Blue or red challenge?

A whole range of high mountains before E. Verton

In four consecutive rounds, Everton will face all four teams currently leading the league table. After the Merseyside derby, they will visit Arsenal; then host Chelsea; and finally, travel to the home ground of the reigning champions, Manchester City. Just securing one point in the next four Premier League matches would be a significant achievement for Everton, as theoretically, the most likely outcome in all four games is a loss for Everton.

Everton (right) beat Liverpool in the most recent Merseyside derby in the Premier League.

Prior to their midweek match against Wolverhampton, Everton had gone five games without a win, including four consecutive games without scoring, most recently a 0-4 defeat against Manchester United under new manager Ruben Amorim. This means that if Everton lose to Wolverhampton, manager Sean Dyche will likely be sacked within the next few weeks, and the team will also face the risk of relegation for the first time in the Premier League era.

Recalling this particular situation helps fans better understand the crucial significance of the recent 4-0 victory against Wolverhampton, both for the team as a whole and for manager Dyche in particular. If the result had been reversed, Wolverhampton (currently second to last) would have moved above Everton, while Everton would have fallen into the relegation zone. Now, Everton is 5 points ahead and 3 places above the relegation zone. This provides a small "cushion" for Dyche's team before the upcoming four extremely difficult matches.

ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN

The Merseyside Derby is undoubtedly a major challenge for the blue half of Liverpool. However, it's also a challenge for the "Reds," as Liverpool often struggle when entering this famous derby. Just to illustrate: Everton beat Liverpool in the most recent Merseyside derby in the Premier League. That was in April 2024 (near the end of last season), and it was also the last time Everton had a run of consecutive wins in the Premier League. Their fans are hoping for a repeat: Everton beating Liverpool at home, to achieve their first two consecutive Premier League wins this season.

Objectively speaking, Liverpool's performance in midweek was worse than expected. They dropped points at Newcastle after conceding a 3-3 equalizer in injury time. Mohamed Salah continued to shine, while Trent Alexander-Arnold set a new record, leading the list of defenders with the most assists in Premier League history. However, some individuals were surprisingly lackluster, most notably midfielder Ryan Gravenberch, who had been excellent throughout the season. Goalkeeper Kelleher also made mistakes. The team as a whole was underwhelming. And Liverpool's gap to second place narrowed to just seven points.

On the one hand, the unique nature of "derby" football in general always makes the gap (if any) between the two teams seem closer than it should be in theory. On the other hand, given the current circumstances, the strong Liverpool team is in decline and playing away, while the weaker Everton team is strongly improving both in spirit and form, and has the home advantage. Any outcome is possible in a derby match, although of course, Liverpool must be considered the "favorites". Arne Sloth's team must, of course, try to secure all possible points to stay safe from the pursuit of so many strong teams behind them (Chelsea, Arsenal, and Man. City all have the potential to close the gap with Liverpool).

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/derby-merseyside-thach-thuc-mau-xanh-hay-do-185241207001921453.htm