Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp on the touchline during the Premier League match at Goodison Park, Liverpool.

Liverpool aim to extend record unbeaten run in Jurgen Klopp’s favourite derby

Liverpool take on Everton at Anfield this evening as overwhelming favourites despite their recent Premier League form, having dominated the Blues in recent memory.

The Reds are unbeaten in 23 games against Everton in all competitions, their longest unbeaten run in history against a single opponent (beating the 22-game sequence without defeat against Aston Villa from 1981 to 1992).

At Anfield, Liverpool are unbeaten in the last 20 top-flight meetings – winning 11 and drawing the other nine.

Home and away they have lost one of the last 28 league meetings – at Goodison in October 2010, with Mikel Arteta and Tim Cahill scoring for the Blues.

Liverpool have not won a third successive home league fixture against the Blues since 1994 (in a sequence of five).

 

Klopp’s favourite derby

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, December 2, 2018: Liverpool's manager Jürgen Klopp reacts during the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Everton FC at Anfield, the 232nd Merseyside Derby. (Pic by Paul Greenwood/Propaganda)

Jurgen Klopp is unbeaten in 12 Merseyside derbies in all competitions, a club record for any manager from the start of a Reds career, beating Bob Paisley’s 10.

 

Salah on fire

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY - Tuesday, February 16, 2021: Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates after scoring the first goal during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 1st Leg game between RB Leipzig and Liverpool FC at the Puskás Aréna. (Pic by Propaganda)

Mo Salah has scored seven goals in his last seven Liverpool appearances.

He is now joint-13th on the club’s all-time goalscoring list along with Ian St John on 118. Next in his sights, with 123, is Dick Forshaw.

Salah missed all three games against Everton last season – he was an unused substitute in both league games – and has only played in one of the last four Anfield encounters.

At Goodison earlier in the season, he scored his 100th goal for Liverpool in just his 159th appearance.

 

Milestone trio

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Saturday, October 17, 2020: Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino (R) gets away from Everton's André Gomes during the FA Premier League match between Everton FC and Liverpool FC, the 237th Merseyside Derby, at Goodison Park. The game was played behind closed doors due to the UK government’s social distancing laws during the Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic. The game ended in a 2-2 draw. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Roberto Firmino could make the 200th league appearance of his Liverpool career today.

Divock Origi is one game away from recording 100 in the Premier League.

Xherdan Shaqiri‘s next appearance will be his 150th in English club football for Liverpool and Stoke (all competitions).

 

A new, familiar pairing

LEICESTER, ENGLAND - Saturday, February 13, 2021: Liverpool's Ozan Kabak (L) and captain Jordan Henderson during the FA Premier League match between Leicester City FC and Liverpool FC at the King Power Stadium. (Pic by Propaganda)

Should Ozan Kabak and Jordan Henderson be paired again at the heart of the Reds defence it will be the third time they have started together.

That would be the joint-fourth most-used partnership this season with Joel Matip and Fabinho starting the most (seven).

 

Toffee drought

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, January 5, 2020: Everton's Richarlison de Andrade looks dejected after missing a chance during the FA Cup 3rd Round match between Liverpool FC and Everton FC, the 235th Merseyside Derby, at Anfield. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

In 28 Premier League encounters at Anfield, Everton have scored a total of 20 goals.

They have scored more than once in only two of the last 21 league visits – a 2-2 draw in January 2011 and the 5-2 defeat last season.

Everton have only scored more than twice against Liverpool in two of the last 108 league meetings and in three of the last 132 encounters in all competitions – the latter sequence stretching back to 1966.

 

Jurgen vs. Carlo

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, June 21, 2019: Liverpool’s manager Jürgen Klopp (R) and Everton's manager Carlo Ancelotti after the FA Premier League match between Everton FC and Liverpool FC, the 236th Merseyside Derby, at Goodison Park. The game was played behind closed doors due to the UK government’s social distancing laws during the Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic. The game ended in a 0-0 draw. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Carlo Ancelotti has faced Klopp nine times in his managerial career, winning three, drawing three and losing three.

Against Liverpool, Ancelotti has won seven of 15 managerial clashes while he has won two and lost two of six in the league.

 

Today’s referee

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, December 2, 2018: Liverpool's Divock Origi (#27) celebrates with team-mates Georginio Wijnaldum (L), Sadio Mane (C) and Fabio Henrique Tavares 'Fabinho' (R) after his winning goal deep into injury time during the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Everton FC at Anfield, the 232nd Merseyside Derby. Liverpool won 1-0. (Pic by Paul Greenwood/Propaganda)

Chris Kavanagh will take charge of his second Merseyside derby.

The other was the Reds’ 1-0 win at Anfield in December 2018, in which Divock Origi scored his incredible late winner.

 

This season’s scorers

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, February 7, 2021: Liverpool's Mohamed Salah kisses the ball before scoring the first equalising goal from a penalty kick during the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Manchester City FC at Anfield. Manchester City won 4-1. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Liverpool: Salah 24, Mane 11, Jota 9, Firmino 6, Minamino 4, Jones 3, Wijnaldum 3, own goals 3, Alexander-Arnold 1, Grujic 1, Henderson 1, Matip 1, Origi 1, Robertson 1, Shaqiri 1, Van Dijk 1

Everton: Calvert-Lewin 18, Richarlison 9, Rodriguez 5, Sigurdsson 5, Keane 4, Bernard 3, Doucoure 3, Mina 3, Iwobi 2, Kean 2, Holgate 1, Tosun 1, own goals 1


* Statistics courtesy of LFC statistician Ged Rea (@ged0407).