Liverpool make the short trip across Stanley Park in high spirits this weekend as they attempt to prolong their longest ever unbeaten run against Everton.
The Reds are without defeat in this fixture in 16 matches since October 2010 and know that victory this weekend - even if only temporarily - will lift them up to second place in the Premier League.
Everton will have something to say about that, of course, with three points required if they are to remain on course for a seventh-place finish come the end of the campaign.
Despite the 26-point gulf between the Merseyside rivals, Sports Mole looks at whether any Toffees players would make it into the Liverpool side.
Loris Karius has looked far more composed between the sticks since being selected as first choice over Simon Mignolet, and he also boasts the better clean sheet ratio compared to Jordan Pickford - six in 13 matches compared to seven in 32. What that does not take into account, though, is the 104 stops Pickford has had to make this term, many of which have been outstanding to see him tipped to become England's number one at the World Cup.
Liverpool's entire defence has looked more solid over the past few months, in fact, coinciding with Virgil van Dijk's arrival from Southampton in the winter window. The world's most expensive defender will have to go some way to justify his price, but he is slowly going about his business in the right way and has formed a good partnership with Dejan Lovren of late, most recently keeping out Manchester City's all-star cast of attackers.
Another good signing has been Andrew Robertson on the left-hand side, meanwhile, with the Scotsman building up a reputation as being one of the finest crossers in the division, as his four assists prove. Trent Alexander-Arnold has also come of age of late, while Everton's Leighton Baines will go down as one of the Prem's all-time great full-backs, but Seamus Coleman's importance to the Toffees was only highlighted during his lengthy layoff in 2017 and early 2018.
Man-for-man there can also be little doubt that the Reds have the better midfield, but what they do lack is a recognised defensive midfielder with the ability to break up play in the mould of Idrissa Gueye. Wednesday's win over Man City showed once again why Jurgen Klopp was so determined to pay big to land Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, meanwhile, with the English midfielder an ideal ball carrier in his favoured central-midfield position. Then it is a choice between a lot of similar options, although with Emre Can and Adam Lallana out of this weekend's fixture, Jordan Henderson has arguably done more than the others to justify selection, even if he does still have his critics.
Fitness permitting, Mohamed Salah would be the ideal man to lead this hybrid XI thanks to his stunning form in front of goal, but he is expected to sit this one out and his spot is therefore taken by Cenk Tosun. A slow start to life in English football has since made way for four goals in four games, including a brace against Stoke City just before the international break, and he is the type of player to thrive on the off-the-ball work of Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino alongside him.
Daniel Lewis
