Preview

Dec

2024

Preview: Atalanta meet Real Madrid in Super Cup rematch

It was only four months ago that Atalanta and Real Madrid met each other in the UEFA Super Cup with Los Blancos emerging 2-0 winners in a game that was defined by Kylian Mbappé’s first competitive goal in all-white.

By Graham Ruthven

A European rematch

At that time of that Super Cup triumph, many anticipated that Mbappé’s debut goal would accelerate his integration into Carlo Ancelotti’s team, but the Frenchman has struggled to find a role in his new side despite scoring 11 goals in all competitions.

Having won just two of their five fixtures so far in this season’s Champions League, Real Madrid need points on the board to be certain of their place in the next round. Those points will be hard to come by in Bergamo.

Atalanta are currently leading the way at the top of Serie A and are growing into genuine Scudetto challengers. Gian Piero Gasperini has been Atalanta manager for eight years, but La Dea look stronger than ever under his stewardship.

Friday’s 2-1 victory over AC Milan was Atalanta’s ninth successive win in all competitions. They have also dropped points in this season’s Champions League just twice – against Arsenal and Celtic.

Key players

Real Madrid might have a team of Galacticos, but Atalanta have some stars of their own, particularly in the attack where they have the talent to put the defending European champions to the sword.

Mateo Retegui is the top scorer in Serie A this season with 12 goals in 15 appearances while Ademola Lookman is a consistent threat off the left wing with his dribbling ability and eye for goal.

Charles De Ketelaere is in exceptional form having registered 12 direct goal contributions in his last eight games (all comps) including a goal in the 2-1 win over former club AC Milan that sent Atalanta top of Serie A.

Jude Bellingham has looked like his old self in recent outings for Real Madrid, scoring in each of his last three games. Meanwhile, Mbappé has been more comfortable recently with Vinícius Júnior on the sidelines through injury.

Fede Valverde will likely start in Real Madrid’s midfield unit after filling in at right back recently with the Uruguayan’s energy and work ethic important in the centre of the pitch.

At the back, Raúl Asencio is expected to partner Antonio Rüdiger. The former Castilla defender has eased Real Madrid’s defensive injury crisis and has looked the part at the back recently.

Team news

Juan Cuadrado, Gianluca Scamacca and Davide Zappacosta will all be unavailable for Atalanta’s home match against Real Madrid on Tuesday.

Otherwise, Gasperini has a fully fit squad to choose from. Retegui could come back into the lineup after starting the win over AC Milan on the bench, although Mario Pašalić could keep his place after impressing.

Vinícius could make a return from injury, but David Alaba, Eduardo Camavinga, Dani Carvajal, Ferland Mendy and Éder Militão remain unavailable for Real Madrid. Ancelotti will have no choice but to once again use a makeshift backline.

Prediction

It could be revenge time for the impressive Serie A leaders, so Atalanta 2-1 Real Madrid.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Dec

2024

Preview: Arne Slot’s Liverpool looking to continue Champions League run at Girona

Liverpool are looking to make it six wins from six in the Champions League on Tuesday as they travel to Spain to take on Girona.

By Sam McGuire

Arne Slot’s men have a 100% record having beaten Real Madrid, RB Leipzig, Bayer Leverkusen, AC Milan and Bologna so far this season in Europe. The Reds are already into the knockout phase of the competition and this puts them in a fairly unique position for their final three group stage fixtures.

Will they look to keep momentum going in a bid to return to winning ways or will the former Feyenoord boss look at this game as an opportunity to rotate?

The season so far in Europe

Girona have found it difficult in Europe.

There’s no beating around the bush. Michel’s side find themselves in 30th position (of 36) in the new-look Champions League format.

The LaLiga side have lost four of their five matches in the competition. They were expected to lose to Paris Saint-Germain but defeats against Feyenoord and Sturm Graz came as a bit of a surprise. A heavy loss to PSV Eindhoven also dented their hopes of progression while their only victory arrived against Slovan Bratislava.

They have scored just four goals across their five outings and have conceded on nine occasions.

Liverpool, by comparison, have been perfect in Europe.

The Reds have 15 points from 15, they’ve scored 12 goals and have conceded just once. Inter Milan are the only team to have a better defensive record having kept clean sheets in all five of their games this term.

Current form

The Spanish side haven’t been able to replicate the heroics from last season. Girona claimed an unlikely third-place finish having amassed 81 points. Right now, they find themselves in ninth position, four points behind fifth and four points ahead of 14th.

They are winless in four and have conceded six goals across these four outings across all competitions, all while scoring just two goals.

Their home form in LaLiga hasn’t been great. They have played eight, won four and lost three this term. They’ve scored 15 and conceded 13 in these games. So no home comforts for the Blanquivermells.

Their top scorer in the league is 38-year-old Cristhian Stuani. You might remember him from his stint with Middlesborough. They also boast a former Liverpool transfer target too in Arnaut Danjuma.

Liverpool dropped points in their last outing against Newcastle United. The Magpies scored a late equaliser to halt the seven match winning run the Reds had been on. Still, Slot and his side are unbeaten since their shock defeat to Nottingham Forest in September. The Merseyside club had an unexpected break over the weekend after the Merseyside derby was postponed due to Storm Darragh. It hasn’t eased their injury crisis but the players that are fit had a bit of an extended break, so should be fit and firing.

The Injury situation

The 2019/20 Premier League champions are still without Alisson, Ibrahima Konaté, Conor Bradley, Kostas Tsimikas and Diogo Jota. Federico Chiesa was expected to play following his return to the first-team squad after a mini pre-season but he missed training on Monday with illness. He’s now a doubt for the match while Alexis Mac Allister is suspended.

Girona are expected to be without two key players in Yangel Herrera and Viktor Tsygankov. Other than that though, Michel has a full squad to pick from.

Prediction

Even if the Reds opt to go with a weaker XI, they should have enough quality at their disposal to pick up the win in Spain. We expect Liverpool to make it six wins from six in Europe.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

Dec

2024

Preview: Spurs meet Chelsea in a London Derby

Tottenham’s inconsistency has left them with no win in their last three games across all competitions and Thursday’s defeat at Bournemouth has once again heaped pressure on the shoulders of manager Ange Postecoglou.

By Dan Tracey

There’s no such weight on the shoulders of Chelsea counterpart Enzo Maresca and after an emphatic victory at Southampton, on Wednesday, the Blues may just have been thrust into this season’s Premier League title race.

The Form Guide

Tottenham have won just two of their last six league matches and have picked up only seven points from the last 18 on offer. Due to that defeat at Bournemouth, they start the weekend lying tenth but could find themselves in the bottom half of the table before Sunday’s game begins.

As for opponents Chelsea, they make the short trip across the capital having not only won each of their last three league outings but also unbeaten in each of their last six – a run of form that sees them sit second in the table with a seven-point deficit between Liverpool and themselves (at the time of writing, before Saturday’s games).

Who Are The Key Players

If Tottenham have key players, they have struggled to unlock their talents over the course of the past seven days and although Dominic Solanke made his return against Bournemouth on Thursday, the club’s record signing will need to add to his current return of four league goals as soon as possible.

Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson have been the stand out men in Chelsea’s mammoth squad (although Christopher Nkunku is on a rich run of goalscoring form as well). The aforementioned Palmer and Jackson have scored 17 league goals between them this season and the former has also had time to make three league goals for the latter.

*Chelsea goals + assists, Premier League 2024/25*

Injury crisis in the Spurs defence

The Tottenham treatment room is looking rather busy at present and with Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero already absent, Ben Davies’ injury against Bournemouth means that Ange Postecoglou has just one senior centre back available for the visit of Chelsea on Sunday (Radu Drăgușin).

Chelsea have their own defensive injury issues with both Wesley Fofana and Reece James out until the end of the year at the earliest but with these two already being considered as long-term absentees, there are no new concerns to trouble manager Maresca.

Prediction

Although Tottenham are more than capable of turning it on against the teams that are perceived as the biggest outfits in the Premier League, their showing against Bournemouth on Thursday suggests that a good performance on Sunday is not as simple as flicking the switch back to on.

Especially as the visitors will be keen to continue their positive momentum. Last season’s clash in North London saw the first real cracks in Postecoglou’s methods, the same outcome on Sunday could turn those cracks into a chasm.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Dec

2024

Preview: Gunners set to face some familiar faces at the Cottage

Another weekend, another London derby – and one which at first glance seems routine enough, but actually might be another big test of Arsenal’s resolve and ability to fight their way back into Premier League title contention.

By Karl Matchett

With the gap at the top standing at seven points between themselves (and Chelsea) and leaders Liverpool, the Gunners have no room for dropping points and a trip to Fulham won’t be easy. The Gunners had won five in a row at Craven Cottage until last term, but almost exactly a year ago they were beaten 2-1 by Marco Silva’s side, who themselves are up to sixth in the table this term. With injury issues in defence for the visitors, the home team having a former Arsenal man as one of their form men this term and Mikel Arteta’s team managing only one away win from their last five and this has the hallmarks of a terribly tough encounter in the search for consistency.

Current form

Four wins from seven at home in the league shows Fulham are in decent shape, as does moving into the top six by beating Brighton in midweek. But the defeat against Wolves shows they are fallible, and their defensive record is far from solid. Arsenal are faring better at home than away, where they’ve won three of seven and only one in five, though that was last time on the road at West Ham. Beating Manchester United on Wednesday, thanks to set pieces once again, puts them back on track with three straight top-flight victories – but still plenty of ground to make up.

Team news

Tom Cairney is still out suspended for Fulham, but the two big injury absences are centre-back Joachim Andersen and midfielder Harrison Reed. Reiss Nelson’s own injury denies him being a sub option in a busy period for Fulham as he has been most of the season, though as he’s on loan from Arsenal he couldn’t have played this one anyway.

For the Gunners themselves, Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu are the ongoing absences at full-back and in the middle of the defence are two additional worries, with Gabriel Magalhaes and Riccardo Calafiori both missing the midweek win. If neither return, Jakub Kiwior will start in the middle.

Fulham’s most in-form ex-Gunner

Arsenal have talent all over the pitch but if Fulham are to do anything to halt them, it’s an ex-Gunner who will need to shine – and not Emile Smith Rowe either. Alex Iwobi netted twice in midweek and he’s created the second highest volume of chances for Fulham this season (26), the most big chances (5), has the highest xA (3.3) and is the club’s top league scorer (5). Whether he starts centrally or wide will dictate which of those traits he’s likely to add to, but on home soil the Cottagers will need him to be equal parts chance-creator and taker to register a shock result.

Prediction

Fulham 1 Arsenal 2. The home side will make it tough but Arsenal’s firepower will win out on the day by the odd goal.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Dec

2024

Preview: New York Red Bulls and LA Galaxy in MLS Cup showdown

Given their terrible form towards the end of the regular season, few could have foreseen the New York Red Bulls getting within one match of lifting their first-ever MLS Cup. The LA Galaxy, going for their first MLS title in a decade, will surely make the final hurdle the toughest for the Red Bulls.

By Neel Shelat

Youthful RBNY looking to create history

Weighted by minutes played, the New York Red Bulls have the youngest squad in Major League Soccer this season. Their midfield contingent is particularly youthful, as their starting lineup from the Conference final shows.

Their more experienced attack holds the key to their success, though. At 43.2%, RBNY have the lowest possession average in MLS this season. Their approach is very much centred around defending solidly with a back five and then sending the front three away on the counter. That has served them quite well in the playoffs, as they have scored eight goals and kept three clean sheets in five matches. At least one of their front three has been involved in creating or scoring all but two of those goals.

Will the Galaxy’s attack click without Puig?

After narrowly missing out on the top spot in the Western Conference, the LA Galaxy have been the best team in the playoffs by some margin. They put nine past the Colorado Rapids in two matches to progress from the first round and hit Minnesota United for six in the Conference semi-final before getting a late winner against the Seattle Sounders to reach the final.

Such results surely make them the overwhelming favourites, but there is one big caveat to note. Star midfielder Riqui Puig tore his ACL in the Conference final, though he still managed to play on and get the decisive assist. Indeed, his fantastic and creative forward passing has been the key driving force behind the Galaxy’s thrilling attack.

As the top scorers in the league this season, the Galaxy will hope they have enough to make do without the former Barcelona midfielder. Each of their front three have over 20 goal involvements to their name this year, so they still have more than enough attacking threat to blow any defence apart. So, Greg Vanney will only really have to concern himself with supplying them appropriately.

Summer signing Marco Reus may well be the solution. The Borussia Dortmund legend started the last two playoff matches but had to operate in a slightly unfamiliar role on the right of midfield to keep Puig in his natural area on the left. In the Spaniard’s absence, Reus could well replicate his work on the left.

Prediction

Both the New York Red Bulls and the LA Galaxy like to adopt a transitional attacking approach, albeit in quite different ways. While Sandro Schwarz’s side like to counterattack after defending deep, the Galaxy are happier to keep more of the ball, lure their opposition out and then quickly spring forward. These contrasting approaches could well result in a cagey affair on the big night unless we get some early fireworks.

Whichever way you look at it, the Galaxy have to be considered the favourites, but the Red Bulls’ playoff run shows that they can’t be entirely written off.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Dec

2024

Preview: Madrid look to bounce back at Girona

It has been a poor couple of weeks for Real Madrid after defeat in the Champions League and another midweek reversal last time out at Athletic Club.

By Karl Matchett

Now, Madrid’s third match in a run of five away fixtures across six games (in all competitions) sees them head to Girona, stars of LaLiga last term but struggling to find the same verve this time around. Even with a tremendous campaign in 2023/24, the side who finished third were 14 points off champions Los Blancos – and Carlo Ancelotti’s side beat them by an aggregate scoreline of 7-0 across their two league meetings. Real might be stuttering, but they have certainly had Girona’s number so far.

This season

Look at Girona’s league form and it looks half-decent: four unbeaten, up to eighth, and only four points separating them from Villarreal in fifth. European football for next season is still very much on the cards, if they can find some consistency once more.

But, that’s the problem: they haven’t, and league fixtures aren’t the only ones they play. Girona have actually gone three without a win in all competitions following a cup shootout defeat to Logrones, a fourth-tier side. It’s two wins in six and six wins in 18, going back further. Stringing results together is tough at the top for those unused to it.

Real Madrid, meanwhile, had a very consistent start – seven victories in nine to start 2024/25 – but four defeats and three wins in their last seven paints a different recent picture. Injuries have hurt them, yes, but tactically and physically they’ve been dominated by Barcelona, Milan, Liverpool and now Athletic of late.

Team news

Yangel Herrera and Viktor Tsyhankov are the two big misses for Girona, but Yáser Asprilla is also a big miss if he doesn’t recover in time. Ladislav Krejčí is back though and should play right side of the back three.

Ancelotti may juggle his pack a little but options are hampered by defensive absences, with David Alaba, Éder Militão and Dani Carvajal all sidelined for the long haul. Eduardo Camavinga and Vinícius Júnior are also out with injuries.

Rodrygo set to step up

Real Madrid are second, four points off the top and with a game in hand – but to really pressurise Barcelona they have to start winning matches more often. With Vini Jr. out and Kylian Mbappé somewhat of a shadow of himself at present, Rodrygo must step up and show his immense worth. He averages just under a shot on target per 90 (0.9) but has created 22 chances this term in LaLiga – third in the squad behind Vinícius and Luka Modrić. That creativity plus his ball carrying – 2.1 successful dribbles per 90 is fewer than Vini’s, but his 53% success rate is notably higher – makes him Madrid’s main outlet and chief creator in the final third. Given he ranks above 93% of Europe in chance creating forwards, that must come to the fore here.

Prediction

An away win would get Madrid rolling once more, though perhaps not without Girona causing some concerns across the 90 minutes. Therefore, we’ll go with Girona 1 Real Madrid 3.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Dec

2024

Preview: Man City out to make up for lost time at Crystal Palace

Pep Guardiola’s defending champions will be aiming to continue their recovery as they travel to face Oliver Glasner’s Eagles in South London.

By Ian King

Expect goals

Whether recent or ancient, history tells us that Crystal Palace vs Manchester City is a match that usually produces goals. The last four alone produced 17. It may surprise some to learn that these two clubs didn’t meet in the league until 1965. Their second of their only two meetings prior to this in the FA Cup came in January 1926 at Maine Road, when City beat Palace 11-4 as part of a run to the final which saw them score 31 goals in six games (including Manchester United 3-0 in the semi-final).

Recovery mode

Both teams will be in a considerably brighter frame of mind than they would have been had this match been played seven days earlier. The midweek matches brought welcome wins for both, Palace narrowly away to Ipswich and City convincingly at home against Nottingham Forest. The question facing both sets of players is that of whether these performances represent corners being turned or false dawns.

Key players

Kevin De Bruyne’s assured performance against Forest went a long way towards answering those who had questioned whether the Manchester City captain was part of a team that is ‘too old’. Another returnee from injury, Jérémy Doku, also scored against Forest after having been out since the match against Sporting in the Champions League last month.

Palace could do with a big performance from Jean-Philippe Mateta. They’re the lowest goalscorers in the Premier League at the moment with just twelve from their fourteen games so far, and he’s scored a third of them. And despite their clean sheet on Wednesday night, Palace will have seen that City remain potentially defensively vulnerable.

Team News

Players are starting to return for Manchester City, but that doesn’t mean that others aren’t still falling by the wayside. Nathan Aké sustained a hamstring injury in the closing stages of the midweek win over Forest and will join Rodri, Oscar Bobb, Mateo Kovačić and John Stones on the treatment table. In addition to this, Manuel Akanji was withdrawn at half-time, while Phil Foden has had bronchitis and it’s doubtful that he will be available.

Chadi Riad, Adam Wharton and Matheus França are all missing for Crystal Palace, but beyond that the news for them isn’t actually too bad. Cheick Doucouré was withdrawn at half-time during their win at Ipswich, but this has now been confirmed as precautionary on account of a booking that he’d picked up. Elsewhere, Dalchi Kamada returns following a three match suspension.

Prediction

Manchester City’s midweek win was in sharp progress to their prior recent performances, but was that run the blip or was it Wednesday night’s result? Kevin De Bruyne rumbling back to form is an ominous sign for the entire rest of the Premier League. More will likely follow. A win is a win for Crystal Palace at the moment, but they weren’t inspiring at Ipswich and City may find this a comfortable way to regain some more of their recently jettisoned poise. Therefore, let’s go for Crystal Palace 1-3 Manchester City.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Dec

2024

Preview: Barcelona visit the happy hunting ground that is Real Betis

Barcelona take on Real Betis on Saturday in a game that could prove huge in their hunt for the title in LaLiga this season.

By Kaustubh Pandey

Hansi Flick‘s side find themselves four points clear at the top of the table and have played a game more but the gap could have been much less comfortable, if Real Madrid hadn’t stumbled against Athletic Club on Wednesday.

At the same time, the Catalan giants have themselves had a bit of a stumble in recent weeks.

Barcelona have won only one game out of their last four league games. They did recover from last weekend’s home defeat to Las Palmas by routing Mallorca 5-1 in midweek. But one thing is certain; there are some chinks in the armour of the Blaugrana.

Struggling Betis look for hope

Manuel Pellegrini‘s Real Betis had started off the season in a fine fashion but they have faded away over the last couple of months.

They haven’t won a single league game since beating Atlético Madrid towards the end of October and the last three have yielded only a single point. That run has included a 4-2 loss to struggling Valencia.

Pellegrini’s Los Beticos will be hoping to expose Barcelona’s recent problems, as they look to lift themselves in the top half of the table. They could be helped by their good home record, having lost just once at the Benito Villamarín.

Goalscoring a problem for Betis

Goalscoring has been an issue for Pellegrini’s side in recent weeks, with Betis having underperformed on their Expected Goals metric by about six.

They’ve created an xG of 22.4 but have scored 16 times only. On top of that, they have missed the joint second-highest number of big chances this season – behind only Barcelona. The only difference in this context is that the Catalans create a lot of chances and them missing 40 big chances doesn’t matter as much to them.

Vitor Roque, who is on loan from Barcelona, will surely have something to say in this department on Saturday, having already revealed that he would like to score against his parent club.

Barcelona’s high risk make or break approach

Flick’s insistence on playing a risky yet effective high defensive line has worked out well for Barcelona so far – generally speaking. It helped them register wins over Real Madrid and Bayern Munich but at the same time, there are some concerning underlying numbers.

They have conceded the ninth-highest xG in LaLiga and a lot of it is because of how high they operate.

Whether that approach is sustainable or not remains to be seen in the longer term but Pellegrini’s side will count on those weaknesses tomorrow.

Injury problems for both Betis and Barcelona

Johnny Cardoso, Nobel Mendy, Héctor Bellerín, Marc Roca, William Carvalho and Isco are on the sidelines for Los Verdiblancos.

For Barcelona, Ansu Fati, Andreas Christensen, Marc Bernal, Marc-André ter Stegen, Ronald Araújo will remain out. Robert Lewandowski will come back into the side after being rested in mid-week.

Prediction

Barcelona should pick up a win in this one, with the Catalan giants having not lost at the Villamarín since 2008.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Dec

2024

Preview: Man United and Nottingham Forest both need a response at Old Trafford

Manchester United will be looking to bounce back from their defeat to Arsenal as they take on Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

By Zach Lowy

Can United Keep Up Their Impressive Home Form?

Slowly but surely, Old Trafford is becoming a fortress again for Manchester United. With the exception of a 1-1 draw vs. Chelsea, Manchester United have won each of their last six home matches. After kicking off the Rúben Amorim era with a 1-1 draw at Ipswich, United prevailed with a comeback home win vs. Bodø/Glimt in the UEFA Europa League before demolishing Everton 4-0 at the Theatre of Dreams. They were smacked with a cruel dose of reality by Arsenal on Wednesday, being undone by second-half goals from defenders Jurriën Timber and William Saliba and succumbing to a 2-0 defeat – their first loss since 27 October.

United have won 11 of their last 12 meetings vs. Nottingham Forest, but their most recent Premier League meeting in December 2023, would go the way of the Tricky Trees, with Morgan Gibbs-White restoring Forest’s lead in the 82nd minute to secure a late victory. But while United enter the match as the overwhelming favourites, they face a tall task as they take on a Nottingham Forest side that currently sits three points and six places above them.

Can Wood Deliver the Goods?

After ending a 23-year top-flight absence under Steve Cooper, Nottingham Forest narrowly avoided relegation by four points and six points in their first two campaigns back in the Premier League. Today, however, they find themselves in seventh place after winning six of their first 14 league matches. Six years after leading Wolves to a seventh-place finish and their first European qualification in four decades, Nuno Espírito Santo has Forest fans dreaming of a return to continental competition after three decades away.

Having lost three of their last four matches – conceding three goals in each of those defeats – Forest are in need of a response following, particularly after the 3-0 set-back at Manchester City in the week. If they are to pull off their first away win since 25 October, they’ll need Chris Wood to deliver. The 32-year-old New Zealand international is in the best form of his career, scoring nine of Forest’s 16 goals, including the winning penalty in their 1-0 victory against Ipswich on 30 November. Only Mohamed Salah (13) and Erling Haaland (12) have scored more goals than Wood – we’re backing him to come up clutch against United.

Amorim to Change Things Up in Attack

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. That’s usually the case, but not iif you’re Rúben Amorim – after demolishing Everton 4-0 thanks to braces from Marcus Rashford and Joshua Zirkzee as well as a brace of assists from Amad Diallo, United’s new Portuguese technician dropped all three of them for their trip to Arsenal, a decision which proved costly and resulted in a stale attacking display in North London. We’re expecting Diallo, Zirkzee, Rashford and Lisandro Martínez to return to the side as United look to get back to winning ways ahead of a busy week that will see them travel to Viktoria Plzeň in the UEFA Europa League, Manchester City in the Premier League, and Tottenham Hotspur in the EFL Cup. All signs point to this reinforced attacking firepower proving vital for United as they look to continue their impressive record vs. Forest.

Prediction

United are strong at home while Forest need a pick-me-up, so perhaps a score draw is on the cards?

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Dec

2024

Preview: Everton vs. Liverpool, the final derby at Goodison

Everton will host Liverpool on Saturday in the final Premier League Merseyside Derby to be played at Goodison Park. It’s Arne Slot’s first taste of the rivalry, while Sean Dyche will be hoping to replicate the result of last season when the Toffees ran out 2-0 winners.

By Matt Smith

Dyche has a couple of knocks to contend with

Playing just a few days ago, where Everton secured an emphatic 4-0 victory over Wolves, Dyche’s players haven’t had much time to rest and cover. The Everton boss has admitted there were a ‘couple of knocks’ from the Wolves fixture, and Michael Keane is ‘touch and go’ to return for this one.
James Garner and Tim Ireogbunam are long-term absentees who both missed the midweek win, and they are unlikely to be fit enough to face their rivals on Saturday.

The Toffees finally found the goalscoring touch

Finding the back of the net has been the major difficulty for Everton this season. The Toffees have scored on average one goal per game, despite their 4-0 hammering of Wolves in the week. Dyche’s side have created just 24 big chances this term, the lowest in the Premier League. The game against Wolves was certainly an anomaly given their form.

The Toffees went back to basics against Wolves, scoring all four goals from set-pieces. It’s a method that’s worked wonders for Dyche in the past, and the performance was more of a vintage Everton display under the former Burnley boss. Liverpool will present a different test, with Slot’s side one of the most in-form sides in Europe.

Alisson is still not ready

Slot has confirmed that Alisson Becker is still not available for the clash against Everton, meaning Caoimhín Kelleher is likely to keep his place in goal. The Liverpool goalkeeper was at fault for Newcastle’s last equaliser in the week, but he’s produced some impressive displays deputising in Alisson’s absence.

Federico Chiesa and Diogo Jota are closing in on their returns, with the former playing for the U21 side during the week.

Salah is still flying high

It’s been an almost perfect season for Liverpool, who are flying high in the Premier League and Champions League. Mohamed Salah’s contract situation rumbles on, but it’s safe to say he’s not letting it impact his performances on the pitch.

He’s the player Everton will have to attempt to keep quiet, producing a phenomenal 21 goals and assists combined already this campaign, more than any other player in the league. The supporters at Anfield have been demanding the club to give him what he wants when it comes to a contract, and Salah certainly has a strong argument considering he’s arguably looking sharper than ever.

Prediction

It’s difficult to look past a Liverpool win here, despite the added spice of it being the final Merseyside Derby at Goodison Park. The Reds are in fantastic form while the Toffees continue to struggle. We’re going for a 3-1 victory for Slot’s side.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Premier League with FotMob this season — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.