Sunday’s big FA Cup tie sees Liverpool meet Everton at Anfield in the second Merseyside derby this season.
This meeting comes just over a month since they met in the Premier League in a seven goal thriller, which proved to be Marco Silva’s final outing as Everton manager before being replaced by Carlo Ancelotti.
Can the Italian spring a surprise and guide the Toffees past the Reds at Anfield for the first time since September 1999?
Team news
Embed from Getty ImagesNaby Keita is ruled out for Liverpool after missing Thursday’s Premier League win over Sheffield United with a groin injury.
Rhian Brewster however could feature after missing the last month with an ankle injury.
Joel Matip (knee) and Xherdan Shaqiri (hamstring) are still ruled out but could return next weekend away to Tottenham Hotspur.
Dejan Lovren (muscle), Nathaniel Clyne (knee), Fabinho, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and are all ruled out with no definite return date, although Clyne is set for a loan move away from Anfield.
Everton could be without Bernard and Fabian Delph as the pair face late fitness tests after missing Wednesday’s defeat at Manchester City due to knee injuries.
Morgan Schneiderlin could start after recovering from a calf injury which has kept him sidelined in recent weeks, although Carlo Ancelotti opted not to risk him in midweek.
Jean-Phillipe Gbamin (tendon), Alex Iwobi (hamstring) and Andre Gomes (ankle) remain ruled out.
Stat Attack
- Liverpool are unbeaten in 17 of 24 previous FA Cup clashes against Everton (W11, D6, L7) irrespective of venue.
- Only three of 24 Merseyside derbies played in the FA Cup have been played at Anfield, with Everton failing to win on any of those occasions (D2, L1).
- There has only been one goalless FA Cup meeting between these teams, coming in February 1991 before Everton went on to win 1-0 in a second replay after the first replay finished 4-4.
- Everton are winless in their last 22 trips to Anfield in all competitions (D10, L12).
- Carlo Ancelotti has drawn just one of five previous trips to Anfield as a manager in all competitions (W2, D1, L2).
Prediction
Everton will be disappointed to not get a result in midweek but this is surely going to be a huge test of their progress over the past month, with just one loss (excluding their Carabao Cup exit to Leicester via penalties) in their last seven outings.
Liverpool however will be confident of victory because the club seems to be on a domestic roll at present, which is a tough ask to break if Sheffield United couldn’t manage to do so on Thursday despite their impressive away form.
I therefore have to go for a home win but I do fancy Everton to make this a tougher contest than what it was last month.
Prediction: Liverpool 2-1 Everton
Result: Liverpool 1-0 Everton