Premier League: This Mersey Derby is a Cracker

Liverpool vs Everton

First faces sixth in a Premier League tear-up on Saturday lunchtime as league leaders Liverpool take on their neighbours Everton to kick off the weekend’s top-flight footy with style, we hope!

This fixture is known as the “Friendly Derby” mainly because locals claim that there are many families in the city, with both Blues fans and Reds in their number. Well, that’s as maybe, but there wasn’t much friendliness last season as the two teams had a battle royal at Goodison Park and a war of attrition at Anfield, resulting in a 2-2 draw and a 1-0 Liverpool win.

Arne Slot’s Reds are hot favourites to win this meeting according to the pre-match Premier League 2025 betting odds, but they will not get an easy ride from the Toffees, once again a club to be reckoned with since the return of manager David Moyes.  As the team at the top with 12 points from four games, Liverpool are there to be knocked off their perch, and who better to do that than their gutsy neighbours?

 

Talking Points

Isak is ready to go

Liverpool come into the game on the back of a 1-0 win away to Burnley, but the Reds hardly laid a glove on the Clarets until they broke through on 95 minutes. And, while summer signing Hugo Ekitike has impressed since he arrived from Eintracht Frankfurt, he had little luck at Turf Moor, and now the Reds fans are hoping their latest addition, Swedish hitman Alexander Isak is ready to take his bow.

A £125 million deadline day signing from Newcastle United, Isak is ready to take to the field now, according to Slot, who says he will play some part in the Reds’ Champions League opener against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday night.

Liverpool’s trip to Burnley was never likely to be easy, but few neutrals thought the Clarets would hold out for 94 minutes before Jeremie Frimpong’s bullet of a cross hit Hannibal on the elbow. Referee Michael Oliver had no hesitation in pointing to the penalty spot, and Mohamed Salah swept a brilliant shot well out of reach and into the roof of the net.

Another player who laboured at Turf Moor is attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz, a second £100 million plus signing from Bayer Leverkusen, and he is yet to open his scoring account with the Reds. Slot came to his player’s defence, saying he has come up against tough opponents: “There is so much focus on our new signings, especially pundits that cannot stop talking about the £450 million we have spent. If we want to strengthen the squad, we need to spend that much money,” he admitted.

This SBOTOP writer has certainly, and unashamedly, joined in that clamour. But, to be fair to Slot, his team is the only one on 12 points, and the rest are playing catch-up. So you can argue he has spent his money well.

 

Grealish gives the Toffees star quality

Everton can only dream of the budget of their neighbours, but they have a wily and experienced manager in Moyes. And in Jack Grealish, they may have the signing of the summer.

The Manchester City star has been out of favour at the Etihad, and his loan move to Merseyside seems to have ignited his career. A mercurial talent, Grealish is a mood player, and he is bursting with confidence since his arrival at Everton, making four assists already as the Toffees picked up two wins from their opening four games.

He came close to scoring against his old club last week as the Villans played out a goalless draw with Aston Villa, and he is certainly looking back to his best, with quick feet, vision, and a way of cutting through a defence with a mazy run or a killer pass.

Grealish won the top-flight Player of the Month award for August, and he is sure to make more than his fair share of Premier League 2025 highlights. He loves to show what he can do on the biggest stage, and Anfield is as big as it gets.

 

History

Liverpool have won 126 of the Merseyside derbies, while Everton have won 84 and there have been 87 draws. But last season the Toffees had a moral victory when they fought back to draw the last ever derby at Goodison Park, 2-2, James Tarkowski scoring a 98^th minute leveller which sparked furious scenes at the end. The Reds exacted their revenge when they picked up all three points in a 1-0 victory at Anfield.

 

Betting Tip

Liverpool are red-hot favourites priced at 1.45 to win this match, with the draw at 4.50 and an Everton win at 6.99.

I have a sneaking suspicion the Reds might lose their 100-per cent record on Saturday. They have won all four games with very late winners, two deep into stoppage time. While they play in Europe on Wednesday, the Toffees have a week to rest and prepare.

And, of course, this is a derby, when form often goes out of the window. 

   

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