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Liverpool travel to Goodison Park to face Everton in a high-stakes Merseyside Derby on Saturday.
Carlo Ancelotti's side went into the first international break of the season as the Premier League leaders, having won all of their first four games in the league.
Liverpool were in for a rude shock in the last game before the international break, as they lost 7-2 to Aston Villa, with a Ollie Watkins hat-trick humbling the champions on that day at Villa Park.
Jurgen Klopp's men will be keen to prove that the loss against Villa was only a momentary blip, and there is no better way for the champions to bounce back from that loss, than by beating their local rivals on Saturday.
Everton vs Liverpool Head-to-Head
Heading into the 288th Merseyside Derby, Liverpool hold the advantage over their city rivals, having won 121 of the previous 287 clashes. Everton have beaten the Reds 82 times, while there have been 84 draws in games between these two sides.
The last three Merseyside Derbies at Goodison Park have all ended in goalless draws. The last goal in a Goodison Park derby came in December 2016, when a Sadio Mane winner in injury time broke Everton hearts.
Everton Premier League form guide: W-W-W-W
Liverpool Premier League form guide: L-W-W-W
Everton vs Liverpool Team News
Everton
Midfielder Jean-Phillippe Gbamin and striker Cenk Tosun have long-term injuries. Mason Holgate and Jonjoe Kenny, too, are unlikely to feature in this game.
Ancelotti has only one real concern, with Yerry Mina having picked up a thigh injury, while on international duty with Colombia. He is now doubtful for the derby. If Mina is not fit enough to start, then it is likely that new signing Ben Godfrey could make his Everton debut, after moving from Norwich City on deadline day.
Injured: Mason Holgate, Jonjoe Kenny, Cenk Tosun, Jean-Phillippe Gbamin
Doubtful: Yerry Mina
Suspended: None
Liverpool
Thiago Alcantara and Sadio Mane have recovered after testing positive for COVID-19, while Joel Matip is also back in training after missing more than a month due to a thigh problem.
Alisson Becker, though, is ruled out with a shoulder injury, while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is set to take a few more weeks to recover from a knee problem.
The Reds will also welcome skipper Jordan Henderson back to their starting XI, after he proved his fitness by playing a part in England's UEFA Nations League matches during the international break.
Injuries: Alisson Becker, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
Suspensions: None
Everton vs Liverpool Predicted XIs
Everton (4-3-3): Jordan Pickford; Seamus Coleman, Ben Godfrey, Michael Keane, Lucas Digne; Allan, Andre Gomes, Abdoulaye Doucoure; James Rodriguez, Richarlison, Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Liverpool (4-3-3): Adrian San Miguel; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez, Virgil van Dijk, Andrew Robertson; Fabinho, Jordan Henderson, Thiago Alcantara; Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino
Everton vs Liverpool Prediction
This is really a clash of equals, given Everton's form and Liverpool's dented confidence after that heavy defeat against Aston Villa.
But that defeat could also galvanize Liverpool into tightening up the gaping holes that were picked off easily by Villa during that defeat. The returns of Mane, Thiago and Henderson are also sure to boost the Reds in this fixture.
We are going for a narrow Liverpool win, and finally, some goals at Goodison Park in a Merseyside Derby.
Prediction: Everton 1-2 Liverpool
