Saturday is derby day in football and one of the biggest derbies takes place in England with Everton hosting Liverpool in the Merseyside derby, this is the 224th derby between the clubs and has the record of having the most sending offs in Premier League history with 20 red cards. There are some major talking points even before the sides face each other and we here present 3 things to look out for from the “Friendly Derby”.
Gerrard’s last derby but will he start?
Liverpool were rocked by the news that Steven Gerrard will be leaving the Reds to play in the MLS and while Reds fans knew that they would lose the captain sooner rather than later, one thing would be hurting is the fact that Liverpool may not start with Gerrard in the derby.
It might be a little weird seeing Gerrard not start in the derby especially since the club have been doing well with the midfielder on the bench. Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 7 Premier League games and have played rather well in those game, in fact Lucas and Henderson look like a pretty solid pair and the fact that the duo looked really good in the wins against Bolton & West Ham might not bode well for Gerrard who is looking to play his 700th game for the Reds.
He might not start and if Liverpool are in need of some magic at the end of the game, you can be sure he gets a chance to feel the magic of a Merseyside Derby one last time.
The Mirallas conundrum
Everyone was up in arms when Kevin Mirallas took over the penalty taking duties from Leighton Baines in a recent game and missed, which led to almost every pundit denouncing the player and his decision to break team orders.
Mirallas might have faced the heat but he is one of the best players in the Premier League and looks terrific whenever he plays, he might not have endeared himself to a lot of Everton fans but if he does play to his potential he can damage Liverpool’s chances of winning the game.
Mirallas also has a bit of a history in this fixture as he was lucky to not get sent off in the corresponding fixture last season for a high tackle but the Belgian could be looking to be a more positive influence as he tries to prove just how good he is and he could be looking for a move away from the club.
Blood and thunder
It is a derby, a so called friendly derby but there are no friends when it comes to the pitch. This derby has seen the most red cards than any other tie in the Premier League and although Luis Suarez might have left there should be a few tasty tackles coming in during the game.
Everton and Liverpool is called the friendly derby since families often have allegiances to both clubs with some members supporting the reds and some the blues but one thing is a certain, this will be one game not to be missed. It may not have the goals but it surely will be one exciting match to watch.