Credit: Imago

Richie Mills

Wed 15 April 2026 13:10, UK

Liverpool appear to be in disarray at a time when Everton are looking much more stable before the Merseyside derby.

In the space of a couple of weeks, Liverpool have been dumped out of the FA Cup by Manchester City and the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain.

While the Reds are still on track to finish in the top five and secure Champions League football, all is not well at Anfield.

Conversely, David Moyes‘ team are exceeding expectations this season as they attempt to secure European football for the first time since 2018.

Ahead of Everton’s crunch clash with Liverpool on Sunday, the Toffees appear to be in a relative position of tranquillity compared to their neighbours.

All not well at Liverpool ahead of Everton game

In the wake of Liverpool’s 2-0 loss to PSG in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final, an under pressure Arne Slot revealed that Hugo Ekitike’s injury “looks really bad”, with the striker set to be out for months.

Moreover, big changes are coming this summer, with Slot admitting that Liverpool need to sell before they can buy. And despite the huge discrepancies over what both teams spent last summer, Everton are just three places and five points behind.

Slot said on Tuesday, “We have to sell to buy. We are losing some players on a free transfer. It is a big challenge in the summer.

“We are a club in transition. A club always has certain cycles with certain players. A lot of them that were so successful for the club have already left or are leaving.”

As Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson head for a summer Liverpool exit, Everton will be hoping that the turbulence across the city stays well clear of Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday.

Indeed, Everton only really have loanee Jack Grealish out when it comes to first-team players. Liverpool, though, are now without top scorer Ekitike, star goalkeeper Alisson Becker, Conor Bradley and Waturo Endo.

If there is a good time to play Liverpool, it might just be now. Slot is facing mounting pressure over his job, so this could be another nail in his Anfield coffin.

Everton’s troubling record vs Liverpool

In the past five years, Everton have played Liverpool nine times. In that stretch, they have won just once.

Six losses, one win, and two draws do not make for pleasant reading, with Liverpool leading the head to head by 127 to 84, with 87 draws thrown in.

However, this match is their first meeting at Hill Dickinson Stadium, with Everton hoping their new ground can be a lucky charm.

Heading into this contest, Liverpool have won three of their last six games, a feat matched by Everton.

This would be a statement victory for Everton over Liverpool. Now, they just have to deliver.

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