Football

From red cards to missed penalties: 5 key figures ahead of the Merseyside Derby

February 13, 2023 10:00 am
Merseyside Derby

The Merseyside Derby is not just one of the biggest matches in English football, but in world football, with Liverpool and Everton playing out countless entertaining battles over the years.

The rivalry continues in the Premier League this evening, with the Toffees making the short trip to Anfield to take on the Reds. It is the 242nd competitive meeting between the two Merseyside clubs.

There may, however, be added tension in the stadium given the current situation regarding both Merseyside clubs. Liverpool go into the match sitting 10th in the Premier League table, with Everton struggling even more in 18th.

Jurgen Klopp has guided his men to just eight wins from their 10 Premier League games this season, with the Reds drawing five times and losing seven times.

Everton meanwhile have just four wins from their 21 matches, with six draws and 11 losses, along with the small matter of a managerial change after Frank Lampard’s recent dismissal.

They will, however, be buoyed by the fact that new manager Sean Dyche orchestrated a fine win over league leaders Arsenal in his first game in charge of the club.

5 key Merseyside Derby figures

1 As noted by the Liverpool website, the last time that both league Merseyside Derby meetings in a season ended without a single goal was in 1974/75. It comes after the sides played out a goalless draw in September’s game at Goodison Park.

2 Reds boss Klopp has lost just one of his 16 Merseyside Derby games in all competitions. The German is not enjoying his finest season in the dugout, but he will be given at least some confidence going into the game due to his impressive record against Everton.

3 Another Liverpool man with a strong record in these games is goalkeeper Alisson Becker, who has kept five clean sheets in his seven matches against the Toffees.

4 There have been 28 players sent off in the entire history of the Merseyside Derby; nine for Liverpool and 19 for Everton. Tensions are always at an all-time high, with plenty of challenges and arguing in store for the upcoming game.

5 Liverpool have missed their last two Premier League Merseyside Derby penalties; Dirk Kuyt at Goodison and Daniel Sturridge at Anfield in 2011 and 2014 respectively. Penalties are always a real possibility in the fixture given the pressure at stake, both for players and indeed for the officials.

Merseyside Derby

Merseyside Derby milestones

There could also be major milestones for three Liverpool players in tonight’s meeting between the Reds and the Toffees.

Full-back Andy Robertson will play his 250th Liverpool match in all competitions should he feature this evening, while midfielder Fabinho is just one game away from his 200th match for the club. Fellow midfielder James Milner meanwhile could make his 200th start for the Reds.

There could also be a milestone for forward Roberto Firmino, who could return from injury in time to become the 15th Liverpool player to score on all seven days of the week. The Brazilian has, however, failed to find the back of the net in all 13 of his Merseyside Derby matches.