Credit: Imago

Cameron Smith

Tue 14 April 2026 17:10, UK

Everton are preparing to take on Liverpool in the first Merseyside derby at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

The Toffees played out a 2-2 draw with Brentford on Saturday, keeping their European dreams well and truly in tact.

It has been a fantastic season thus far, with David Moyes dragging the Blues far away from the relegation troubles that have plagued the club in recent years.

Ahead of Sunday’s derby, it has been announced that referee Chris Kavanagh will be the man in the middle.

And in response, former Everton man turned pundit Michael Ball has expressed his apparent annoyance at the appointment for Sunday’s showdown.

Michael Ball not happy with Chris Kavanagh appointment for Merseyside derby

The most recent example of Kavanagh taking charge of a Toffees fixture came in January this year, with Beto earning a 1-1 draw for Moyes’ side.

Moyes himself would be booked that day, after the Scotsman left his technical area to celebrate the equaliser – a decision he criticised.

Kavanagh has come under criticism elsewhere this season, when he made the decision to give Newcastle a free-kick in their FA Cup clash against Aston Villa, for a handball by Lucas Digne that was evidently in the box.

Reacting to the news, Blues pundit and former full-back Ball reacted with a facepalm emoji, reflecting his thoughts on the appointment.

Though on a more positive note for Everton fans, one of the six aforementioned wins with Kavanagh actually came against Liverpool at Anfield, when Richarlison and Gylfi Sigurdsson secured a 2-0 win in 2021.

Everton to take advantage of Liverpool’s woes

After what has been a fantastic year at Hill Dickinson Stadium, Moyes’ side are looking to go out with bang.

Looking to qualify for continental football for the first time since 2017, the Toffees are currently well-placed to do so, while their form is showing no signs of letting up.

Rivals Liverpool have had a massively under-par year, defending their Premier League title in rather disappointing fashion for those at Anfield.

Not only is the chance there to catch them off guard following the Champions League tie against Paris Saint-Germain, but the opportunity is also there to cut the points gap to just two.

As the Toffees challenge for Europe, a result against Liverpool would mark the start of what is hopefully a successful end to the campaign, while the Merseyside rivals would remain locked together in the same region of the table.

Updated 24/7 with expert analysis from the heart of Goodison Park.