Liverpool vs Everton 05/12/19

5 December 2019

Liverpool will be looking to maintain their unbeaten Premier League (PL) start when they take on Everton at Anfield this midweek in the 234th Merseyside derby.

Although it’s the beginning of December, the hosts seem to be running away with the title, as they already have an eight-point lead of second-placed Leicester and 11 over reigning champions Manchester City. In fact, the Reds have won 12 of their opening 13 PL matches (D1), including the last five. Interestingly, four of their previous five top-flight triumphs have come via the same 2-1 scoreline, with Liverpool scoring precisely two goals in one of the halves on four occasions too. Also, Jurgen Klopp’s players have won all seven of their PL home games this season, conceding precisely one goal per match in each. Strong first-half performers, they have bagged two or more first-half goals in four of those fixtures.

The visitors have won only one of their last five PL matches (W1, D1, L3), and just one of their seven PL road trips this term (W1, D1, L5). Four of those away defeats have seen them concede at least two goals, while two saw them draw a blank. The Toffees now face another uphill task, as they take on crosstown rivals to whom they’ve lost ten of their previous 19 top-flight H2Hs held here (D9, L10). What’s more, they have failed to find the net in five of their last eight PL trips to Anfield, scoring precisely one goal per match in the remaining three. But, if Marco Silva’s men manage to score here, it is likely to happen early in the first half, as three of their six PL away goals netted this season came inside the opening 23 minutes of play.