Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the English Premier League match.
The midweek Merseyside derby is undoubtedly the headline act, with few other fixtures capturing the same attention. Liverpool still have fresh memories of letting victory slip at Goodison Park earlier this season — and the heated aftermath that followed. A chance for revenge awaits at Anfield.
Liverpool
One of the big questions for Liverpool is whether Alisson Becker will be fit to start. The Brazilian goalkeeper clashed heads with a teammate during international duty and left the camp early. Trent Alexander-Arnold is definitely out — he missed the League Cup final defeat to Newcastle United, a result that still stings. Despite having two-thirds of the possession in that match, Liverpool were well beaten. Newcastle dominated their opponents with 17 shots to 7 and six shots on target—three times more than their rivals—yet only Alisson’s heroics prevented a rout. That made it back-to-back defeats for Liverpool, following their loss to Paris Saint-Germain.
Everton
As for Everton, David Moyes has quietly put together a resilient run — nine Premier League matches unbeaten (four wins, five draws). It's their longest stretch without defeat since 2010, also under Moyes, and coincidentally bracketed by losses to Liverpool. Stopping Arne Slot’s Liverpool altogether is still a tall order, they remain unbeaten in 25 Premier League outings.
Liverpool vs Everton Prediction
Everton are unlikely to snatch all three points at Anfield, but neither should we expect them to collapse. With Liverpool’s internationals returning fatigued, and their injury concerns mounting, backing the visitors with a cushion looks a sensible play.
