Prediction: Liverpool vs Everton

Verdict: Home win

Best odds: 11/25

Bookmaker: ZetBet

Anfield will provide the backdrop for the 247th edition of the Merseyside derby on Saturday lunchtime, as Premier League title-holders Liverpool lock horns with neighbours Everton.

Local pride will once more be at stake between the two sides, who last clashed in April when a fine strike from Diogo Jota, who tragically lost his life after the season ended, handed the Reds a narrow 1-0 victory on home soil.

Liverpool

Liverpool are quickly developing a reputation for leaving things late, with Wednesday’s 3-2 Champions League win over Atletico Madrid marking the fifth time this season they have struck in the 83rd minute or later to clinch victory.

After racing into a two-goal lead through Andy Robertson and Mohamed Salah, the Reds were pegged back by a Marcos Llorente brace, only for Virgil van Dijk to nod home a dramatic 92nd-minute winner on Arne Slot’s 47th birthday.

Remarkably, Liverpool have netted four of the 14 Premier League goals scored in stoppage time across all teams this season, relying on injury-time strikes in three of their four league games so far, including Salah’s 95th-minute penalty at Burnley last weekend. Slot lauded his players’ resilience but admitted his side “should have made it easier,” and while their late drama may not be sustainable, fans will welcome more of the same if it delivers against Everton.

Sitting top of the table with a perfect 12 points, Liverpool are aiming to win their opening five league matches for only the third time in history. Confidence will be high given their formidable derby record at Anfield, where they have lost just once in 28 meetings with Everton (W17 D10) and are on a four-game winning streak since a 2-0 defeat in February 2021.

Team News

Liverpool’s only confirmed absentee remains Curtis Jones, with the midfielder sidelined for a third successive game due to an unspecified issue, and he is unlikely to return before the end of the month.

Arne Slot expressed his “surprise” at the sharpness of club-record signing Alexander Isak, who lasted 58 minutes on his full debut in midweek. The Swede could keep his place up front, although fellow recruit Hugo Ekitike is pushing for a recall to spearhead the attack.

Mohamed Salah, already boasting eight league goals against Everton – just one shy of Steven Gerrard’s Merseyside derby record – is set to continue his prolific presence on the right. Slot must also decide whether Alexis Mac Allister returns to the XI in place of either Dominik Szoboszlai or Ryan Gravenberch, while Robertson is battling to hold off Milos Kerkez for the left-back berth after the Hungary’s controversial previous outing against Burnley.

Everton

On the blue half of Merseyside, Everton have bounced back well since their opening-day defeat to Leeds United, collecting seven points from their last three Premier League outings and also advancing to the third round of the EFL Cup.

Back-to-back league wins over Brighton & Hove Albion (2-0) and Wolverhampton Wanderers (3-2) were followed by a goalless draw with Aston Villa at the Hill Dickinson Stadium last weekend. That result added to a familiar theme: only Everton against Liverpool (12) has produced more 0-0 stalemates in the Premier League than Everton versus Villa (nine).

While David Moyes was pleased with his side’s fourth clean sheet in five games this season, he lamented their lack of a clinical edge after only two of their 20 efforts hit the target. Nevertheless, Everton’s focus now turns to rewriting their dismal derby record, with just two wins from their last 29 league meetings with Liverpool (D14 L13), failing to score in five of the most recent seven.

Potter has yet to taste victory at Anfield in the Premier League, but his team’s away form in 2025 gives some hope: six wins from their last 11 on the road (D2 L3), matching their tally from the previous 30 fixtures combined. Their last seven-away-win year was 2021, a run that famously included a 2-0 success at Anfield.

Team News

Jarrad Branthwaite edges closer to a return from a hamstring problem but remains sidelined, while Vitaliy Mykolenko is doubtful after missing the Villa draw. James Garner is therefore expected to continue filling in at left-back, with James Tarkowski, Michael Keane and Jake O’Brien lining up alongside him in defence ahead of Jordan Pickford.

Jack Grealish – named Premier League Player of the Month for August – and Iliman Ndiaye should keep their spots on the flanks, with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in an advanced central role. Up front, Moyes must decide between persisting with Beto or recalling Thierno Barry, who is still seeking his first goal in Everton colours.

Conclusion

Considering the way both clubs have opened the new campaign and the historical balance of this fixture, Liverpool will be widely fancied to claim another three points at Anfield on Saturday.

Everton’s recent defensive resilience suggests they could pose a stubborn challenge, much like Burnley did in Liverpool’s last league outing, but the champions’ momentum and knack for late winners make them hard to oppose. Expect Arne Slot’s men to extend their flawless start to 2025/26 with another derby triumph.

Verdict: Home win

Best odds: 11/25

Bookmaker: ZetBet