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The Premier League resumes with great anticipation after the international break, and there's no better way to kick things off than with the highly-anticipated Matchday 9 fixture. Liverpool is set to take on Everton in the first Merseyside derby of the 2023-24 season at Anfield. The Reds are eager to get back to their winning form and catch up with Tottenham and Arsenal at the top of the league standings.
Liverpool enters this match sitting in fourth place in the Premier League table. In their previous outing on Matchday 8, they played an exciting 2-2 draw against Brighton. Mohamed Salah's two goals put Jürgen Klopp's team on the path to victory after an audacious opener from Simon Adingra. However, Lewis Dunk's late strike ensured that the points were shared.
One concerning trend for Liverpool in recent games is their habit of conceding the first goal. They've fallen behind in 21 out of 46 Premier League matches since the start of the previous season, including five out of eight this season. Despite this, they have managed to accumulate 24 points after going 1-0 down, second only to Crystal Palace (25) in the Premier League since the beginning of the 2022-23 season. Klopp is undoubtedly hoping for a smoother start against Everton.
When it comes to the Merseyside derby, Everton has had a tough time recently, with only one win in their last 25 Premier League encounters with Liverpool (alongside 13 draws and 11 defeats). That solitary victory occurred in an empty Anfield in February 2021, marking the only time Everton has triumphed at their rivals' home ground since the turn of the millennium.
Mohamed Salah has been particularly prolific in recent clashes with Everton, scoring five goals in nine Premier League matches for Liverpool against them. Salah is coming into this Saturday's game in top form, with 27 goal contributions (16 goals and 11 assists) in his last 23 league appearances. Moreover, at Anfield, he has either scored or provided an assist in each of his last 12 league games, accumulating 12 goals and three assists during that period.
Klopp faces some selection challenges ahead of the match. Cody Gakpo is nearing full fitness after a knee injury sustained during a recent defeat to Tottenham. However, if the Dutchman isn't available, the energetic striker Darwin Núñez is likely to keep his place in the lineup. Núñez stands out as one of the top players in terms of off-the-ball runs in the Premier League this season, with the highest percentage of his runs (39%) leading into the penalty area (52 out of 133).
However, Núñez, along with other South American players like Alisson, Luis Díaz, and Alexis Mac Allister, had a long journey back after participating in CONMEBOL's midweek 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Núñez also mentioned experiencing cramps after scoring and assisting in Uruguay's victory over Brazil, which might present additional challenges for Klopp to address.
Trent Alexander-Arnold is expected to be in good shape as he only played in England's friendly against Australia during the break. However, Liverpool may miss Andy Robertson due to a shoulder injury sustained in Scotland's loss to Spain. Kostas Tsimikas is the likely replacement for him. Curtis Jones remains suspended after his red card against Tottenham, but Diogo Jota is back from suspension following his own dismissal in that game.
There are uncertainties about the fitness of Spanish midfielders Thiago Alcântara and Stefan Bajcetic. Dominik Szoboszlai is likely to maintain his position, and Ryan Gravenberch could get his first Premier League start in Jones' absence as Liverpool's new midfield continues to settle.
Both Jurgen Klopp and Sean Dyche will emphasize the importance of maintaining composure on Saturday. Matches between Liverpool and Everton have seen more red cards than any other fixture in Premier League history (22).
Everton recently secured their first home win of the season by defeating Bournemouth 3-0 before the international break, relieving some pressure on manager Sean Dyche. They've won two of their last three league games, matching their total from the previous 16 matches. If they win on the road again after defeating Brentford, it would be their first back-to-back away league wins since May 2021 under Carlo Ancelotti.
Jack Harrison, on loan from Leeds United, had a standout performance in Everton's last match, scoring a remarkable lob and providing an assist on his first league start for the club. Harrison's first-ever Premier League goal came against Liverpool at Anfield in September 2020, and he was part of Leeds' 2-1 win there last October, which remains Liverpool's most recent home league defeat.
Everton has struggled to score in 26 Premier League matches against Liverpool, more than against any other opponent. Alongside Harrison, Dwight McNeil and Dominic Calvert-Lewin will be tasked with avoiding another goalless match on Saturday.
In pursuit of this goal, Everton's struggle with converting scoring opportunities has been a significant point of discussion this season. According to Opta's projected points model, Everton currently find themselves positioned 11 places lower in the league standings than their expected goals (xG) data indicates they should be. Their expected points total of 14.6 is exactly the same as Liverpool's.
Calvert-Lewin is expected to continue as the starting player, ahead of Beto, and Dyche is nearing having a fully recovered squad at his disposal. Idrissa Gueye, who has recuperated from an injury while representing Senegal, may make an appearance. Additionally, André Gomes and Seamus Coleman are both showing positive progress in their recoveries.
In their initial 11 Premier League matches against Liverpool, Everton managed to secure victory in five of them (with four draws and two defeats). However, their fortunes have taken a turn for the worse in the last 51 encounters, as they've only managed to win five (with 21 draws and 25 losses).
Despite this, Everton has often avoided losing to Liverpool. The Merseyside derby has witnessed more draws than any other fixture in English Football League history, with 69 of their previous 208 meetings ending level. Liverpool holds the edge with 81 wins, while Everton has triumphed 58 times.
Nevertheless, Everton has struggled to find the net in their last three Premier League matches against Liverpool. The last time they endured such a goalless streak in Merseyside derbies in the league was between 1972 and 1976 when they failed to score in nine consecutive meetings.
In their most recent encounter in February 2023, Liverpool secured their first league win of the year, defeating Everton 2-0 at Anfield, with goals from Salah and Gakpo, which left Everton in the relegation zone.
Their previous meeting in September 2022 at Goodison Park ended in a goalless draw, with Jordan Pickford making a remarkable save to deny Salah a stoppage-time winner.
Liverpool has an impressive record at Anfield, having lost only one of their last 45 home Premier League games (34 wins and 10 draws). They've remained unbeaten in 15 games since their 2-1 defeat to Leeds in October.
Furthermore, Klopp's team has only failed to score in one of their last 45 home league matches, which was a goalless draw with Chelsea in January.
On the other hand, Everton has scored in each of their last 18 Premier League games, with only Brighton (24) and Tottenham (20) enjoying longer such streaks. Everton started the season well with wins over Bournemouth, Newcastle, Aston Villa, Wolves, and West Ham, but their momentum slowed after earning just one point in trips to Spurs and Brighton.
Despite their lower position in the league, Everton has lost only one of their last seven away games in the Premier League, which was a 4-0 defeat at Aston Villa on Matchday 2 of this season.
They had a rough start to the campaign, but their recent form has seen them win three out of their last four matches in all competitions against Brentford, Villa (in the EFL Cup), and Bournemouth. As a result, they head to Anfield in decent form.
The upcoming weekend features the much-anticipated Merseyside derby at Anfield, where Liverpool and Everton will renew their rivalry in the Premier League. Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool, currently in fourth place, sits comfortably 11 points and 12 positions ahead of Everton in the early season standings, despite a recent dip in form that has seen them secure only one point from their last two matches.
Liverpool's last outing at the Amex Stadium was marred by controversy and a heartbreaking loss to Tottenham Hotspur. However, they bounced back with a convincing Europa League victory over Union SG, bringing some relief to their supporters. Their most recent Premier League match against Brighton & Hove Albion saw them concede an early goal due to a defensive mix-up, but they managed to turn the tide with Mohamed Salah's scoring prowess. Nevertheless, their vulnerability to set-pieces cost them dearly as they settled for a draw, slipping to fourth place in the league standings.
Despite these setbacks, Liverpool remains a formidable force, boasting a superior goal difference over teams like Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal. They have the chance to claim the top spot in the league if they can secure a victory in the Merseyside derby, a feat that would extend their streak of scoring in 21 consecutive competitive fixtures. Anfield continues to be a fortress for Klopp's team, with five home wins this season, each accompanied by at least two goals, and they have yet to be defeated at home in the Premier League this year.
In contrast, Everton has struggled with their conversion rate in the league, ranking among the lowest at 6.77%. However, their recent form has shown promise, with three wins in their last four matches across various competitions, including victories over Aston Villa and Brentford. An international break came at an inconvenient time for them as they were starting to find their rhythm and climb up from 16th place in the league standings. They have improved their goal-scoring record, finding the back of the net in six of their last seven matches, but their defense has remained leaky.
The history between these two rivals includes 293 previous Merseyside derbies. Everton pulled off a memorable victory at Anfield in February 2021, but Liverpool has since won their last two home encounters by a score of 2-0, with fans back in attendance.
