Overview
Few Everton fans can forget the final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park - where James Tarkowski scored a masterpiece volley, along with post-match controversies related to coach Arne Slot. Therefore, the clash at Hill Dickinson Stadium this weekend is being awaited with great expectations.
Everton's new stadium deserves to be the venue for European matches, and under the guidance of coach David Moyes, the Merseyside team is nurturing hopes of returning to the continental arena when closely following the top 7.
In the most recent round, Everton had to wait until the 90+1 minute to keep 1 point against Brentford thanks to Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's equalizer, thereby preventing their direct opponent in the European Cup race.
With 10 points won in the last 5 rounds of the Premier League, Everton is only 1 point behind Chelsea. A victory would help them reach 50 points for the first time since the 2020-2021 season under Carlo Ancelotti.
After successively defeating Chelsea and Burnley at home, Everton has the opportunity to win 3 consecutive victories in the Premier League at Hill Dickinson for the first time in history. However, Liverpool also carries their own ambitions.
The Kop are aiming for a historic milestone when they can become the first team to win at 60 different stadiums in the Premier League. However, this journey is not easy in the context that Slot's team has not reached stable form.
Liverpool just ended a 3-match winless streak in the domestic league with a 2-0 victory over Fulham, with goals from Rio Ngumoha and Mohamed Salah. However, that joy was quickly extinguished when they were eliminated from the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals by Paris Saint-Germain.
Ousmane Dembele shines with a double, helping PSG win 4-0 overall, thereby making Liverpool continue to face a difficult period when losing 4/5 recent matches in all competitions.
However, The Kop still has a chance to win a Champions League spot when they are 4 points ahead of Chelsea. However, they travel to Hill Dickinson with a 4-match losing streak away from home, and a narrow 2-1 victory over Everton in the first leg is unlikely to bring much confidence.
Personnel situation
With almost full force at this stage of the season, Everton is only missing Jack Grealish due to a leg injury in the Merseyside derby. Carlos Alcaraz has returned after an unannounced fitness issue.
Possessing a stable squad helps Moyes have many options to choose from, but the Scottish strategist is likely to maintain the framework that has operated effectively in recent rounds.
Beto's impressive form continues to be a great support for Everton. The goal against Brentford was the 5th goal of this striker in just the last 4 matches in the Premier League, thereby helping him almost completely take the starting spot in the attack.
In the opposite direction, Liverpool suffered serious losses in force after the midweek series of matches. Main striker Hugo Ekitike suffered an Achilles tendon rupture and is at risk of long-term suspension until the end of the year.
In addition to Ekitike, Liverpool's injury list also includes Alisson Becker, Giovanni Leoni, Conor Bradley, Wataru Endo and Joe Gomez.
In that context, Alexander Isak is almost certain to start to replace Ekitike. However, Arne Slot admitted that the Swedish striker has not reached his best physical condition after a broken leg injury before, so it is difficult to play the full 90 minutes.
Expected lineup:
Everton: Pickford, O'Brien, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Garner, Gueye, McNeil, Dewsbury-Hall, Ndiaye, Beto.
Liverpool: Mamardashvili, Szoboszlai, Van Dijk, Konate, Kerkez, Gravenberch, Jones, Salah, Wirtz, Ngumoha, Isak.
The match between Everton and Liverpool takes place at 8:00 p.m. on April 19 (Vietnam time).
