Liverpool vs Everton – Big stakes in Merseyside derby

It is a major weekend in the Premier League, with the action kicking off with the Merseyside derby between Liverpool v Everton. Betting will be rocketing on the game, as the Toffees go in search of revenge for their 2-0 home defeat in November. A sluggish start to the season has been redressed somewhat by boss David Moyes, as he has finally gotten some of his players back from injuries. The injury crisis at Goodison was almost bordering on the comical, as the blues lost player after player. Still, Moyes, in his frugal and understated way, has dragged the club back up into the top ten. It would take a monumental effort to get anywhere near the fourth spot that would seal a Champions League place, but they could do themselves a huge favour by beating their bitter rivals.

Everton are not one of the expansive top six sides in the Premier League, but they fall in to the category of being diligent workhouses, which usually secures them a top half of the table finish. With a game based on defence first, they aren’t going to go out and blitz teams like the top three can do, but they can grind out good honest results. That’s what they have done in their last two Premier League matches, with wins over Wigan and Fulham, which was a nice way to bounce back after losing in the FA Cup to Birmingham. The Toffees are definitely on the up at this point of the season, and with the likes of Phil Jagielka and Michael Arteta all coming back from injury, the competition for places will hot up again, and that should drive Everton further.

What hasn’t been said about Liverpool this season? Well, maybe apart from “that was an excellent performance”. They have been rocked with an injury to their star forward Fernando Torres, and haven’t had Steven Gerrard at their disposal all season either. That said, they have played their way into fifth place, but once teams beneath them catch up on their games in hand, it could be a completely different story. They could easily be down in sixth or seventh if they don’t pick up a win against Everton at Anfield in Saturday’s early kick off. Last season, they were frustrated after being held to two 1-1 draws by Everton, in cup and league. That won’t be enough for them this season, as they can’t afford to start going backwards again.

Despite their problems, they have managed to beat both Tottenham and Aston Villa in their last five league games, but the scorelines flattered them both times. They have a problem with quality of players in the starting eleven and that is evidently not good enough for a club of Liverpool’s stature. There is only one man to take the fall, and that is coach Rafa Benitez, as he’s the one who has made all the signings. But the results have been brighter recently, on the large part, if not the performances. They haven’t lost in six league matches, which sounds good, but draws against Wolves and Stokes masks the true identity of the team. So does the FA Cup exit to Championship strugglers Reading. Somehow they are showing their stick-ability, and are getting results. That may just be enough to help them fulfil the promise that under fire Benitez made, that they will finish fourth.

BETTING STATS

Last 5 Head to Head (League)
Everton 0, Liverpool 2
Liverpool 1, Everton 1
Everton 0, Liverpool 2
Liverpool 1, Everton 0
Everton1, Liverpool 2

Last 5 Match Goals
Liverpool: 6 For, 1 Against
Everton: 9 For, 2 Against

Last 10 Form
Liverpool: W5, D3, L1
Everton W4, D5, L1

Win Percentage
Liverpool have a 66.7 win percentage at home
Everton have a 27.3 win percentage away from home

Match Prices
Liverpool to win: 9/10 at Blue Square
Draw: 5/2 at Bet365
Everton: 15/4 at Boylesports

Betting Advice. Two decent defences, would mean that this derby was leaning towards a draw. It is tough to see Everton coming away from Anfield with anything more than a draw, but David Moyes would be pretty happy with that. Liverpool need a convincing win, but this game will probably be a tight, scrappy affair with a lot of pride at stake. Neither team possesses great attacking flair, so if a win comes, it’ll likely be by an odd goal.
Everton +0.5 Asian Handicap: 41/40 at Bet365