Liverpool against Everton is never just another football match. It is war, it is family against family, it is neighbour against neighbour, it is blue against red, it is Anfield roaring with history and Goodison Park answering with defiance. The Merseyside derby is not something you watch casually—it is something you feel in your bones. It leaves scars. It makes legends or destroys them. And this time, when Liverpool and Everton collide again at Anfield, everything feels bigger, sharper, more dangerous. Both sides are alive with ambition, and both managers carry fire in their eyes.
Liverpool enter this clash chasing perfection. Arne Slot has already stamped his authority on the champions, guiding them to four wins from four in the Premier League—each earned with late drama, each reminding the world what Liverpool stand for. In the Champions League, against Atletico Madrid, they showed it again: refusing to accept defeat, and in the 92nd minute, Virgil van Dijk rose like a tower to smash home the winner in a 3-2 triumph. Anfield trembled that night, and everyone present knew this Liverpool team is writing a new story of destiny.
Everton, though, are not here to play victims. David Moyes has returned with purpose, sparking energy and invention on the blue side of Merseyside. After losing their opener to Leeds, they’ve fought back with two wins and a draw, sitting sixth in the table and breathing down the necks of the so-called giants. They are not afraid. They are not silent. They are coming to Anfield to fight, to remind Liverpool that derbies are not won on paper—they are won in blood and sweat.
The spotlight, inevitably, falls on Alexander Isak, Liverpool’s record-breaking striker. His transfer saga from Newcastle dominated the summer, ending with the Reds smashing the British transfer record. But dreams take time. Isak missed much of pre-season, and on his debut against Atletico, he lasted just 58 minutes before making way for Hugo Ekitike. He is not yet fully fit, not yet the weapon Liverpool hope for, and Slot has admitted he will not play a full 90 against Everton. The burning question: does he start, or wait on the bench? That decision could shape everything.
For Everton, the weapon is Jack Grealish. On loan from Manchester City, he has already transformed Moyes’ team with four assists in four games, bringing swagger and creativity back to their attack. His chemistry with Everton’s runners has been electric, his confidence contagious, his vision exactly what is needed to pierce Liverpool’s high line. Alongside him, Moyes must decide: trust Beto, who has one goal in four games, or throw new signing Thierno Barry straight into the fire? Tyler Dibling, a bright young signing from Southampton, could also be unleashed as a wildcard.
Both teams face injury shadows. Liverpool are without Curtis Jones, and though Jeremie Frimpong has returned from a hamstring injury, Slot may protect him from the brutality of a derby. Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai have also played heavy minutes and may need rotation. For Everton, defensive worries remain—Jarrad Branthwaite and Vitalii Mykolenko are still sidelined, forcing Moyes to rely on a makeshift backline that somehow held Aston Villa last weekend. That clean sheet gave them belief, and now they want more.
The stage is set. Liverpool chase perfection. Everton chase respect. And under the Anfield sky, the Merseyside derby will once again remind the world why football is not just a game—it is life.
