The first Merseyside derby at Hill Dickinson Park takes place this Sunday in Matchweek 33 of the Premier League. Below is a full match preview featuring tactical analysis, predicted lineups, team news, injuries, and an Everton vs Liverpool prediction.
Manchester City vs Arsenal Match Preview & Tactical Analysis
Manchester City vs Arsenal Match Details
- Competition: Premier League
- Round: 33
- Date: Sunday, April 19, 2026
- Venue: Hill Dickinson Stadium (Liverpool)
- Kickoff Time: 2:00pm (BST)
Everton Team News
The Toffees drew 2-2 with Brentford last weekend and come into this fixture sitting in 8th position in the league table, just behind Brentford on goal difference.
Everton are making a strong push for a European spot this season and have collected 10 points from a possible 15 in their last five Premier League matches.
Liverpool Team News
Liverpool were sent crashing out of the UEFA Champions League this week following another defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg, resulting in a 4-0 aggregate scoreline in favour of the French club. With no other competitions remaining, all attention now turns to the final weeks of the Premier League, where the Reds are aiming to secure a top-five finish and a place in next season’s Champions League.
The biggest news of the week for Liverpool is the extremely unfortunate injury to Hugo Ekitiké. The forward ruptured his Achilles in the second leg against PSG and is now expected to be sidelined for 8–9 months, dealing a significant blow to his World Cup hopes.
Alexander Isak is on the road to recovery from injury and is currently having his minutes managed. He played 45 minutes against PSG in midweek but failed to make a significant impact.
Everton Injuries
Unavailable: Jack Grealish
Questionable: Charly Alcaraz
Liverpool Injuries
Unavailable: Joe Gomez, Hugo Ekitiké, Alisson Becker, Conor Bradley, Wataru Endo, Giovanni Leoni
Questionable: Alexander Isak
Predicted Starting Lineups
Everton Lineup Notes:
David Moyes is expected to name an unchanged lineup for this match. Beto has been in strong form recently and is likely to continue leading the line ahead of Thierno Barry.
Liverpool Lineup Notes:
With Joe Gomez and Conor Bradley both unavailable, Jeremie Frimpong will likely be called upon to fill in at right-back, although Dominik Szoboszlai is also an option on the flank.
Mohamed Salah is expected to return to the starting lineup on the right wing.
Due to injuries and managed minutes in Liverpool’s attack, Cody Gakpo appears the most likely option to lead the line. However, Florian Wirtz could also be pushed further forward as Arne Slot looks for attacking solutions.
With Alisson Becker still unavailable, Georgian goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili is set to start between the posts.
Everton vs Liverpool Preview
The Merseyside derby is once again upon us, this time, at the Hill Dickinson Stadium for the first time.
Liverpool’s Attack vs Everton’s Defense
The expectation for this match is that the possession will be majority held by Liverpool whilst Everton look to press high and counter quickly when the opportunity presents itself.
When in sustained possession, Liverpool typically line up in a hybrid 3-2-5 or 2-3-5 shape. Their left-back (Robertson) is willing to push higher up the pitch to support the attack, while still maintaining his defensive responsibilities when required.
Everton’s midfielders tend to man-mark in central areas, while their defensive shape remains narrow in an effort to congest the middle of the pitch. However, space can appear between Everton’s defensive and midfield lines when players are pulled higher up the pitch or dragged out of central zones. This space can be exploited by Liverpool’s number 10, whether that be Florian Wirtz or Alexis Mac Allister, who can drop in to receive the ball.
Liverpool also utilise heavy rotations in attack, which can disrupt Everton’s defensive structure. While Everton do apply man-to-man marking principles, they operate within a zonal framework, meaning players will rotate and switch assignments depending on which opposition player enters their area.
Due to Everton’s narrow defensive shape, Liverpool can also look to exploit long diagonal switches of play to access space on the far side. If Wirtz starts on the left wing, these diagonal balls will likely target the right flank, where Mohamed Salah can stretch play or Jeremie Frimpong can use his pace to advance into attacking positions.
Everton’s Counter-Attack
Everton’s counter-attacking approach is quick and direct. Beto plays a key role as a target man, using his physicality to hold up play while teammates push forward to provide support.
In situations where Beto is being marked by Ibrahima Konaté, he should be used as the focal point to hold the ball up with the defender on his back. His strength allows him to win fouls and relieve pressure, helping Everton move play further up the pitch or earn set-piece opportunities in safer areas.
When Beto is engaged in these duels with Konaté, Frimpong is likely to be positioned high up the pitch, leaving space for players such as Iliman Ndiaye and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to drive forward and support attacking transitions.
However, Everton’s approach should adjust when Virgil van Dijk is marking Beto. In these scenarios, Beto may find it more difficult to hold up play effectively. Instead, Everton should look to progress the ball quickly through the channels via midfielders like Idrissa Gueye, James Garner, and Dewsbury-Hall. Dwight McNeil can then attack the space in the wide areas, with the ultimate aim of playing Beto in behind Liverpool’s defensive line rather than into feet.
Ultimately, Everton’s counter-attacking success may depend on recognising which Liverpool defender is marking Beto and adapting their approach accordingly.
Counter-Attack on Liverpool’s Set Piece Opportunities
Liverpool, like most teams, commit their central defenders forward during attacking set pieces. However, they can sometimes leave these players advanced for longer than ideal in pursuit of second and third chances. This can leave them vulnerable to quick transitions.
If Everton regain possession following a Liverpool set piece, they should look to counter quickly and directly, exploiting the space left behind by Liverpool’s advanced defenders.
Everton’s Press and Counter-Press
Everton’s high press and counter-press along with their success in their pressing system is easily shown by the amount of times they win possession in the opposition’s first third of the pitch. Everton rank 5th in the Premier League in this statistic.
Possession Won in Final 1/3 per 90 in Premier League
| Rank | Club | Possession Won in Final 1/3 per 90 Minutes |
| 1 | Brighton | 4.80 |
| 2 | Arsenal | 4.80 |
| 3 | Manchester City | 4.60 |
| 4 | Bournemouth | 4.40 |
| 5 | Everton | 4.20 |
| 6 | Liverpool | 4.10 |
Everton press high and aggressive in a man-marking 4-4-2 shape.
When they commit fully to this press, space can open up between their midfield and defensive lines, particularly if their holding midfielders step forward to engage.
Counter-Press
Everton are very aggressive in their counter-press, especially when possession is lost in wide areas in the attacking third. They commit numbers to these situations, often forcing turnovers and quickly turning them into attacking opportunities, with multiple players already positioned high up the pitch.
Everton in Possession
In possession, Everton’s 4-2-3-1 shape can transition into either a 4-1-5 or a 3-2-5 depending on the phase of play. Against Liverpool’s high press, they will need to move the ball quickly in build-up or look to play long when necessary.
When opting for a more direct approach, Everton can target mismatches to win the first ball and position themselves effectively to claim second balls higher up the pitch.
During attacking phases, Everton utilise significant width, often pushing five players high. Vitalii Mykolenko frequently joins the attacking line on the outside, while one of James Garner or Idrissa Gueye may drop into the back line to provide cover, forming either a 4-1-5 or maintaining a 3-2-5 structure.
Everton 3-2-5 Shape Transition:
Everton’s 4-1-5 Shape Transition:
With full-backs advancing, Everton’s wingers are able to drift into central half-spaces. The team tends to favour progression down the left-hand side, with players shifting toward that flank during attacking sequences.
On the opposite side, Dwight McNeil is often the outlet, receiving possession with the intention of delivering crosses into the box. Everton’s attacking structure also provides a solid rest defence, allowing them to deal effectively with opposition counter-attacks.
Additionally, Everton display a strong defensive work rate, consistently tracking back quickly when counter-pressing is bypassed or not initiated.
Everton vs Liverpool Prediction
Win probability metrics have given Everton a 35% chance to win, Liverpool a 40% chance to win, and a 25% chance for a draw.
This is likely to be a match where Liverpool control possession, while Everton remain compact and disciplined defensively.
Everton will aim to maximise their attacking moments by transitioning quickly into forward areas and capitalising on counter-attacking opportunities. They also have the ability to threaten when sustaining possession in attacking phases.
Everton can defend well, and Liverpool are currently limited going forward. This could allow the home side to be dangerous both on the break and in structured attacks.
Prediction: 2-1 Everton
