Liverpool vs Everton Preview and Prediction – Wednesday, April 2nd, 2025

The iconic Merseyside derby returns to Anfield on Wednesday night as Liverpool and Everton clash in the Premier League for the second time in two months. With pride, points, and history on the line, both teams are eager to secure a statement victory – one for history.

Clashes & Merseyside Rivalry Recent Statistics

The February meeting between these two saw Everton snatch a dramatic 98th-minute equalizer through James Tarkowski at the last Merseyside Derby to take place at Goodison Park. The post-match chaos continued as Abdoulaye Doucoure and Curtis Jones were sent off following a heated altercation.

This fixture is notorious for red cards, with 25 dismissals in Premier League meetings – only Chelsea vs. Manchester United (27) has produced more. Moreover, it’s also one of the most frequently drawn encounters in the competition’s history, with 26 stalemates.

Liverpool’s Recent Struggles and Home Dominance

Despite a challenging spell before the international break, Liverpool remain firmly in control of the Premier League title race, sitting 9 points clear of second-placed Arsenal, following the Gunners’ 2-1 win over Fulham on Tuesday evening. However, a disastrous week in mid-March saw the Reds crash out of the Champions League to Paris Saint-Germain and suffer a heartbreaking EFL Cup final defeat to Newcastle United at Wembley.

While Liverpool’s European and domestic cup dreams have been dashed, their league form at Anfield remains formidable. Arne Slot’s side have gone unbeaten in their last 19 Premier League home games since a defeat to Nottingham Forest early in the season, amassing 17 wins and two draws. Remarkably, they have netted at least twice in each of their last 15 domestic home games.

Liverpool’s dominance over Everton at Anfield is well-documented, with the Reds winning all seven of the previous derby clashes in front of a crowd. Everton’s sole success here since the turn of the century came in 2021, during a pandemic-era fixture held behind closed doors.

Injuries have begun to pile up for Liverpool, particularly at right-back, where Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez, and Conor Bradley are all sidelined. However, Alisson and Ryan Gravenberch are expected to return following minor injuries that kept them out of international duty.

Elsewhere, Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, and especially Darwin Nunez have faced criticism for inconsistent performances, but one of them will likely partner Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo up front. Italian international Federico Chiesa, despite scoring in the EFL Cup final, is expected to start on the bench.

Everton’s Resilience Under Moyes

Everton, now under the guidance of David Moyes, have transformed from relegation candidates to a resilient, hard-to-beat side. Moyes’ impact has been profound, guiding the Toffees to a nine-match unbeaten run in the Premier League – their longest streak since 2017.

Despite this improvement, Everton have drawn their last four league games, including underwhelming performances against Wolves and West Ham United. Remarkably, nearly half of their matches this season have ended in stalemates (13 of 29), a record-high percentage for the club.

Moyes will be well aware of his own Anfield curse. The veteran manager has never won at the famous stadium, suffering 19 Premier League defeats there – the most of any manager at a single venue in the competition’s history.

Everton’s injury situation has improved, but Vitalii Mykolenko remains doubtful after suffering a thigh injury on international duty. Dominic Calvert-Lewin is also unavailable, though Armando Broja is fit and ready to provide competition for Beto up front.

Moyes is likely to stick with his preferred midfield setup, featuring Idrissa Gueye, James Garner. Abdoulaye Doucoure, Carlos Alcaraz and Jack Harrison are expected to occupy the wide areas, with Beto leading the line.

Possible Starting Lineups of Liverpool and Everton

• Liverpool: Alisson – Jarell Quansah, Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson – Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch – Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai, Luis Diaz – Cody Gakpo. (4-2-3-1)
• Everton: Jordan Pickford – Jake O’Brien, James Tarkowski, Jarrad Branthwaite, Ashley Young – Carlos Alcaraz, Idrissa Gueye, James Garner, Abdoulaye Doucoure, Jack Harrison – Beto. (4-5-1)

Spooky Express Betting Prediction

The Reds enter the Merseyside derby as heavy favorites at Anfield, with EveryGame offering odds of -278 for a home victory. Everton, despite their nine-match unbeaten run, are massive underdogs at +800, while a draw is priced at +375 based on the latest betting odds on Wednesday morning.

Given Liverpool’s remarkable scoring consistency at home – netting at least twice in their last 15 domestic league games – pairing a Liverpool win with Over 2.5 Goals at +110 presents solid value for a 5/10 Unit stake. With Everton’s defensive resilience tested against one of the league’s most potent attacks, this looks like a smart play for bettors.

Liverpool’s recent hiccups aside, their Anfield record is intimidating. Everton’s resilience under Moyes may be impressive, but their inability to turn draws into wins could be their undoing in this derby.

While Everton will aim to frustrate their city rivals, Liverpool’s firepower at home should be too much to handle in what we expect to be a high scoring derby of Merseyside. 

Spooky Express Free Play: Liverpool To Win and Over 2.5 Goals +110 at EveryGame for 5/10 Units