:
L W W D
Everton Form (All Competitions):
L W W W D
Team News
Liverpool coach Slot dey get full squad as midfielder Curtis Jones don “back in the fray” after missing last two matches.
Slot surprise by fitness of record signing Alexander Isak, wey play 58 minutes for full Liverpool debut. Swedish striker fit retain starting spot, while Hugo Ekitike fit lead line.
Salah don score eight goals against Everton for PL, only Steven Gerrard (nine) get more derby goals. Salah dey expected to start right flank.
Slot fit bring back Alexis Mac Allister for either Dominik Szoboszlai or Ryan Gravenberch, Robertson fit retain left-back spot ahead of Milos Kerkez.
For Everton, Moyes no rule out Jarrad Branthwaite (hamstring) or Vitaliy Mykolenko (unspecified) wey dey recover. Branthwaite never play this season and fit no start even if e pass late fitness test. Mykolenko fit still dey doubt.
If Mykolenko no fit play, James Garner go continue as makeshift left-back, with Tarkowski, Keane, O’Brien dey complete defence protecting Pickford.
Jack Grealish (PL Player of Month August) and Iliman Ndiaye expected dey wide, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall go dey advanced central role. Moyes dey decide whether to keep Beto or recall Thierno Barry wey never score for Toffees yet.
Liverpool Possible Starting XI:
Alisson; Frimpong, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo; Ekitike
Everton Possible Starting XI:
Pickford; O’Brien, Tarkowski, Keane, Garner; Gueye, Iroegbunam; Ndiaye, Dewsbury-Hall, Grealish; Beto
Prediction
We dey reason say Liverpool go win 2-0. Considering how both teams start season and their Merseyside derby record, e hard to back against Liverpool collecting all three points for Anfield.
Everton fit still cause wahala like Burnley last time, but we dey expect Slot machine to churn out another win to keep perfect start for 2025-26.
