Everton vs Liverpool: Team news, match facts and prediction

High flying Everton hosts champions Liverpool at the Goodison Park in the first Merseyside derby of the new season.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side has enjoyed a magnificent start to the season and sit top of the EPL table after winning each of their first four games.

Summer signings Abdoulaye Doucoure, Allan and James Rodriguez have hit the ground running, while Dominic Calvert-Lewin is among the form strikers in Europe.

Liverpool, meanwhile, were hammered 7-2 by Aston Villa in a bizarre result before the international break, and Klopp will be looking to bounce straight back.

It must be some time since Everton have gone into a Merseyside derby with as much confidence and momentum, but the international break may just have given Liverpool chance to reset and get key players back to fitness.

TEAM NEWS

Everton pair Yerry Mina and Lucas Digne are expected to recover in time from minor injuries sustained while on international duty. Seamus Coleman, Allan and Andre Gomes all returned to training this week and are under consideration.

Sadio Mane and Thiago Alcantara are set to return after self-isolating because of positive coronavirus tests, while Joel Matip is back in training.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• Liverpool are on a club-record run of 22 unbeaten matches in all competitions versus Everton (W11, D11).
• Everton are winless in the 19 Premier League meetings since their 2-0 home victory in October 2010 (D11, L8).
• Seven of the past eight league derbies at Goodison Park have ended in draws. Liverpool won the other match.
• The last three derbies hosted by Everton have finished goalless.
• Everton are without a home league goal against their Merseyside neighbours in six hours and 45 minutes.

Everton

• This is the first Merseyside league derby with Everton starting top of the table since September 1989.
• Everton are looking to win their opening five league games for the first time since 1938-39. They beat reigning top-flight champions Arsenal in their fifth match that season.
• The Toffees have won their opening seven games in all competitions for the first time since 1894-95.
• Everton could win five league matches in a row for the first time since a run of seven from March to April 2014.
• A league-high 13 goals have been scored in just two games at Goodison Park this term.
• They have scored in 11 of their past 12 home league games – June’s goalless draw with Liverpool was the exception.
• Dominic Calvert-Lewin has scored nine goals in six appearances for Everton in all competitions this season. No player in Europe’s elite five divisions has scored more.
• Calvert-Lewin could become the first Everton player to score in his opening five league games since Tommy Lawton in 1938-39.
• James Rodriguez has contributed to six goals in his five games in all competitions. He has three goals and three assists.
• Teams managed by Carlo Ancelotti have kept a clean sheet in five of their six competitive home matches against Liverpool (W4, D1, L1).

READ MORE:

• Aston Villa vs Liverpool: Team news, match facts and prediction
• Liverpool’s Thiago Alcantara tests positive for COVID-19
• Everton flop reveals his reason for Goodison exit
• Sadio Mane Tests Positive For Coronavirus

Liverpool

• Liverpool have lost four of their past eight away league games, as many as in their previous 46 away fixtures.
• The Reds could suffer consecutive league defeats for the first time since September 2015.
• Liverpool’s four league losses in 2020 are as many as they suffered in 2018 and 2019 combined.
• The last time the Reds had conceded 11 goals after four fixtures was back in 1937-38.
• Liverpool have conceded 23 goals since June’s Premier League resumption. Only Crystal Palace (25) and Brighton (24) have let in more over this period.
• Jurgen Klopp’s side have conceded a league-high seven first-half goals.
• Their past six league matches have produced 34 goals.
• Mohamed Salah has scored 99 goals in 158 games for Liverpool in all competitions and is looking to become the 17th player to reach a century of goals for the club.
• Adrian has made five errors directly leading to opposition goals in his 21 matches for Liverpool in all competitions.
• Klopp is unbeaten in his 11 Merseyside derbies as Liverpool manager in all competitions (W7, D4).

PREDICTION: 2-2