Everton are in their best shape heading to Anfield in years and will pose a considerable challenge for Liverpool, Reds expert David Lynch has insisted.
Arne Slot’s side have won all four of their Premier League games so far and sit top of the table. However, they will face a stern test on Saturday against their rivals Everton. The Toffees currently lie sixth in the table with seven points and have posed more of an offensive threat this season, with the likes of Jack Grealish adding a creative spark.
Speaking to Sports Mole, Lynch argued that David Moyes’s visitors will be more challenging than in prior campaigns. He said:
“This is a much better Everton side than Liverpool have faced over the last few years. David Moyes is an absolutely brilliant manager — you saw it immediately. He comes to Everton and turns them around almost instantly. He’s very good at what he does.
One thing to note is that his Anfield record is not fantastic, but you look at the way that Everton are playing and I see confidence among their fans, which is not always the case when they come to Anfield. It’s a dangerous team.”
Grealish, who won the Premier League Player of the Month for August, has already racked up four assists this season, further underlining Everton’s attacking threat.
### Should Alexis Mac Allister Remain on the Liverpool Bench?
Liverpool secured a 3-2 victory over Atletico Madrid on Wednesday at Anfield, with Slot deploying a double pivot consisting of Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai in midfield. The Dutch manager may have been tempted to start Alexis Mac Allister in the middle of the pitch, but the Argentine missed much of pre-season due to injury and has struggled with fitness this season.
Lynch suggested that it might be wiser to keep Mac Allister out of the firing line for the time being. Speaking to Sports Mole, he said:
“I was surprised actually Slot didn’t [bench him] at Burnley. I thought that was going to be the change he made — to bring Bradley back in and put Szoboszlai in midfield.
If you want to look after Mac Allister, one way to go about it is to give him a couple of games off, or to dip him in and out over these next games and stick Bradley in at right-back.
Bradley proved when he came on at Turf Moor that he’s definitely going to deserve some starts. Frimpong was crucial to the goal and did well, so that competition at right-back is incredible.”
Mac Allister was also the subject of a hard ankle tackle from Lesley Ugochukwu against Burnley. Given this, easing him back into the first team slowly could be beneficial.
### Where Could the Merseyside Derby Be Won or Lost?
Concerns remain that Everton could exploit vulnerabilities in Liverpool’s defence, especially as the Reds have surrendered two-goal leads three times this season already.
It should be noted that substitutes have frequently made an impact for Liverpool this season. Therefore, Slot’s best route to securing three points could be through effective use of his bench.
Lynch questioned whether Everton have the quality to capitalize on Liverpool’s defensive lapses while also restricting the Reds’ attack, telling Sports Mole:
“One thing Everton will worry about is whether they can make it pay because obviously they had that 0-0 draw against Aston Villa at the weekend.
I was talking to Leon Osman at Turf Moor at the weekend and he said that’s the one issue — Everton played well, but they just couldn’t score the goals. They don’t have a striker who can consistently do it.”
He added that Liverpool’s squad depth and strength are exceptional:
“The strength and depth throughout the Liverpool squad is unbelievable. There are some really difficult choices for the manager, not ones I would like to predict, because it’s so difficult. Though I did have a conversation with someone at Liverpool who said they expect more rotation this season.”
Alexander Isak started against Atletico Madrid but may not be fit enough to start on Saturday. Still, he could make an impact as a second-half substitute.
The Merseyside derby promises to be a closely fought encounter, with both teams looking to assert dominance early on and secure crucial Premier League points.
https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/liverpool/merseyside-derby/news/a-dangerous-team-why-slot-has-to-be-wary-of-revitalised-toffees-at-anfield_581811.html
