Liverpool will host Everton in the second Merseyside Derby of the English Premier League‘s 2022–23 season. The fans will be expecting a few goals in this match after both teams played to a goalless draw in the reverse fixture.
Liverpool are not in the best of form this season. The Reds sit tenth in the league table with 29 points after 20 matches. They have won eight, drawn five, and lost the remaining seven matches. Jurgen Klopp’s men have scored 34 goals with an average xG rate of 2.07. Their defence has been a bit leaky, conceding 28 goals with an average xGA of 1.45.
Everton, on the other hand, are 18th in the league table. They are coming off a narrow 1-0 victory over Arsenal. Sean Dyche secured a victory on his debut and handed Everton their fourth win of the season. The Toffees have drawn six and lost 11 games this season. They have struggled to score goals and have just registered 16 with an average xG rate of 1.03. The defence has conceded 28 goals with an average xGA of 1.82.
We now look at some of the stats that could predict the outcome of the match.
The above viz compares the percentile ranks of both teams with each other as well as the other teams in the English Premier League. Liverpool have been one of the best-attacking teams in the league this season. However, they lack consistency and they are sitting in the mid-table. Everton have struggled and have a low percentile rank. However, they have a new manager and will hope that his side picks up points in as many games as possible.
Liverpool’s recent slump in form
Liverpool have not been in the best of forms in recent games. After returning from the World Cup, the Reds registered back-to-back victories in the EPL. Since then Liverpool have just registered one point in four games. This is a big concern for Jurgen Klopp as his team is way behind the pack that is competing for UEFA Champions League places.
The Reds have struggled to find the back of the net in the last four games. They have just scored one goal and average only 0.25 goals per match. They lost to Brentford by a score of 3-1. This was followed by a 3-0 thrashing against Brighton, a goalless draw against Chelsea, and a 3-0 loss to Wolves in the last match. Liverpool takes an average of 15.7 shots per match and have an accuracy rate of 35.4%. In the last four matches, they averaged 13.75 shots per match and an accuracy rate of 27.27%. This low rate of conversion is one of the biggest reasons behind these poor results.
The defence has also not been at its best. They have conceded nine goals and three each in three matches. Liverpool’s defence allows the opposition to take 9.7 shots on average. In the last four matches, 46 shots have been faced by Alisson in Liverpool’s goal, and he has saved 15 of them.
Jurgen Klopp will look for some improvements in the team’s overall game. They need a win to remain in contention for European football.
Everton under Dyche
Everton made a statement under Sean Dyche in his first game as their manager. They registered a 1-0 win against Arsenal and became the second team in the English Premier League to defeat the league leaders. James Tarkowski scored the only goal of the match from a corner awarded to his side.
Sean Dyche’s men tried to create some aerial threats in the match. They delivered 17 crosses, and five successfully found a target. Overall, the team had 33 touches inside the penalty box. One of the touches that were taken in the six-yard box resulted in a goal. Dominic Calver-Lewin is out injured and that means that the number of crosses might reduce from open play. However, Everton will remain a threat from set-pieces against Liverpool. They won 56.76% of their aerial duels in the last match.
Key Player
Jurgen Klopp will rely on the best attacker on his side. Mo Salah has not been in the best of form this season. The striker has found the back of the net seven times this season and also has four assists. Since the World Cup break, he hasn’t been in the best of forms. He has appeared in all six games for Liverpool and has only scored one goal. The player averages two shots per match and has an accuracy rate of 33.33%. He will be hungry to score against the arch-rivals.
Team news
Diogo Jota is in contention to play for Liverpool. He is likely to come off the bench.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin will miss the game for Everton.
Betting Analysis
Per the 1×2 odds, Liverpool are the favourites to take three points from this fixture. They have an odds rate of around 1.57. This won’t be an easy win for the Reds. The chances of a draw stand at an odd rate of 4.4, and the probabilities of Everton winning have odds of around 6.00. As for the over/under lines, the over 2.5 goal odds rate stands at 1.78. There is also a chance that this might be a low-scoring match. Looking at the current form of Liverpool, this won’t be an easy win for them.
Liverpool have been the better team in Merseyside in the past years. They have won the league title as well as the European title. However, things are a bit different this time around. Both teams are struggling for points and want to win this match. Liverpool are the favourites and can win at home. However, Sean Dyche won’t make it easy, and this will be a tight game between the two Merseyside teams.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine