Prediction: Liverpool vs Everton

Verdict: Liverpool Win and Over 2.5 Goals

Best Odds: 13/20

Bookmakers: William Hill

Liverpool welcome their eternal rivals Everton to Anfield for what promises to be an electric Merseyside derby on Sunday. Jurgen Klopp’s side have been devastating going forward, and are capable of blowing teams apart. The Toffees meanwhile have experienced a resurgence under new manager Sam Allardyce, who looks set to save them from relegation. Interestingly both sides heading into this game looking for their third consecutive win, which should add an extra spark to a fixture that has often been a fiery affair.

Liverpool 

Fresh from a 7-0 destruction of Spartak Moscow in the Champions League in midweek, Jurgen Klopp’s side will be feeling supremely confident heading into this Merseyside Derby. The Reds have been prolific in front of goal, scoring 33 times in 15 league games this season. Summer signing Mohamed Salah has been a revelation, and leads the league with his 12-goal haul so far. Even more impressive is the fact that when the foursome of Philippe Coutinho, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Salah are on the pitch, one of them scores on average every 23 minutes. Liverpool are one of the most exciting attacking sides to watch, but it is in defence where the issues arise.

Klopp’s back line has leaked 19 goals this season, giving them the joint worst defensive record in the top seven. It is perhaps this inadequacy that is holding them back from pushing for the league title, especially given that they have registered costly 1-1 draws with Newcastle and Burnley. It seems that the failure to acquire Southampton centre half Virgil van Dijk in the summer has proved costly, and will provide the only chink in the Reds’ armour that Everton may be able to exploit.

Team News

Sporadic starting left back Alberto Moreno picked up an ankle injury in midweek, and is thus a doubt for this game. James Milner could start in his place.

Nathaniel Clyne, Joel Matip and Marko Grujic all remain out with long-term injuries.

Everton

The Toffees had a truly awful start to the season, winning just once in their first nine games of the season in the Premier League. Having spent over £100m in the summer, Everton were tipped by many as potential top four dark horses, but their awful form resulted in the sacking of manager Ronald Koeman. There was a distinct lack of pace amongst their ranks, and a huge amount of pressure was being placed on the shoulders of youngster Dominic Calvert-Lewin to inject some penetrative threat into their attacks. As a result the Merseyside club found themselves in the relegation zone, which seemed to spark some sort of response at least.

Everton have now won their last two games in a row, keeping two clean sheets in the process and scoring six times. New manager Sam Allardyce has had an instant impact, and their defensive performances should continue trending in the right direction. The issue remains however that his side struggle to consistently score goals, and even with Wayne Rooney hitting some form and Gylfi Sigurdsson getting on the score sheet in the last game, Allardyce may need to bring in a striker in January. The Toffees may well be able to open up Liverpool’s incredibly mediocre defence, which will at least give them a chance on Sunday.

Team News

The Toffees have left back issues of their own as Leighton Baines is unlikely to have recovered from a calf strain in time for this clash.

Allardyce has arrived to discover somewhat of an injury crisis, with Ross Barkley, Seamus Coleman, Yannick Bolasie and James McCarthy all ruled out.

Key Factors to Consider

• Liverpool are unbeaten in all seven of their league games at Anfield this season.
• The Reds have scored 33 goals in 15 Premier League games during this campaign.
• Everton have conceded 28 times, giving them the third worst defensive record in the league.
• The Toffees are without a league win away from Goodison Park this season.
• Mohamed Salah leads the league with 12 goals scored in this campaign.

Conclusion

There is little doubt that Sam Allardyce will turn Everton into a defensively solid team at some point, but that process takes time. A clash with Liverpool this early in Big Sam’s tenure unfortunately could end in a drubbing, simply given the plethora of remarkable talent starting up front for the Reds. The safest bet here looks like a home win, with a high scoring game if you’re feeling a little bit bolder.

Verdict: Liverpool Win and Over 2.5 Goals

Best Odds: 13/20

Bookmakers: William Hill