Liverpool against Everton is not just another football match. It is war, it is family against family, it is neighbour against neighbour, it is blue against red, it is Anfield shaking with history and Goodison Park answering back with defiance. The Merseyside derby is not something you watch casually, it is something you feel in your bones, it is something that leaves scars, it is something that makes legends or destroys them. And this time, when Liverpool and Everton meet again at Anfield, everything feels bigger, sharper, more dangerous, because both teams are alive with ambition and both managers are carrying fire in their eyes.
Liverpool come into this clash chasing perfection. Arne Slot has already made his mark on the champions, guiding them to four wins out of four in the Premier League, each one earned with drama, each one decided with late goals that reminded the world what Liverpool really are. Against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, they did it again, refusing to die, refusing to accept defeat, and in the 92nd minute Virgil van Dijk rose like a tower and smashed a header into the net to seal a 3-2 victory. The stadium trembled that night, Anfield sang like it was alive, and everyone who was there knew that this Liverpool team is writing another story of destiny.
But Everton are not coming to play the victim. David Moyes has returned to the blue side of Merseyside with a mission, and his team has started the season with energy and invention that has surprised many. After losing their opener against Leeds, they fought back with two wins and a draw, sitting sixth in the table, breathing down the necks of the so-called giants. They are not afraid. They are not quiet. They are coming into Anfield ready to fight, ready to remind Liverpool that derbies are not won on paper, they are won in blood and sweat.
The biggest spotlight in this battle shines on Alexander Isak, Liverpool’s new record-breaking striker. His arrival from Newcastle was a transfer saga that nearly broke the internet, a story that lasted the whole summer and ended with Liverpool smashing the British transfer record. Fans dreamed about him, argued about him, and finally celebrated his arrival. But dreams are complicated things. Isak missed most of pre-season because of the chaos at Newcastle, and when he made his debut against Atletico Madrid, he lasted only 58 minutes before being replaced by Hugo Ekitike. He is not yet at full fitness, he is not yet the finished weapon Liverpool bought, and Arne Slot admitted that he will not play 90 minutes against Everton. The question burns: will he start, or will he wait on the bench? That decision could shape everything.
On the other side of the pitch, Everton’s big weapon is Jack Grealish. The loan signing from Manchester City has already transformed them, delivering four assists in four matches and bringing swagger back to their attack. His chemistry with Moyes’ runners has been electric, his confidence has been contagious, and his ability to unlock defences is exactly what Everton need if they are to hurt Liverpool’s high line. Alongside him, Moyes has to decide whether to trust Beto, who has one goal in four games, or throw new signing Thierno Barry into the storm of a derby. Tyler Dibling is another wildcard, a young signing from Southampton who could make his first start. Everton have options, and they have belief.
But injuries still shadow both teams. Liverpool are without Curtis Jones, and while Jeremie Frimpong has returned from his hamstring problem, Slot may protect him by keeping him out of this brutal derby. Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai have played heavy minutes and may also face rotation. For Everton, Jarrad Branthwaite and Vitalii Mykolenko remain sidelined, forcing Moyes to rely on a makeshift defence that somehow managed to shut out Aston Villa last weekend. That clean sheet gave them courage, and now they want more.
Tactically, this game could explode from the very first whistle. Everton know that Liverpool like to dominate, like to press high, like to smother their opponents, but Everton will look to turn that against them. They will try to break fast, to release runners into the space behind, to use Grealish as the spark. Liverpool, on the other hand, know their power comes late in matches, their resilience is their weapon, their crowd is their extra man. Anfield does not allow them to give up. If it takes until the 90th minute, they will wait. If it takes until the 95th, they will still believe.
The head-to-head history screams in Liverpool’s favour: 95 wins to Everton’s 63, with 75 draws. Everton have not won at Anfield in four years. But derbies are not history. Derbies are fire in the moment. Last season it was Diogo Jota who broke blue hearts, scoring the only goal in a tight 1-0 win. This time, who will be the hero? Will it be Salah again, cool as ice from the penalty spot? Will it be Isak, announcing himself to the Anfield faithful with a goal that writes him into Liverpool folklore? Or will it be someone in blue, someone unexpected, someone who turns Anfield into silence?
The prediction from the experts is a 2-2 draw, a wild game with no peace, a match that swings from one end to the other until both sides collapse from exhaustion. And maybe that is the truth. Because this is the Merseyside derby. It is not a place for calm, it is not a place for comfort, it is a place for chaos, for passion, for tears and joy mixed together. Liverpool are chasing perfection, Everton are chasing respect, and on Saturday lunchtime, everything will be decided under the red sky of Anfield.
And if you have ever watched this derby before, you know one thing for certain: it will hurt, it will thrill, it will take your breath, and it will remind you why football is not just a game. It is life.
