– Everton have scored one goal in six matches against top-four clubs this season
– Liverpool have scored a league-high 49 second-half goals this season
– Recommended bet: Tie/Liverpool Half Time/Full Time
Everton and Liverpool both claimed significant Premier League victories at the weekend but there is still plenty on the line when the Merseyside rivals meet on Wednesday night.
The Toffees eased their relegation concerns with a 2-0 home win over fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest, and manager Sean Dyche will have been pleased with his side’s response to their 6-0 rout at Chelsea.
Liverpool have had a tough couple of weeks, losing at home to Crystal Palace in the league and going out of the Europa League against Atalanta, but they boosted their title hopes with Sunday’s 3-1 victory at Fulham.
Team news
Everton are likely to be without the injured Seamus Coleman, Nathan Patterson, Dele Alli and Lewis Dobbin. Beto is also expected to miss out after suffering a head injury against Forest, but fellow striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin should overcome a minor knee problem.
Liverpool’s injury problems have eased and Joel Matip, Conor Bradley and Thiago Alcantara could be their only absentees at Goodison. Diogo Jota will be hoping for another start up front after scoring in the weekend win at Fulham.
The stats
Everton have kept a clean sheet in 15 of their last 16 Premier League home victories, but they have scored just one goal in six matches against top-four clubs this season.
Nine of the last 11 Merseyside derbies at Goodison Park have finished as draws, while over 3.5 goals has been a winning bet in five of Liverpool’s last six Premier League away games.
The Reds have won seven of their last nine away league matches and have scored a league-high 49 second-half goals this season.
Prediction
Everton-Liverpool clashes at Goodison Park tend to be tight, with five of the last nine ending goalless, but Jurgen Klopp’s Reds are hot favourites to take three points on Wednesday.
Liverpool may require a perfect end to their league campaign if they are to finish above title rivals Manchester City and Arsenal, so Sunday’s 3-1 win at Fulham was a big moment on Klopp’s farewell tour.
The Reds had been knocked out of Europe by Atalanta earlier in the week, having dropped points in a draw at Manchester United and a surprise 1-0 home defeat to Crystal Palace.
Seven of Everton’s 10 league wins this season have come against teams that started the week in the bottom eight, and Chelsea brutally exposed them in the 6-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge last week.
Despite that, the Toffees still have the fourth-best defensive record in the top flight, so they can stand firm until half-time against Liverpool.
However, the Reds have been finishing games strongly all season long, and the tie-Liverpool selection in the Half Time/Full Time market was a winning bet in October’s reverse fixture against Everton.