How will Everton line up as they face a rampant Liverpool side on Saturday?
Everton fans will have been watching on with fear as Liverpool dismantled Premier League flyers Manchester City in the quarter-final of the Champions League last night.
City themselves played Everton as a warm up to their mid-week clash against the Reds, defeating the Toffees 3-1, with a Yannick Bolasie strike serving as the only consolation for the Goodison Park side.
Last weekend’s game took City within one win from clinching the title but, having been destroyed by Liverpool last night, Sam Allardyce will have to mastermind one of the strongest performances of any team he has managed in his career if he is to record a result against the visitors on Saturday.
Everton can take some positivity from the fact that Mohamed Salah was substituted after picking up a niggle, with Klopp unlikely to risk the Egyptian with the return leg against City in mind. Generally, the Toffees can take confidence that Liverpool will be prioritising the Champions League fixture as opposed to the Merseyside derby, as unusual as that may sound. But regardless of who turns out for the Reds, the home side will have a real task on their hands.
Idrissa Gueye may come back into contention for Saturday’s match, while Gylfi Sigurdsson is still some weeks away from making a return. With injuries in mind, the predicted team is as follows.
Jordan Pickford will resume his place in goal, while a settled back four of Leighton Baines. Phil Jagielka, Michael Keane and Seamus Coleman should make up the back four.
Everton’s midfield of Wayne Rooney and Morgan Schneiderlin was disastrous last week against City and, as a result, Davies will likely come in to Rooney’s position in midfield to partner the Frenchman. Instead, the former England star should be deployed in the number 10 role with Sigurdsson still out, with Theo Walcott and Yannick Bolasie lining up on each flank.
Up front, with four goals in seven appearances so far, January arrival Cenk Tosun will resume his position leading the line.
Here is the 4-2-3-1 predicted lineup in full:
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
