Everton face Liverpool on Sunday without a win in the Merseyside Derby since 2010, and Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson is not favouring our chances of stopping the rot.
In the former Arsenal ace’s weekly predictions, Merson has gone with a 2-1 win on the road for Liverpool, while stating that the tie is a must-win for the Reds as it will be ticking off a big game in their title ambitions.
A deciding factor in the outcome of the game, from their perspective, is mooted as going into the tie knowing whether Manchester City have already climbed above them in the table and that defeat in the Derby will leave Jurgen Klopp’s men on the back foot once again.
The mental fragility this may cause, however, is not believed to be enough for Marco Silva to orchestrate a dream result at the weekend, as Everton do not have the tools to go toe-to-toe with the other side of Stanley Park.
In his predictions, Merson wrote: “Massive, massive game. Manchester City will have probably won and be top of the league, and with 10 to go, who plays first is a big mental advantage.
“If Liverpool win, they’re ticking off a big game. It’s out of Man City’s hands at the moment, but as soon as Liverpool do drop points I think they’re in trouble.
“What threat do Everton have? Man-for-man, there is no threat, but it’s Everton’s cup final. Liverpool have to get through this unscathed.”
The suggestion that this is Everton’s cup final should be how Silva instructs the players to go about the game. Leave it all on the pitch, and make a strong account for yourselves, as this can be the defining game of our season.
Currently, the defining moment of the campaign came in the reverse fixture as Divock Origi’s late, heartbreaking goal marked a turning point in our season for the worse and now we have little hope of breaking the top-six this term.
We should, therefore, go out and continue our rebuild by putting a significant dent in Liverpool’s title ambitions as a favourable result will give the entire squad a boost that could see us climb towards seventh place, where a place in next season’s Europa League could be up for grabs.