Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the 221st Merseyside derby, which kicks off at Goodison Park at 12.30pm.
Liverpool’s summer signing Darwin Nunez returns from a three-match ban today and manager Jurgen Klopp says he has no qualms about throwing the Uruguayan into the derby cauldron.
The eyes of Premier League defenders would have lit up when they saw how easily the 23-year-old fired in against Crystal Palace, and Everton centre-half James Tarkowski has admitted they will try to play with Núñez’s temperament.
But Klopp says that if opposing teams are busy trying to get a reaction out of the striker, his side can take advantage.
“Our ideas and how we want to think about these situations is that we pay for it with football, and that’s how it is,” he said.
“If Darwin plays, he’s got to be ready for those things, that’s for sure, that’s for sure, but when a player talks to you a lot or is really physical, then he’s not on his own game and he’s got to use those guys. of moments too.
“If the other is too busy wanting to distract him, just use him from a football point of view.
“For the Crystal Palace game, when the defender is looking for that constant contact, then you go from there and you decide when you start the move, that kind of thing.”
Both teams strengthened their midfields in the latter stages of the window, with Everton bringing back Idrissa Gana Gueye from PSG, while Liverpool added Arthur Melo on loan from Juventus.
Lampard says the addition of the energetic midfielder will boost his squad: “Idrissa has played at the highest level of football. Evertonians know all about his tireless work rate and the value he brings to a team, and we are looking forward to he adds. All this has now returned to the club.”
Stay tuned for all the training and team news ahead of kick-off, then live updates throughout, plus all the post-match aftermath.