Jamie Carragher names one reason why Liverpool are ‘vulnerable’ ahead of Everton clash
Jamie Carragher has picked out a particular aspect of this weekend’s Merseyside derby that could swing the game in Everton’s favour as they aim to secure a rare away win at Anfield.
Liverpool have been flawless in the Premier League so far this season, with four wins from as many games to begin their title defence with aplomb.
They continued their strong form with a win against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday (17 September), but a tough test awaits on Saturday (20 September) as Everton travel to Anfield for the Merseyside derby for a midday clash.
David Moyes’ side have also impressed in the early stages of the campaign, with two wins, one draw and one loss from their first four league outings to begin their new era at their new Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Everton have won just one game at Anfield in the last 26 years, but Reds legend Jamie Carragher has outlined why they should be encouraged ahead of this new edition of their fierce rivalry.
Jamie Carragher sees short turnaround between Atletico and Everton as potential weak point for Liverpool
Liverpool played out a high-octane, five-goal thriller against Atletico at Anfield on Wednesday evening, with Virgil van Dijk netting a late winner as they had to give their all right up until the last to seal the three points.
On the flip side, Everton’s previous game came as they drew to Aston Villa last Saturday (13 September), meaning they will have had a full week to prepare on the training pitch ahead of this Saturday’s clash.
Carragher picked out this aspect of the upcoming derby as a potential negative for the Reds in his column in the Telegraph (Friday, 19 September), saying: “Liverpool had a tiring European match in midweek and a 12.30pm Saturday kick-off can make them more vulnerable.”
Despite holding that advantage, the former Liverpool defender admitted that he believes Moyes will still be “logical” about his side’s chances of a result, and so will not try to change it up from previous Anfield derbies to attack the hosts, instead likely choosing to tell his side to sit back and pick their moments carefully.
David Moyes has a career-long Anfield hoodoo to overcome this weekend
Moyes has been a revelation in his second spell as Everton boss, with 11 wins, eight draws and only six losses in his 25 games in charge so far and huge improvements seen both on and off the pitch.
His decorated career as a manager has seen him win a European trophy and a number of domestic honours, but a solitary win at Anfield has surprisingly eluded him up to now.
| Games Managed | Wins | Draws | Losses |
| 22 | 0 | 6 | 16 |
With no victory in any of his 22 attempts so far, Carragher admitted in his column that he feels like Moyes needs to beat Liverpool at Anfield and win a trophy with Everton to truly be revered as one of the club’s greatest ever bosses alongside Howard Kendall and Harry Catterick.
There is no time like the present, and even despite Liverpool’s own fine form to start the season off, the Toffees should feel as confident as ever that they can come away with a famous win over their old rivals.