‘Form goes out the window’ when a derby day comes calling, so goes the cliche.
Yet, as Liverpool prepare to host Sean Dyche’s Everton at Anfield this evening, it’s one cliche that the Reds will be banking on in their bid to inspire a serious u-turn on the pitch – and, critically, one that sticks for the remainder of the campaign.
As top four football increasingly looks like something of a pipe dream amid the ongoing decline, the new mission for Jurgen Klopp’s men will be to arrest the slump and steer the ship back in the right direction.
The German tactician handed himself and his squad a two-day break to reset and refocus following another disappointing result against Wolves. Hopefully, it’s a move that will feel less like rearranging the deck chairs and less like closing the gap to the figurative iceberg.
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Alisson Becker retains his place in between the posts for Liverpool, with Joel Matip starting alongside Joe Gomez in the heart of the backline.
A hip concern has excluded Thiago Alcantara from the matchday squad, handing Jordan Henderson an opportunity for redemption in the starting-XI.
Cody Gakpo continues his search for a first league goal with the Reds and completes a front-three also comprised of Mo Salah and Darwin Nunez, with Diogo Jota making a return to the bench.
You can catch the full team news below, courtesy of @LFC:
And the team news is… LIVE! Thoughts on the XI selected? 👀 #LFC pic.twitter.com/GcEUoew5Jv
— Empire of the Kop (@empireofthekop) February 13, 2023
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Matip + Gomez = GG