Michael Kenrick 20/09/2025 42comments  |  Jump to last
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Everton face familiar foes Liverpool in the first Merseyside derby of the season at Anfield on Saturday afternoon, looking for their first win at their old ground since 2021 under Carlo Ancelotti.

The good news for Everton is that Vitaliy Mykolenko reappears in the starting line-up, having overcome his early-season injury problems. David Moyes goes with Beto to spearhead the attack, ahead of his strong midfield trio.

But there's no sign of Merlin Röhl in today's matchday squad. David Moyes has confirmed Merlin Röhl picked up a minor knock in training yesterday.

First Half

Everton kicked off and tried a ball over the top to Beto that bounced through to Alisson. The home side pressed Everton hard playing out from the back until they committed a foul but Beto could not control another long ball played up.

Ndiaye and Dewsbury-Hall were hemmed in by 5 players in the corner and tried manfully to break out but couldn't do it. Liverpool worked it around and O'Brien had to deny Gakpo, Everton defended well until Ndiaye could give Beto a break-out ball. 

Pickford resorted to the long ball but the pressure was quickly back on and Everton wanted a free-kick for a foul by Van Dijk on Ndiaye but he had got the ball before the man and Darren Engand let it go and  a looping ball in from Salah on the right wiing was clipped first-time past Pickford by Gravenburch to give the home side an early lead.

Liverpool attacked again and Salah almost scored with a powerful shot across Pickford's goal. Everton had not seen much of the ball in the first 15 minutes, succumbing to the intensity of their opponents' play. A great Garner tackle stopped Szoboszlai. More shots by Mac Allister and Gakpo needed blocking as Everton were fully stretched in defence, unable to get the ball forward to Grealish. 

Everton got forward for a throw-in from O'Brien but it was easily defended, Ndiaye played a brilliant through to Beto that he just watched bounce harmlessly past him, before Liverpool surged forward, Gakpo failing with an acrobatic effort. 

Grealish finally got the ball and ran in the channel,feeding a super ball to Dewsbury-Hall who tried to find the top corner, but missed. Ndiaye was carded for his foul on Kerkez. Liverpool advanced down the right and Ekitike was fed the ball by Gravenberch and finished far too easily past Pickford.

Everton had a rare spell of possession but struggled to create anything meaningful from it, Mykolenko putting another ball in Beto's direction but he did nothing with it. Ndiaye did get forward and clipped in a difficult ball that Beto had to turn around for and failed to get it on target. 

Ndiaye was finally given a free-kick for a foul, Garner tasked to swing in a deep delivery that hung in the air, Alisson out to punch. Grealish ran at Bradley and won a corner. Garner played it short to Gealish who then set him up for a drive but it was blocked. 

Grealsish pulled a brilliant ball back but it was to Gana, whose scuffed shot was at least on target but easily saved. So ended a pretty dismal first half for the Blues.

Second Half

The game restarted with Barry on in place of the hapless Beto. After a scrappy restart, Mykoleko got in a cross to the penalty spot but not a Blue shirt within 10 m of it. 

Everton had a slightly better spell, Grealish evading Bradley but Gana should never be his wing-man. More half-decent attacking play went nowhere, Liverpool countering at pace, S

But another Blues attack finally produced something, and it was that ne,msis Gana Gueye who scored it, from a great cross by Grealish that was played back perfectly by Ndiaye for Gana's brilliant first-time strike. 

Liverpool: Alisson; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo; Ekitike.

Subs: Mamardashvili, Gomez, Endo, Wirtz, Isak, Jones, Robertson, Frimpong, Ngumoha.

Everton: Pickford, O'Brien, Tarkowski, Keane, Mykolenko, Gana, Garner, Ndiaye [Y:27'], Dewsbury-Hall, Grealish, Beto (46' Barry).

Subs: Travers, Patterson, McNeil, Barry, Dibling, Coleman, Alcaraz, Aznou, Iroegbunam.

Referee: Darren England

 

Reader Comments (42)

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Ernie Baywood
1 Posted 20/09/2025 at 11:21:55
Well that's pretty much full strength. Come on you blues!
Kevin Molloy
2 Posted 20/09/2025 at 11:23:19
The German's injured already?
Jeff Armstrong
3 Posted 20/09/2025 at 11:25:32
Merlin Röhl injured already?
Pat Kelly
4 Posted 20/09/2025 at 11:32:14
It will be fascinating to see how Liverpool cope with Beto.
Kevin Molloy
5 Posted 20/09/2025 at 11:38:56
I think they'll just let him have the ball, Pat.
Pat Kelly
6 Posted 20/09/2025 at 11:44:02
Yes Kevin. That should totally confuse him.
Conor McCourt
7 Posted 20/09/2025 at 11:44:27
Slot showing Grealish respect by starting Bradley over Szoboszlqi and Frimpong at right-back as he's their best one-on-one defender.

I'm looking forward to this for a change as hoping their game against Atletico will cause them to be a little jaded. Let's get at them!

COYB

Jim Wilson
8 Posted 20/09/2025 at 11:47:46
Pat @ 4 - they will foul Beto knowing they won't be pulled up!
Kevin Molloy
9 Posted 20/09/2025 at 11:49:07
This is a big game for Kieran Dewsbury-Hall.

If he plays well, so do we.

Rob Hooton
10 Posted 20/09/2025 at 11:51:48
Hope Mykolenko is fully fit and doesn't break down again. Decent team and not a bad bench.

Hope nothing too bad with Röhl and that he'll be okay for the cup game midweek.

Dale Self
11 Posted 20/09/2025 at 11:53:07
Good eye, Conor!
Derek Knox
12 Posted 20/09/2025 at 12:07:10
Pat @ 4, it will also be fascinating to see how Beto copes with Liverpool! :-)
Joe McMahon
13 Posted 20/09/2025 at 12:12:35
Injuries already, what the hell goes on in training?
Peter Moore
14 Posted 20/09/2025 at 12:13:02
Beto will be hungry to change his luck today, after the marginal offside goal was chalked off at Anfield a few months ago, and another came back out off the inside of the post.

Today's team is much better for us for sure and the shite are not purring as they were then. We can do this. We owe them a beating.

UTFT. COYB. NSNO.

Derek Knox
15 Posted 20/09/2025 at 12:16:05
I wonder when the RS stopped laughing when they learnt the mighty Beto was spearheading our attack !

Why does Arne Snot always sound like he's gargling diarrhoea ?

Peter Moore
16 Posted 20/09/2025 at 12:20:49
Beto was unlucky not to bag a brace in the last Anfield Derby a few months ago Del.
I doubt the shite fans or St Virgil or Konate are pleased to face our powerhouse number 9.
He will give his all today, as he always does. I wish him the success his efforts deserve. Good luck Norberto! UTFT 💙
Derek Knox
17 Posted 20/09/2025 at 12:24:47
A brace ?

Didn't know he had Dental Alignment issues, thought that was Barry :-)

Kevin Naylor
18 Posted 20/09/2025 at 12:45:28
Live forum up the swanee
Mark Murphy
19 Posted 20/09/2025 at 12:51:27
"Live" forum is dead
Chris James
20 Posted 20/09/2025 at 12:57:55
Beto is a handful, but our balls to him have been too hit and hope, but their backline has holes.
Mark Murphy
21 Posted 20/09/2025 at 13:07:42
My GOD Beto is poor.
Christy Ring
22 Posted 20/09/2025 at 13:16:40
Live forum is crap, Grealish fouled 4 times by Bradley and no yellow, unreal
Chris James
23 Posted 20/09/2025 at 13:18:13
Ah well, not going to be our day here is it. That Beto 'attempt' vs Gravenberch's finish, summarises the problem we have at present.

We have some great creative players, but we need to be creating so many chances in order to tuck one away at the moment that games like this are going to be trebly difficult.

Generally not sure I can even keep listening to the commentary team's collective Liverpool blow job - it's about as objective as Trump's media policy!

But galling as it is maybe, I don't think many of us expected much, and at the end of the day, this isn't a season definer. I'd rather be having a decent cup run and a push for Europe whilst losing to Liverpool than win one game and be nowhere else.

Charles Brewer
26 Posted 20/09/2025 at 13:19:02
Well, this is a putrid display. The RS playing with (at least 12) as usual but two very sloppy goals. Football referees should do what rugby refs do and say to the captain, the next player that fouls Grealish will be off, no matter whether he's done anything before.

On the other hand, I'm not sure why Everton don't just give the 3 points away before the start of early Saturday matches.

Kevin Molloy
27 Posted 20/09/2025 at 13:21:31
they are just lethal at the moment. We've both had two half chances, they've buried theirs we missed ours. warrayagonnado
Christy Ring
28 Posted 20/09/2025 at 13:21:31
Gueye had great chance before the break, but Beto is toothless upfront, bting on Dibling and put Ndiaye upfront.
Christy Ring
29 Posted 20/09/2025 at 13:21:34
Gueye had great chance before the break, but Beto is toothless upfront, bting on Dibling and put Ndiaye upfront.
Rob Hooton
30 Posted 20/09/2025 at 13:23:02
Two incisive finishes from Liverpool are the difference really, we finished the half strongly though I think we needed a goal to make a game of it.

If we can get one early in the second half then it’s game on, the other lot do look strong though and seem to have taken their foot off the gas since their second.

Not looking good, I’ll keep watching with hope over expectation.

Derek Knox
31 Posted 20/09/2025 at 13:24:33
Beto is hardly poor !

He is stealing about £80K per week !

Andy Mead
32 Posted 20/09/2025 at 13:25:26
Where is the passion? Soft goals, no tracking of the players for both goals. We just sitting back and can't hold onto the ball. Get Beto off and give Dibling a go. Can't be worse.
Craig Scott
33 Posted 20/09/2025 at 13:26:25
Keane's lack of pace on the turn at fault for both goals. They can so easily get in behind him.
Steve Dowdeswell
34 Posted 20/09/2025 at 13:27:14
Owners need to sort out the live forum and maybe sort out some of the continuous negativity on there too.

Christy Ring
35 Posted 20/09/2025 at 13:27:35
Need Branthwaite back bad defending for 2nd goal
Alan J Thompson
36 Posted 20/09/2025 at 13:29:32
We've got nothing in the middle of midfield and Moyes has just left it at what we've done for most games, get it to Grealish but they have him double teamed and he has no outlet and more often than not pushed off the ball or held but gets nothing from this Ref.

I thought that the first goal should have been a free kick for a foul on Ndiaye and I was still not sure after the replay even if it was a light touch but Ndiaye gets a yellow for something similar.

For both goals our central defenders seemed to be playing their own games rather than as a pair. The first Keane seems to let it go for Pickford and Tarkowski hasn't moved across to cover and they do something similar on the second goal.

Moyes has to give us more outlets than Grealish and the long ball from Pickford. Beto has to be more on line with the back post for any crosses rather than the near post on the edge/corner of the 6 yard box and in that way we might cross first time than just mess around until we lose it or it goes out for a throw or goal kick. Oh, and ask the Ref how many rule books are we playing under.

Craig Scott
37 Posted 20/09/2025 at 13:29:45
We've got some players who can play along the ground and keep a bit of possession, so why are we persisting with the long ball from Pickford all the time?
Colin Malone
38 Posted 20/09/2025 at 13:29:48
Hoofballs to to Betto not working. Take him off for Charley and stop the hoofballs. KDH needs to step up.
Kevin Molloy
39 Posted 20/09/2025 at 13:30:26
Gtealish though is a joy to watch.

Their goals may look poor from our point of view but the devils hit it all so early, it's very difficult when it's early fast and on target like that.

Mihir Ambardekar
40 Posted 20/09/2025 at 13:32:57
We will not be able to compete with Liverpool. We just don't have players who can compete toe to toe with them. Our defense is deep and we cannot play passing football. Not balanced enough to compete. We had 2 chances and we could have scored them on another day
Christine Foster
41 Posted 20/09/2025 at 13:35:13
Have to say this, wrong tactics, Beto not won one hoof ball, not won anything, sat back, surrendered midfield, 11 behind the ball, in front of our own penalty box, Beto off, need Alcaraz in midfield, Keane as vulnerable as ever.
We have GOT to go at them.. Christ sake Moyes..
Oliver Molloy
42 Posted 20/09/2025 at 13:37:42
only chance we have is to make it a scrappy game and gets balls into their box
Nicolas Piñon
45 Posted 20/09/2025 at 13:46:18
Come on
Get dibling on now
Craig Scott
46 Posted 20/09/2025 at 13:46:24
That was a very very good goal!

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