The Hill Dickinson Stadium will stage its inaugural Premier League Merseyside derby on Sunday, as Everton welcome Liverpool in a fixture loaded with both historical significance and present-day stakes for both clubs.
Everton’s move to their new state-of-the-art ground has been accompanied by renewed ambitions on the pitch. David Moyes’ side currently sit within touching distance of the top seven and require a victory to keep their Champions League qualification hopes alive. A positive result would also keep them firmly in contention for a UEFA Conference League place, regardless of the final outcome.
Liverpool arrive at the Hill Dickinson Stadium in a complicated position. Despite securing a 2-0 Premier League victory over Fulham last week — a result that reinforced their grip on fifth place — the club were eliminated from the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday night following a 4-0 aggregate defeat to holders Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-final. Fifth place is expected to be sufficient for Champions League qualification next season, though Arne Slot’s side will also be monitoring Manchester United and Aston Villa above them in the table.
The two clubs have a rich and often volatile recent history. Everton have won just one of their last 14 Premier League home fixtures against Liverpool, with 10 of those encounters ending in draws and three resulting in defeats. Liverpool, meanwhile, have won their last two Premier League meetings with Everton, though both victories came at Anfield. The Reds last won three consecutive league Merseyside derbies between April 2016 and April 2017. Sunday’s match also represents Liverpool’s first Premier League visit to the Hill Dickinson Stadium — a notable milestone given that the Reds have won at 59 of the 61 grounds they have visited in the competition’s history. A victory on Sunday would make them the first side to win at 60 different Premier League stadiums.
On the team news front, Everton could be boosted by the potential return of midfielder Carlos Alcaraz, who has been sidelined since a 2-1 home defeat to Bournemouth in early February. Alcaraz has returned to training, though his involvement remains to be confirmed. Jack Grealish will miss the derby, but the Toffees are otherwise close to a full complement of players.
Liverpool face more pressing injury concerns. Hugo Ekitike’s season has been brought to a premature end after the French forward suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon during Tuesday’s Champions League exit against PSG — an injury that is also expected to rule him out of the upcoming FIFA World Cup. His absence opens the door for Mohamed Salah or Cody Gakpo to feature in attack, while the involvement of Alexander Isak remains uncertain as his minutes continue to be carefully managed. Alisson Becker, Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni and Wataru Endo are all expected to remain unavailable.
Possible starting lineups for the fixture are as follows — Everton: Pickford; O’Brien, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Garner, Gueye; McNeil, Dewsbury-Hall, Ndiaye; Beto. Liverpool: Mamardashvili; Szoboszlai, Van Dijk, Konate, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Jones; Salah, Wirtz, Ngumoha; Isak.
The last Merseyside derby played at Goodison Park remains vivid in the memory of supporters on both sides of the city, with James Tarkowski’s celebrated volley and a notable post-match reaction from Slot among the defining moments. Sunday’s fixture carries that same weight of occasion, albeit at a new venue. With Everton driven by European ambitions and home advantage at a ground they will be eager to christen with a landmark result, the hosts enter the fixture with genuine motivation. Liverpool, burdened by Champions League disappointment and an increasingly concerning injury list, face a stern examination of their resilience. According to the match prediction, the scoreline is expected to finish Everton 2-1 Liverpool.
