In anticipation of Wednesday's Merseyside derby between Everton and Liverpool, we provide our Premier League predictions. While Liverpool is in a three-way battle for the league championship, Everton is fighting for their place in the Premier League. Thus, the motivations for both teams to win this week couldn't be more different.
Head-to-Head and Previous Matches
This is Everton's third straight home victory; they defeated Burnley 1-0 and Nottingham Forest 2-0 last weekend. Since their previous victory, Sean Dyche's squad has gained five points and gained the upper hand over the clubs in danger of relegation thanks to a game in hand. With only one more victory, they should be guaranteed a spot in the Premier League for the next season.
The lone loss for Everton in their last four games came against Chelsea, 6-0, which was their worst away loss of the season. They should be able to secure their survival with just five losses in their final thirteen games, particularly considering how the teams in their vicinity are having trouble accumulating points.
If Liverpool want to keep their championship hopes alive in the Premier League, the red half of Merseyside will be rooting for their team to win. Lately, Liverpool's performance has been subpar.
Starting with a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford, followed by consecutive home losses to Atalanta and Crystal Palace. Nevertheless, they proceeded to beat Fulham and Atalanta on the road. However, before playing two of their last three games at Anfield, the Reds must complete two more away games.
Any mistake here may put an end to Liverpool's already-slim championship aspirations, and Jurgen Klopp is well aware that scoring goals, much alone winning games at Goodison Park, has not been easy as of late.
Our Predictions
Over 0.5 red card
When it comes to Premier League games, the Merseyside derby has the most red cards of any match in history. Twenty of the total twenty-eight have been distributed in the English Premier League, with the vast majority going to Everton players. Because of the high stakes and intense emotions that will be present, the game is likely to be played in an electric environment that the participants will feel. Second, we expect the Merseyside derby's fervor to translate onto the field, resulting in a red card for one player.