With just five games left to play in 2023/24, Premier League title hopefuls Liverpool simply can't afford any more slip-ups if they are to end Jurgen Klopp's tenure on a high, with a trip to Goodison Park next on the agenda later today.
Taking on an Everton side who edged toward top-flight survival after beating relegation rivals Nottingham Forest at the weekend, the Reds will be hoping to keep their unbeaten run going in this fixture, having last tasted defeat against the Toffees back in February 2021.
Liverpool 0-2 Everton (Richarlison, Sigurdsson)
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GK – Alisson
GK – Jordan Pickford
RB – Trent Alexander-Arnold
RWB – Seamus Coleman
CB – Ozan Kabak
RCB – Mason Holgate
CB – Jordan Henderson
CB – Michael Keane
LB – Andy Robertson
LCB – Ben Godfrey
CM – Curtis Jones
LWB – Lucas Digne
CM – Gini Wijnaldum
CM – Abdoulaye Doucoure
CM – Thiago
CM – Tom Davies
RW – Mo Salah
CM – Andre Gomes
CF – Roberto Firmino
CF – James Rodriguez
LW – Sadio Mane
ST – Richarlison
With Arsenal routing Chelsea to move three points clear at the summit on Tuesday night, Klopp's men need to ensure they deliver a timely response this evening, having got back to winning ways after seeing off Fulham on the road last time out.
Liverpool team news vs Everton
In a campaign that has largely been dominated by injuries, the Anfield outfit have received another notable setback following the news that Diogo Jota is facing a two-week stint on the sidelines, having only recently returned from a knee ligament tear.
While Klopp insisted that this latest injury issue for the former Wolverhampton Wanderers man is "pretty much nothing", it will keep the Portuguese star out for the trip to face Sean Dyche's side, while Conor Bradley also remains unavailable.
The visitors do seemingly have a relatively clean bill of health other than that, with no other fresh injury blows, ensuring Klopp should have no excuses ahead of what is another pivotal battle in the title race.
In need of someone to make the breakthrough against a stubborn Everton backline – who have the fifth-best defensive record in the division – turning once again to Cody Gakpo could make all the difference.
Why Cody Gakpo needs to start against Everton
The former PSV Eindhoven man has started the last two games in all competitions, although it is fair to say that he hasn't always been a regular fixture in the lineup in 2023/24, having been restricted to just 13 league starts thus far,
The versatile asset – who can feature all across the frontline – does still boast 14 goals and five assists from his 49 appearances across all fronts this term, however, notably registering an assist last time out against the Cottagers.
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That outing saw the towering Dutchman shine despite not getting on the scoresheet himself, registering two key passes and winning seven duels off the left flank, as well as successfully completing three of his four attempted dribbles.
With Jota out of action and the likes of Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah – who both started on the bench in west London – currently failing to fire, the onus may be on Gakpo to step up once again, with the 24-year-old also boasting previous in this fixture after scoring in the 2-0 win at Anfield last season.
It was following that goal that the 2023 arrival was earmarked as the "new [Divock] Origi" by Men in Blazers, with the Netherlands international seeking to replicate the influence of a player who repeatedly came good in the big moments, the current Nottingham Forest man notably scoring six times against today's opponents.
In what will likely be a hard-fought contest with their Merseyside rivals, Liverpool will need to recapture the spirit of Origi to do so, with Gakpo also able to offer that hard-working presence in attack for such an occasion, as he ranks among the top 98% (or in the top 2%) among those in his position in Europe's top five leagues for tackles made per 90.
If that work ethic can be combined with an end product, the 6 foot 4 ace could become Klopp's new hero in the derby…
Jota replaced by “unstoppable” gem in predicted Liverpool lineup v Everton
The Reds must win at Goodison Park to keep their title dreams aflame.
ByAngus Sinclair Apr 24, 2024