The Final Merseyside Derby At Goodison Park

On Wednesday, the 120th and final Merseyside Derby will take place at Goodison Park. In terms of all the times Everton have hosted Liverpool, both teams have secured 41 victories against the other, with there being 37 occasions where the points have been shared.

Both teams have just crashed out of the FA Cup in the fourth round. For the Toffees, a home game versus Bournemouth ended in a 2-0 defeat as a couple of mistakes from English defender James Tarkowski allowed the Cherries to score from open play and from the spot when Semenyo executed a swift turnaround while facing the opposite direction of the ball before striking it into the bottom left corner, applying enough power so Jordan Pickford was not able to keep the ball out of the Gwladys’ Street net.

On the other hand, the Reds faced, on paper, an easy task of EFL Championship relegation contenders Plymouth Argyle away from home. The Pilgrims sit rock bottom of the Championship, only achieving 25 points from a possible 90 during the current campaign. However, it was a huge occasion, and with Home Park bouncing, it seemed Arne Slot underestimated the encounter. A Ryan Hardie penalty in the 13th minute of the second half was struck past Irish goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, giving Plymouth a massive lead ahead of the team currently sitting top of the Premier League. Surely feeling like an eternity for Plymouth fans, but luckily Miron Muslić’s side managed to get over the finish line, knocking Liverpool out of the FA Cup. The draw for the fifth round was made on Monday, 10th February, and it doesn’t get any easier for Plymouth as they have been drawn against Manchester City away from home at the Etihad Stadium.

Attention turns to the Premier League, however, where the Blues will be hoping for a similar result in the Merseyside Derby to what was achieved last season. A scrappy clearance fell into the zone of Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite, attempting a shot on goal, and what seemed first a weak one soon trickled under the Brazilian goalkeeper Alison before Dominic Calvert-Lewin ensured the ball crossed over the line fully just in case, but the goal was given the way of Branthwaite. Calvert-Lewin did get his chance, though, in the second half, as Dwight McNeil whipped a ball into the back post following a corner. The English striker leaped above those in blue and red before smashing a header, sending the Gwladys’ Street and Goodison Park into turmoil! That Derby was the last for ex-Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, and for Evertonians, it was the perfect sendoff.

However, it’s all about the present, and with a new manager, a new owner, and a bunch of new additions to the squad, everything can change. If there’s a man who understands anything about Merseyside derbies, it is David Moyes. The Scottish manager has been involved in over 25 of these fixtures during his first reign at the club between 2002 and 2013, and Moyes has spoken in his pre-match press conference about the importance of the fixture, stating that "all we need is the support behind us, which they have been since I've come back. They've been absolutely brilliant, even at the weekend when we weren't at our best. But they've got to enjoy it as well; they want to see the team play well; they want to see the team win, more than anything.” The 61-year-old also added that "the most important thing is to get points to keep ourselves in the Premier League; it's a big game, I'm looking forward to it now, and hopefully the players are ready."

For Liverpool, Arne Slot has spoken in his pre-match press conference about the demand for a positive team performance. It’s no doubt confidence will be knocked after the Reds’ shock exit in the FA Cup, where Slot made 10 first-team changes. The Dutchman expressed that “we have to show a different side of us tomorrow, because it wasn't only the result; the performance was far from what Liverpool's standards are as well." Also asked about the atmosphere and occasion, the 46-year-old stated that "I haven’t been to one [a Merseyside derby], but people tell me at Goodison Park, as at Anfield, it's always a fantastic atmosphere.” It will be tough for both sides, especially due to the fact Slot has never experienced this fixture before. Also, both sides are weakened with injuries.

English fullback Trent Alexander-Arnold may be selected to feature on Wednesday night, but it is a touch-and-go situation for the Liverpool backroom staff and physio; it may be a risk bringing back Alexander-Arnold prematurely, so it will be interesting to see what happens on that front. Also, Joe Gomez was brought off after picking up an injury in the clash with Plymouth, ruling the English defender out for the derby.

For the Toffees, Ukrainian left back Vitalii Mykolenko may be fit to feature after picking up a minor calf injury, causing the 25-year-old to be sidelined for the 2-0 defeat against Iraola’s Bournemouth. Another fullback injury occurred when Nathan Patterson managed to pick up a minor hamstring issue in training. All of Seamus Coleman, Dwight McNeil, Calvert-Lewin, Broja, and Chermiti remain out.

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Premier League Upcoming Fixtures:

Wednesday 12th February:

Everton vs Liverpool

Friday 14th February:

Brighton 20:00 Chelsea

Saturday 15th February:

Leicester 12:30 Arsenal

Aston Villa 15:00 Ipswich Town

Fulham 15:00 Nottingham Forest

Man City 15:00 Newcastle

Southampton 15:00 Bournemouth

West Ham 15:00 Brentford

Crystal Palace 17:30 Everton

Sunday 16th February:

Liverpool 14:00 Wolves

Spurs 16:30 Manchester United

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Thank you for reading my pre-match article