The streets of Liverpool will be split for the 247th time as Liverpool host Everton at Anfield to kick off this weekend’s Premier League football. The short trip for the visitors promises to be an interesting one, with Liverpool remaining unbeaten following a series of games in which they scored incredibly late.
In terms of form, many say that form is irrelevant in derbies with tensions running high. However, Everton have had a balanced start to the 2025/26 season, with 2 victories, 1 draw and 1 loss. Their most recent result was a stalemate against Aston Villa. The Toffees will be eager to maintain their top-half position for as long as possible, as they currently sit in 6th place.
Liverpool, as mentioned earlier, remain unbeaten. They most recently beat 10-man Burnley 1-0 thanks to a Mo Salah penalty in the fifth minute of added time. The Reds will be looking to continue their unbeaten status in what will be a difficult derby fixture.
In their last 5 meetings, the fixture has resulted in 3 Liverpool wins, 1 Everton win and 1 draw. The most recent encounter resulted in a 1-0 win for Liverpool back in April, with the late Diogo Jota scoring the winner in a game that Liverpool dominated on their journey to the Premier League title.
Liverpool will be expected to line up similarly to their Champions League game against Atletico Madrid. However, the big debate will be over who will start upfront for Liverpool. Ekitike has been a standout player so far this season – not just for his 2 goal contributions, but also for his intelligent movements to engage himself in the play (whether that be dropping in to receive the ball to feet or making runs in behind the defensive line). But, with Isak starting in their Champions League opener and getting 60 minutes under his belt, there is a possibility that Slot chooses him to start against the Toffees and opts to bring on Ekitike as a substitute to exploit tired defenders.
With Jarrad Branthwaite still injured, Everton will most likely name the same starting XI that played against Aston Villa. There is a slight chance that Mykolenko could feature, having picked up a knock during the international break. Premier League Player of the Month Jack Grealish will be looking to continue to impress whilst on loan in the blue side of Merseyside by hopefully adding to his assist tally, which currently stands at 4. Iliman Ndiaye will most likely operate on the right-hand side.
The match kicks off at 12:30 on Saturday 20th September at Anfield and will be available to watch live on TNT Sports and Discovery+.
PHOTO CREDIT: Tom Jenkins (The Guardian)
WRITTEN BY: Jessica Britchford
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