Liverpool will host Everton in the Merseyside Derby at Anfield on Wednesday, eaget to extend their lead at the top of the table and get closer to the Premier League title.

Liverpool were horrendous ahead of the international break as they crashed out of the UEFA Champions League and lost the EFL Cup final to Newcastle United; their next game is vs Everton, the team that started this inconsistent run of form.

The Reds will be desperate to bounce back strongly and finish the season on a high. Arne Slot’s men are currently on top of the Premier League table, and they will be hoping to win the title. Liverpool were held to a draw against Everton earlier this season, and it will be interesting to see if they can grind out a victory here.

Liverpool have managed to pick up a win over Everton in the last three derbies at home, and they will certainly be the favourites to win here. Meanwhile, Everton have shown an impressive upturn in form since the managerial change.

David Moyes has managed to get the best out of them, and the Toffees are unbeaten in their last six matches in the Premier League. The Toffees have been very difficult to beat in that time, and they will look to pull off an upset at Anfield. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.

Team News & Tactics

Liverpool

Tyler Morton misses out with a shoulder injury, and Joe Gomez is still recovering from his hamstring issue. Trent Alexander-Arnold remains sidelined with the injury he picked up prior to the international break.

Liverpool are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Everton, with Alisson Becker in goal. Conor Bradley and Andrew Robertson will start as the full-backs, and they will look to help out at both ends of the pitch. Ibrahima Konate will pair up alongside Virgil van Dijk at the heart of the defence.

As for the midfield unit, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch will add defensive cover and control to the side from the deep. Meanwhile, Dominik Szoboszlai will look to create goal-scoring opportunities for his teammates. Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo will add creativity and goals from the wide areas, with Diogo Jota leading the line for Liverpool vs Everton on Wednesday.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Bradley, Konate, van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo; Jota

Everton

Dominic Calvert-Lewin is out with a thigh injury, Orel Mangala has a knee injury, Seamus Coleman is out with a knock, Dwight McNeil has a knee issue, and Iliman Ndiaye is ruled out as well.

Everton will shape up in a 4-4-1-1 formation vs Liverpool, with Jordan Pickford in goal. Jake O’Brien and Vitaliy Mykolenko will start as the full-backs. They will look to keep things tight at the back and hit Liverpool on the break. James Tarkowski will form the central defensive partnership alongside Jarrad Branthwaite.

Jack Harrison and Jesper Lindstrom will start in the wide areas. They will look to add pace and flair to the side. James Garner and Idrissa Gueye will add defensive cover and physicality to the side from the middle of the park. Carlos Alcaraz will start as the attacking midfielder here, with Beto spearheading the Everton attack vs Liverpool on Wednesday.

Probable Lineup (4-4-1-1): Pickford; O’Brien, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Harrison, Garner, Gueye, Lindstrom; Alcaraz; Beto

Key Stats

• Liverpool are undefeated in their last 25 matches in the Premier League.
• Everton have drawn their last four matches in the Premier League.
• Liverpool are undefeated in 29 of their last 31 matches against Everton in all competitions.
• 12 goals have been scored in the last six matches between these two teams.
• David Moyes has won none of his 19 Premier League away games against Liverpool, the joint-most any manager has faced an opponent on the road without a single victory in the competition (Moyes also 19 vs Chelsea). As Everton boss, he drew six of his 11 league visits to Anfield (L5), including his last one in May 2013 (0-0).

Player to Watch

Mohamed Salah

Embed from Getty Images

The Liverpool talisman is our key player to watch out for. Salah has been the best player in England this season, and he will look to add to his goal tally for the season. This could be his last Merseyside Derby, and he will look to make a defining impact.

The veteran attacker will look to open up the away defence with his creativity, passing and vision as well. Everton have been difficult to beat, and Liverpool need Salah’s ingenuity to find a way past their cross-town rivals.

Salah has been directly involved in eight goals in his last seven Premier League Merseyside derbies for Liverpool against Everton (G6 A2), scoring and assisting in this season’s reverse fixture at Goodison Park. The only players to score and assist in both of their Premier League matches against Everton in a single season are Chris Sutton in 1993/94 and Alan Shearer in 1994/95. If this is it, expect him to bow out on a high.

Prediction

Liverpool 2-1 Everton

Both teams will be desperate for a victory here, and this is likely to be a close contest. Neither side will want to end up on the losing side. Liverpool will look to grind out a victory and take one step closer to the Premier League title.

The Reds have the attacking quality to find a way past Everton’s resilience. Both teams are likely to get on the score sheet here, but Liverpool have more quality in the final third, and they should be able to grind out a narrow victory. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Arne Slot and his charges.