Everton and Liverpool will go head-to-head in a mouthwatering Merseyside derby at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The outcome of this showdown could prove crucial in the race for Champions League qualification, with the two sides separated by just three places and five points.
After brilliantly dismantling Chelsea 3-0 in their last home outing, Everton netted a late equaliser away at Brentford last time out to add another point to their tally.
Back on home soil, the Toffees will be keen to make a statement by toppling their fierce rivals in the first-ever meeting between the pair at this venue.
Liverpool, meanwhile, will look to tighten their grip on 5th place after last week’s 2-0 win over Fulham.
However, the Reds must quickly regroup following their Champions League elimination, having fallen to a 4-0 aggregate defeat to PSG, with Tuesday night’s 2-0 loss bringing my recommended Bet Builder.
How the bookies view it: Reds to reign supreme
Despite losing each of their last two Premier League away games, Liverpool make the short trip across Merseyside as 13/10 favourites on bet365.
Meanwhile, an Everton triumph is trading at 21/10 on bet365, while an all-square affair has been priced up at 23/10 on Betfred.
Head-to-head: Reds rule the roost
Liverpool have historically dominated the Merseyside derby, recording 101 victories to Everton’s 68, alongside 78 draws. The Reds won 2-1 in this season’s reverse fixture, and the same scoreline on Sunday is priced at 9/1 with bet365.
Players to watch: Take a chance on Toffees duo
Given that Beto and Iliman Ndiaye have accounted for the bulk of Everton’s Premier League goals this season, backing either player to score on Sunday stands out at a value even money (1/1) with bet365.
Dominik Szoboszlai is averaging 1.98 shots per game in the Premier League this season, making the Liverpool playmaker an appealing option to register at least two attempts on goal at 4/5 with bet365.
Predicted line-ups
Everton will be without Jack Grealish due to a long-term injury, while Carlos Alcaraz is also a doubt after a spell on the sidelines. Otherwise, the Toffees squad looks in good shape.
That is a stark contrast to Liverpool, who lost Hugo Ekitike to a season-ending injury on Tuesday night, with the Frenchman joining Alisson Becker, Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni and Wataru Endo in the Reds treatment room.
Everton: Pickford; O’Brien, Tarkowski, Keane, Mykolenko; Garner, Gueye; Ndiaye, Dewsbury-Hall, McNeil; Beto
Liverpool: Mamardashvili; Frimpong, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Wirtz; Gakpo
Anything else catch the eye?
Sparks could fly on Sunday afternoon, and there are plenty of candidates to consider in the player card markets.
One angle that stands out is backing either Idrissa Gueye or James Garner to be booked at 6/5 with bet365.
The tough-tackling Everton midfield duo have collected a combined total of 10 Premier League cards between them this season.
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