English Premier
2025-02-12 - Everton vs Liverpool
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: English Premier League
Wednesday 12th February 2025 - Kick Off 7:30pm
This game is live on TV
Everton
The next few months will see a number of 'lasts' as far as Everton and Goodison Park go and this past weekend it was the last time the famous old ground will host a FA Cup tie. David Moyes' team were beaten 0-2 by Bournemouth to extend their run to thirty years since they last won a trophy, but Everton have been in good form in the Premier League and they are moving clear of the bottom three.
Next up is the last Merseyside derby to be played at Goodison Park, which is also a game in hand that Everton have over their relegation rivals. The Toffees are 16th in the Premier League table, but a positive run under David Moyes has pushed them 9 points clear of the relegation zone. They head into this fixture with a 4-4-4 home record in the top flight where Everton have scored 16 goals and conceded 13.
Everton fans will be frustrated to see their team dumped out of the FA Cup, especially when you think of some of the top clubs that have already been eliminated, but they have won 3 Premier League games in a row. Prior to the defeat to Bournemouth, Everton had won 3 of 4 games at Goodison Park in all competitions, including consecutive Premier League wins over Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City.
Seamus Coleman, Dwight McNeil and Dominic Calvert-Lewin are big absentees for the home team. There is a hope that Vitalii Mykolenko will be passed fit for selection.
Liverpool
A strong team was selected for the League Cup Semi Final Second Leg win over Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday, but Arne Slot chose to make wholesale changes for the FA Cup tie at Championship bottom club Plymouth Argyle on Sunday. It was a Liverpool filled with international experience as the squad was utilised and so it was still a big upset as The Reds were beaten 1-0 at Home Park.
Attention will turn back to the Premier League and the Merseyside derby might be the perfect fixture for Liverpool to bounce back from the disappointing FA Cup Fourth Round defeat. The Reds are 6 points clear of Arsenal at the top of the Premier League and this game in hand could see Liverpool take a firm grip of the title race, if they have not got one already.
Liverpool have found some big results over the last month, but it should also be noted that they have lost 3 away Cup ties in that run at Tottenham Hotspur, PSV Eindhoven and Plymouth Argyle. However, they have been stronger in the Premier League and Liverpool have won 4 of their last 5 on their travels in the top flight, including back to back 0-2 wins at Brentford and Bournemouth.
Joe Gomez picked up another knock on Sunday and is expected to miss out. Trent Alexander-Arnold is considered a doubt, but the likes of Alisson, Virgil Van Dijk, Alexis Mac Allister, Mo Salah and Cody Gakpo should all be restored to the starting lineup.
Head to Head
This is the first of two Merseyside derbies to be played before the end of May.
Last season both derby games were won 2-0 by the home team.
Everton have lost 1 of their last 7 home Merseyside derby fixtures.
Prediction
There is going to be plenty of emotion in the stands when Everton kick off the last Merseyside derby that is expected to be played at Goodison Park.
It was a fixture that was supposed to be played back in December, but poor weather forced a postponement and this is a game in hand that has importance for both Everton and Liverpool.
Both teams were beaten in the FA Cup this past weekend, which is disappointing, but the Premier League is the priority and Everton and Liverpool are hoping this game in hand can almost push rivals far enough behind them to feel very comfortable.
Everton are 9 points clear of the bottom three and Liverpool are 6 points clear as Premier League leaders so you can understand the importance of the three points on offer.
Bragging rights in the final derby at Goodison Park will help motivate both teams and games between Everton and Liverpool at this ground have been very competitive down the years.
Arne Slot's men will be well rested with most of the key players not involved on Sunday in the defeat at Home Park in the FA Cup Fourth Round. That means they have been given almost a full week of rest at a busy time and it should mean Liverpool have the right intensity to get after an Everton team that did have a strong eleven out in the 0-2 defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday.
David Moyes knows the importance of this Merseyside derby and he will be hoping his Everton team can bounce back from the Cup exit- they have won 3 Premier League games in a row, although Everton's fixture list has not been the most difficult and this is a much greater challenge.
Making the same kind of mistakes as they did on Saturday will hurt Everton, but the manager is experienced and the squad is too so you have to believe they will be more focused all around.
Of course containing Liverpool is a huge challenge and they continue to be clinical in the final third, while having big moments go their way defensively. Both Brentford and Bournemouth have been beaten 0-2 in recent home games against Liverpool, but both will feel they had enough chances to make that final scoreline much more competitive and the Merseyside derby has tended to be very close.
Trusting Everton is not easy considering their own problems in the final third, but they have been a little more confident under David Moyes and so backing the home team with a full start looks the right call in a tough scheduling spot.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Everton 0-1 Liverpool
FIXED ODDS BETTING TIP :
I'll back Everton + 1.5 Asian Handicap at 1.67 with SportBet.One
