Robbie Savage makes Everton favourites v Liverpool ahead of Premier League showdown
Robbie Savage has admitted he would make Everton “slight favourites” to win the Merseyside Derby on Monday 13 February after what he’s seen at Anfield.
The Toffees enter this thrilling contest on the back of a much-needed 1-0 win against league leaders Arsenal last weekend while the Reds suffered a 3-0 defeat to Wolves in their last Premier League clash.
Both sides have endured incredibly disappointing campaigns, although new manager Sean Dyche has undergone a bounce at Goodison Park following their previous result.
And Savage, writing in his column for the Daily Mirror [10 February, pg 63] claims Jurgen Klopp’s men will need to “run their socks off” to put one over on their bitter rivals.
He said: “At the moment Liverpool are in such a state of transition that I would make bitter rivals Everton slight favourites to win the Merseyside derby on Monday night, even though it’s at Anfield.
“If Sean Dyche can extract as much energy and intensity as they showed in their 1-0 win against Arsenal in the first game as Everton manager, Liverpool will have to run their socks off to put one over the neighbours across Stanley Park.”
Template
The Toffees provided the perfect template for what they are going to be under Dyche last weekend against Arsenal, providing Goodison Park with the kind of spark they have been needing for a long while.
The Blues were aggressive, tenacious and spirited in every part of their game, and they will certainly need to pull their socks up once again if they are to match those heights at Anfield – a stadium they have a terrible record at.
If one man can pull a rabbit out of a hat for the Toffees, it’s Dyche. He’s done it before, winning 1-0 at Anfield while manager at Burnley in 2021.
Liverpool are on a torrid run of form right now, and there’s no reason why Everton can’t break their Anfield curse on Monday night.
However, their task will be made difficult following the injury to Dominic Calvert-Lewin which means either Neal Maupay or Demarai Gray will need to pull their weight and impress if the Toffees are to carry on their Dyche resurgence.