One of the most historic derby matches in the Premier League, the Merseyside derby, has been a time for Liverpool to assert their dominance on their rivals Everton. But things feel a little different this season. While Everton are still struggling, currently in the relegation zone and two points from safety, Liverpool have also taken quite a step back in year seven under Jurgen Klopp.
The Reds are winless in their last four matches while Everton are coming off of a landmark victory over Arsenal, breathing new life into their survival campaign. With new manager Sean Dyche leading the charge, this won’t be a Merseyside derby where the Toffees roll over having been winless in the fixture since February 2021. There has been quite a lot of change around both teams since that fixture but the positive air is around Everton as they look to parlay the new manager bounce into getting out of the relegation zone.
After Liverpool’s 3-0 loss to Wolverhampton last time out, this is a match that comes at a tricky time for Klopp. The team is getting healthy but matches with Newcastle United and Real Madrid are also looming. Klopp can’t look past a derby match even with Everton in the relegation zone but you wouldn’t be able to fault him for doing so considering the magnitude of those games. It’ll make for a tense affair at Anfield when Dyche’s Everton hope to again be hard to break down.
“There’s been a lot of detail going into this week, a lot of planning going into this week, but the players are aware,” Dyche said in his pre-match presser. “We’ve got to go again, and that’s going to be the constant mentality throughout the rest of the season.”
He’s a man who won’t let his team get caught up in one good result when they need a string of them to get back into the safety zone. Attention to detail will ensure that Everton can keep Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez off balance while continuing to punish Liverpool on set plays. It’s no coincidence that the first goal under Dyche was a Dwight McNeil cross for a James Tarkowski-headed goal, something that the team will look to replicate.
If things go well, Liverpool have the talent to roll over Everton. But things haven’t gone well for the Reds since December with the club winless in seven consecutive matches in all competitions. Klopp’s seat hasn’t gotten too hot yet but this is a game where it could begin to do so considering that even with the credit that he has built up from taking the club to new heights, a season with no trophies and without a top-four finish could be too much for Liverpool appearing to be in transition to stomach.
It’s a derby where the winning club could be on the right track and the loser will deepen their spiral, driving home how this is a different Merseyside derby than in years past.
How to watch and odds
- Date: Monday, Feb. 13 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
- Location: Anfield — Liverpool, England
- TV: USA | Live stream: fuboTV (Watch for free)
- Odds: Liverpool -170; Draw +305; Everton +150 (via Caesars Sportsbook)