(Football news) This fixture will be a poignant occasion, given that it will be the final derby played at Goodison before Everton move to their new stadium on Bramley-Moore Dock next season.
Along with the final home game of the campaign against Southampton in May, no fixture this season will have more emotion attached to it for Everton fans than the final league derby that will be ever staged at the Grand Old Lady.
The blue half of Merseyside will also go into the weekend in much higher spirits after stopping the rot in midweek, ending a five-game winless run and a four-game scoreless streak.
A much-needed 4-0 win over relegation rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers was just what manager Sean Dyche needed following a run of form that had turned much of the fanbase against him and threatened his future in the job.
Those three points moved them back up to 15th after they were briefly leapfrogged by Crystal Palace and Leicester City, who both won 24 hours earlier, and means the Toffees are now five points clear of trouble, ahead of a treacherous run of games.
After Liverpool, Dyche’s men will then travel to Arsenal, host Chelsea a few days before Christmas, and go to Manchester City on Boxing Day, so opening up a healthy gap to the bottom three was absolutely critical.
Everton will be seeking back-to-back league wins for the first time since April, when during that run they beat Liverpool at Goodison.
Their form in derbies suggests that will be a tall order, considering they have not won two consecutive matches against Liverpool since the 1984-85 season, when they were crowned English champions.
Against the stronger teams in general, Everton have a woeful record, having won just four of the 47 Premier League matches they have played against a side currently top of the standings.
Liverpool in particular are their least-favorite opponents, with just six wins in 54 meetings since 2000, making the visitors the strong favourites here.
The loss in April was a shock for the Reds and ended their 12-game unbeaten run at Goodison Park, but ahead of Arne Slot’s first taste of this fixture, he does not actually have to do much to improve upon Jurgen Klopp’s record away to the Blues.
Klopp won his first derby at Goodison but then only managed one more in seven future visits—the 4-1 success in 2021 when the much-maligned Rafael Benitez was in the Everton dugout.
Playing in the 12:30pm slot could be a positive or a hindrance, and even though a lot has been said about the amount of times Liverpool are given early Saturday kickoffs, they are unbeaten in eight when playing at this time—winning six.
Based on the result, a win in such a big fixture will add extra pressure onto the chasing pack, while any more dropped points will give those behind Liverpool added impetus.
More Mohamed Salah’s excellence was not enough last time out, as Slot’s men threw two points away in injury time at Newcastle United on Wednesday, with Caoimhin Kelleher’s howler allowing Fabian Schar to equalise for the Magpies in the dying stages of their 3-3 draw.
That was just the third time in 21 games under Slot that Liverpool have failed to win, and after Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City all won on the same night, the gap has closed slightly.
There are some warning signs creeping in too, especially defensively despite still having the best record in the division, because Wednesday’s trip to St James’ Park saw them concede at least two goals in an away game for the fourth fixture in succession.
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