Everton take on Liverpool in the Merseyside derby on Super Sunday
Saturday 2 March 2019 13:55, UK
Everton got a much-needed win at Cardiff on Tuesday to end a run of three straight defeats and give themselves some momentum going into the second Merseyside derby of the season.
Sunday's game at Goodison Park will be the 200th meeting in the league and the Toffees will be hoping to rectify a terrible recent record against their cross-city rivals.
Everton have failed to win any of the last 18 Merseyside derbies in all competitions, 16 of which have been in the Premier League - their worst ever run in this fixture.
Their last win was 2-0 in the Premier League at Goodison Park in October 2010 under David Moyes. Since then, Everton have played 33 other teams in the Premier League and beaten 32 of them. The only other team they have failed to beat in that time was Birmingham, who they drew 1-1 with in March 2011.
Sixteen Premier League games without a win is also Everton's third worst run against any opponent - only against Manchester United and Chelsea have they gone longer without a victory.
History also suggests Sunday's game may not be the match in which Everton's fortunes change - the Toffees have never beaten Liverpool in the second Premier League meeting of the season. The last time Everton did win the derby in the second league fixture of a campaign was when Colin Harvey's team won 1-0 at Goodison Park in March 1988.
Everton's recent scoring record in the Merseyside derby is poor, with the Toffees having only scored two goals in the last six Premier League meetings. In fact, Everton have failed to score in nine of the last 16 Premier League meetings, with Liverpool only failing to find the net on three occasions.
Everton last scored more than once in a Premier League Merseyside derby 10 meetings ago - in a 3-3 draw at Goodison Park in November 2013. Romelu Lukaku scored twice that day with Kevin Mirallas getting the other for Roberto Martinez's team.
The Toffees have scored just two goals from 36 attempts (11 on target) in the last six Premier League Merseyside derbies and both those goals have come from set-pieces - Matthew Pennington from a corner in a 3-1 defeat at Anfield in April 2017 and a penalty from Wayne Rooney in a 1-1 draw at Anfield in December 2017. Their last goal from open play came from Romelu Lukaku in a 1-1 draw at Goodison in October 2015 - Brendan Rodgers' last game in charge of Liverpool.
Everton's defence has also been unable to stem Liverpool's attack in recent Merseyside derbies. In the last 16 Premier League meetings, Liverpool have had at least 10 attempts on goal in each game, with The Reds having 37 (13 on target) in their 4-0 win at Anfield in April 2016.
Conversely, Everton have only had 10 or more attempts in eight of the last 16 Premier League Merseyside derbies, and failed to have an attempt on target throughout the whole game in that 4-0 defeat in April 2016.
Sky Sports viewers will be hoping there will be more goals on Sunday than in recent Premier League Merseyside derbies at Goodison Park - just three goals have been scored in the last four meetings. A positive result has also been rare with five of the last six games at Goodison ending in a draw.
Everton will be trying to avoid another home defeat against their near-neighbours - the Toffees have lost more home league games against Liverpool than against any other side.
Marco Silva will be hoping he can become the first Everton manager in over eight years to experience victory in a Merseyside derby and inflict Jurgen Klopp's first defeat in this famous fixture. In fact, none of Liverpool's current squad have ever been on the losing side in a Merseyside derby, a run the blue half of Liverpool and the light blue part of Manchester will hope will come to an end soon after 6pm on Sunday afternoon.
