Football is always unpredictable, but sometimes it is not just about what happens on the pitch. Sometimes the weather, the skies, and the storms above decide to play their own role in the game. For Liverpool supporters, the build-up to the first Merseyside derby of the season has not been about tactics, lineups, or who will score the winning goal, but about whether the game itself will even take place. Once again, the city of Liverpool has found itself under a weather warning, and memories of last season’s chaos are fresh in everyone’s minds. Supporters are left to wonder if nature will try to rob them of the chance to see Liverpool against Everton, a derby that carries so much history, emotion, and rivalry.
Last season it was Storm Darragh that changed everything. The much-anticipated Goodison Park clash was called off after conditions made it impossible for the game to go ahead. That day will never be forgotten, especially by those who had prepared for weeks to attend. For some it was frustration, for others it was heartbreak, but football had to step aside for safety. And now, less than a year later, here we are again. A new storm is threatening, the Met Office has issued its warnings, and the city of Liverpool is bracing itself for heavy rain and possible flooding just as Anfield prepares to host Everton
The warning is officially a yellow rain warning. To the average fan, that might sound less dangerous than red or amber, but it is still enough to cause concern. A yellow warning means that while the likelihood of severe problems is low, the impact could be serious if things get worse. Power cuts, transport issues, flooded streets, and delays could all come into play. For a fixture of this size, for a city that lives and breathes football, even the smallest chance of disruption is enough to bring nerves.
The Met Office has made it clear. There is a 70% chance of rain throughout the match. The winds will be moderate, about 14 to 15 miles per hour, and visibility is expected to remain good. But as everyone knows, weather is unpredictable. What starts as light rain can quickly turn into storms that bring everything to a halt. Fans arriving at Anfield will not only carry scarves and shirts, but umbrellas and ponchos too. The thought of standing in the famous Kop drenched in relentless rain does not scare them. What scares them is the idea that the match might not even begin.
Arne Slot, Liverpool’s new manager, has not directly complained about the weather, but deep down he might see it as a small blessing if the game were to be delayed. His side has just played two intense matches in quick succession, both of which went down to stoppage time drama. His squad is still adjusting to his methods, still finding their balance, and fatigue is starting to show. A postponement would give him breathing space, time to regroup, time to give tired legs a rest. But he also knows that this is the Merseyside derby, a game that fans circle on their calendars, a game where postponement feels like a crime.
David Moyes, the Everton boss, has promised his players will fight to the very last minute. He has seen Liverpool’s recent habit of scoring late winners and wants his side to be ready for the storm on the pitch, regardless of the storm in the sky. Everton are in fine form, unusually high in the table, and this derby has extra weight. A win could take them into second place, just behind Liverpool, something that has rarely happened in recent years. For Evertonians, this is not just about bragging rights. It is about showing that their club is no longer in the shadows of their neighbours.
For Liverpool, the focus is on Alexander Isak, their record-breaking signing. He made his debut against Atletico Madrid, playing an hour and showing glimpses of why the club paid such a massive fee to bring him to Anfield. But Slot admitted that Isak’s body felt the impact after that game. He hinted strongly that Isak might not be ready for another big test so soon, especially not in the high-intensity cauldron of a derby. Fans want him to play, they want to see their new hero score against Everton, but reality might force him to sit this one out or play only a short part.
If Isak does not play, then Hugo Ekitike will once again be asked to lead the line. The young French forward has started life at Liverpool brightly, and now he has the perfect chance to write his name into derby history. Every derby has its surprise hero, and maybe this could be his moment. He knows that Isak’s arrival puts pressure on him, he knows that competition for places is fierce, but what better way to answer doubts than to score in front of the Kop against Everton?
Everton, though, are not coming to roll over. Jack Grealish, on loan from Manchester City, has been in sparkling form. It feels as if the move has given him fresh life, a new stage to prove himself. Slot himself name-checked him as a danger man, a player who could cause trouble if not carefully handled. Liverpool’s defenders will need to stay sharp, because Grealish will relish the chance to silence Anfield and deliver a performance that makes headlines.
The weather, the rivalry, the form of both sides—all of it is mixing into a cocktail of tension. Supporters on both sides are desperate. Everton fans dream of victory that proves their resurgence, Liverpool fans dream of victory that keeps their title charge rolling. But in the middle of all this drama, the skies above Liverpool continue to threaten. Will the rain fall too heavily? Will the pitch flood? Will safety officials decide that it is too risky to go ahead? These questions hang in the air like dark clouds.
For now, the official word is that the game will go ahead. There is no reason to suspect postponement unless conditions worsen. But football is unpredictable, and so is the weather. Fans who lived through last season’s postponed clash know all too well how quickly things can change. One storm, one unexpected turn, and everything is thrown into chaos.
And yet, perhaps the storm above is just a reflection of the storm below. Because this derby is always chaotic. It is always full of thunder, lightning, and clashes that shake the city to its core. Rain or no rain, storm or no storm, Liverpool vs Everton is never calm. It is a fixture where emotions boil, where tempers flare, where legends are made and hearts are broken.
The city of Liverpool will hold its breath. The rain will fall, the wind will blow, and the fans will gather. They will sing in the stands, they will shout in the pubs, they will pray that nothing cancels this day. Because for them, this is not just football. This is the derby. This is red against blue. This is Anfield against Goodison. This is history, rivalry, passion, and pride. And no storm, no weather warning, no yellow alert can ever fully stop the fire that burns in this city when Liverpool meets Everton.
And so, all eyes turn to Saturday. The rain may come, the warnings may stay, but as long as the referee blows the whistle and the ball rolls, the city will be alive with noise. If it is cancelled, the disappointment will cut deep. But if it goes ahead, then rain or shine, the Merseyside derby will once again remind the world why it remains one of the most explosive, emotional, and unmissable fixtures in football
