Liverpool will look to bounce back from the weekend defeat at Plymouth Argyle and extend their lead at the top of the Premier League to nine points with a win in the final Merseyside derby to be played at Goodison Park.
Reds boss Arne Slot made a host of changes for the game at Home Park and it backfired as Championship strugglers Argyle won 1-0 to end Liverpool’s hopes of a quadruple.
The Dutchman is looking for a response against their local rivals.
He said: “To lose to Plymouth is, of course, not acceptable. As a team – and I think our fans – we are disappointed by that result.
“We have to show a different side of us tomorrow because it was not only the result, the performance was far from what Liverpool standards are as well.”
Tomorrow. Derby day. 🔵
#EVELIV pic.twitter.com/QbDF9IPHvK— Everton (@Everton) February 11, 2025
Slot knows the atmosphere will be white hot with the Blues desperate to sign off at Goodison with a win and dent Liverpool’s title hopes.
He added: “You have to be mentally strong as the away team. When you have the ball you have to be as calm as you can but it is not the first time for these players that they are playing in atmospheres like this so I hope they can focus on what they have to do.
“I assume our players are ready for another battle tomorrow for the simple reason that they have been ready for the whole season and many of them are experienced in this tie.”
David Moyes’ return to Everton has steadied the ship and relegation now appears a distant threat with three successive league wins moving the Toffees nine points above the drop zone.
They also suffered FA Cup disappointment at the weekend, though, losing 2-0 to Bournemouth after a disjointed display.
Everton v Liverpool team news
Everton left-back Vitalii Mykolenko is back in training and could be considered for a recall. New signing Carlos Alcaraz is in contention to make his first start after impressing off the bench against Bournemouth.
Nathan Patterson is unlikely to be fit while Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Seamus Coleman and Dwight McNeil are all out for some time.
Slot will recall his big guns after giving them the weekend off. The likes of Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah will return along with the rest of Liverpool’s regular first-teamers.
Joe Gomez has been ruled out after limping off at Plymouth but Trent Alexander-Arnold could return.