Everton at Liverpool: Premier League Matchday 14 | Merseyside Derby Pt 1

The 232nd edition of the Merseyside Derby is here, and the stats are not pretty when looking at them from the Blues’ side. Everton last won at Liverpool in 1999, and haven’t beaten the Reds since 2010. In just the Premier League part of the proceedings there have been 21 red cards brandished, with two-thirds of those going to Toffees.

Despite the Reds’ dominance, the clashes continue to be hotheaded affairs and just last season Everton played them thrice, drawing twice home and away in the League and losing away in the FA Cup.

Last season’s cup clash was marred by an ugly incident between Mason Holgate and Roberto Firmino, which saw the referee Bobby Madley having to step in to separate the pair at Anfield. Gylfi Sigurdsson’s equalizer in this game was met with wild celebrations in the away end, and who can forget when Phil Jagielka’s injury-time goal silenced the Kop?

Everton got a pair of dogged draws last season - 1-1 at home with a Wayne Rooney penalty canceling out a stellar goal from Mohamed Salah, and 0-0 away with the Blues registering only 21% ball possession in a game reminiscent of a war movie with the good guys getting shelled in their bunker for ninety-plus minutes.

Under Marco Silva, we can expect a more pragmatic and attacking display, but after conceding poor goals to go behind at Arsenal and Manchester United, will Silva line his side up more like they did at Chelsea?

All will be answered on Sunday.