The red and blue halves of Merseyside renew hostilities at Anfield on Saturday lunchtime, as Liverpool and Everton mark the end of the international break with a tantalising Merseyside derby in the Premier League.
Jurgen Klopp's fourth-placed troops find themselves 12 places and 11 points better off than the Toffees in the fledgling table, despite only taking one point from the last six on offer.
Match preview
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Liverpool's preparations for a trip to the Amex Stadium two weekends ago were overshadowed by the fallout from their excruciating and unjust loss to Tottenham Hotspur, although a straightforward Europa League success over Union SG provided the Kop with a welcome tonic.
However, the Reds were overrun by Brighton & Hove Albion early doors on October 8, as Simon Adingra capitalised on a mix-up between Virgil van Dijk and Alexis Mac Allister to break the deadlock, but Mohamed Salah did what he does best from inside the penalty area to turn the tide in the visitors' favour.
Set-piece deficiencies ended up proving costly for the Reds, though, as Lewis Dunk shinned home Solly March's free kick to deny Liverpool an immediate return to winning ways in the top flight, bumping them down to fourth place in the standings in the process.
Nevertheless, with Klopp's men boasting a superior goal difference to Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal, top spot will be theirs should they earn the Merseyside bragging rights on Saturday lunchtime, and the Reds return to base having made the net ripple in each of their last 21 competitive fixtures.
The walls of the Anfield fortress are still holding firm too, as Klopp's troops have five wins to show from their five home affairs this season - netting at least two goals on each occasion - and they are yet to be bested at their headquarters in the Premier League during the current calendar year.
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Only two teams in the entire division boast a worse conversion rate than Everton's 6.77% in the top flight this term, but Sean Dyche's side have had little problems carving out such openings and displayed a clinical edge to prolong Bournemouth's misery a fortnight ago.
James Garner's opener, Jack Harrison's stunner and a third from Abdoulaye Doucoure propelled the Toffees to a morale-boosting 3-0 success over their fellow basement battlers, which came only seven days after the Goodison Park faithful witnessed a chastening 2-1 loss to newly-promoted Luton Town.
With three victories to boast about from their last four contests in all tournaments - also putting top-half contenders Aston Villa and Brentford to the sword - the international hiatus came at a most inopportune time for Everton, who are hovering just above the dotted line in 16th place for the time being.
From failing to score in each of their opening three matches this term, the rejuvenated visitors have now breached the opposition's backline in six of their last seven fixtures and have netted at least two goals in each of their last four away contests, albeit while failing to keep their sheets clean at the other end.
A total of 293 Merseyside derbies have already between played out between the two bitter adversaries, and Everton came away from Anfield with maximum spoils as recently as February 2021 - prevailing 2-0 behind closed doors - but since fans began to flock back to the ground, Liverpool have won each of their last two home battles by the same scoreline.
Team News
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Liverpool fans have been dealt a crushing blow over Andy Robertson, who is believed to have suffered a dislocated shoulder in Scotland's Euro 2024 qualifying defeat to Spain last week and will spend a while recuperating from an imminent operation.
Kostas Tsimikas is set to deputise for the rest of 2023, and Klopp's ravaged midfield will remain without Thiago Alcantara (hip) and the suspended Curtis Jones, while Stefan Bajcetic's calf problem will not heal in time for the Spaniard to be involved either.
Second-choice stopper Caoimhin Kelleher (knee) and teenage attacker Ben Doak (muscle) are also sidelined, while Dutchman Cody Gakpo (knee) will need a once-over in the coming hours, but Diogo Jota is back from a one-game suspension.
The Portugal international will no doubt come into Klopp's thinking for a start given Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz's long journeys home from South America - one can be sure that the Reds boss will not be best pleased with the 12.30pm kickoff - but unless Gakpo makes a rapid recovery, Klopp may have little choice but to deploy Nunez up top.
Meanwhile, there has been little movement in the Everton infirmary over the international break, as Seamus Coleman (knee) and Dele Alli (groin) are still working their way back to full fitness, while Andre Gomes (calf) is also out of contention.
Idrissa Gueye was due to start against Bournemouth two weeks ago, but a heel injury in the warm-up led to Garner being drafted in to a midfield role, and the ex-Manchester United man gave Dyche the best kind of selection headache with a stellar performance.
Gueye was able to represent Senegal during the international break, but Dyche may see no reason to alter his most recent winning XI, which would also see Dominic Calvert-Lewin beat Beto to the number nine spot.
Liverpool possible starting lineup:
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai; Salah, Nunez, Jota
Everton possible starting lineup:
Pickford; Young, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Harrison, Onana, Garner, McNeil; Doucoure; Calvert-Lewin
We say: Liverpool 3-1 Everton
Having developed a taste for goals on rival territory, Everton can snap their three-game scoreless streak against their long-time rivals, who continue to be plagued by fitness problems and late returnees from international duty.
However, even if Everton can draw first blood at Anfield, Liverpool's penchant for comebacks is sure to come to the fore, and Klopp's goal-happy attackers can help the hosts fight fire with fire to climb to the top of the standings, at least for a matter of hours.
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Top tip
Ben Knapton
