Jurgen Klopp knows that his Liverpool side must beat Everton on Wednesday evening if they are to stand a fighting chance of winning the Premier League this season.
Liverpool got back on track against Fulham last weekend with a hard-worked and well-deserved victory at Craven Cottage in the Premier League, but the Merseyside derby will present a test of a different volume.
Having suffered a damaging blip in recent fixtures, exiting the FA Cup and Europa League and ceding ground in the title race following points dropped at Old Trafford and Anfield – against Crystal Palace – Manchester City have reclaimed pole position as they chase down an unprecedented fourth successive Premier League trophy.
Diogo Jota has been ruled out for around a fortnight after injuring himself after scoring against the Cottagers, while Conor Bradley remains on the sidelines with an ankle issue and Joel Matip, Thiago Alcantara and Ben Doak are still long-term absentees.
Still, Klopp rung the changes at the weekend and he can now recall some fresh legs against Everton, with a whopping five tweaks likely to be made.
1 GK – Alisson
Caoimhin Kelleher has been excellent between the sticks this season, with Alisson spending portions out injured, but it's brilliant to have the Brazilian shot-stopper back for the final stretch.
He's the best goalkeeper in the Premier League and has been described as "world-class" by his manager.
2 RB – Trent Alexander-Arnold
The same can be said for Trent Alexander-Arnold, who certainly made his presence known at Craven Cottage on his first start in the Premier League following injury, nonchalantly curling home a delightful free-kick to open his team's account. More of the same this evening, please Trent.
3 CB – Ibrahima Konate
When Joel Matip's season ended prematurely in December after the Cameroonian ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament, a frisson of fears surged through the Reds fanbase, but Ibrahima Konate has proved himself over recent months.
While he's capable of a poor performance, the towering France international blends power and pace with technical quality and the result is wonderful.
4 CB – Virgil van Dijk
Virgil van Dijk loves a Merseyside derby but he will have to have his wits about him against an Everton side that would delight in spoiling Liverpool's swansong under Klopp's tutelage.
The Dutch skipper has been a domineering force in the rearguard this season and his strength and spirit will spur his team into action – in what will be a hostile cacophony on Merseyside's blue side.
5 LB – Andy Robertson
Andy Robertson has had his detractors this term but he's been largely fantastic since returning from shoulder surgery in January and will now be hoping to start his fourth successive top-flight clash.
He's the complete package at left-back and will be crucial to establishing fluency against the Toffees.
6 DM – Wataru Endo
The Liverpool Echo's Ian Doyle handed Wataru Endo an 8/10 match rating after a confident showing against Fulham, growing in influence after a shaky start.
He does the basics expertly, recycling possession and swiftly pushing the play forward, often finding his fellow centre-midfielders, whose creative capacities provide the standard goalscorers with requisite fuel.
More on them now…
7 CM – Dominik Szoboszlai
Dominik Szoboszlai signed for Liverpool from RB Leipzig last summer after his £60m release clause was met, and while he started life in England with resounding success, there has been much to be desired during recent efforts.
Matches played
28
Matches started
24
Goals
3
Assists
2
Pass completion
87%
Touches per game
64.4
Shots per game
2.0
Key passes per game
1.8
Ball recoveries per game
5.8
Tackles per game
1.1
Still, the skilful Hungarian has been afflicted by injury and remains a high-energy star with a ferocious strike. He will need to put in a shift against Everton following great games from Harvey Elliott and Ryan Gravenberch on Sunday.
8 CM – Alexis Mac Allister
Alexis Mac Allister has been one of the signings of the season, not just at Liverpool, but in the Premier League. Liverpool's midfield was ruined and rusty last year but he has been the architect of the resurgence, pumping glimmering quality into the engine.
As per FBref, the 2022 World Cup winner ranks among the top 8% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 14% for shot-creating actions, the top 10% for passes attempted, the top 14% for progressive passes and the top 11% for tackles per 90.
Talk about the full package…
9 RW – Mohamed Salah
In the reverse fixture, Mohamed Salah scored both goals as Liverpool defeated their neighbours at Anfield, with his late brace keeping the momentum in the early title scramble.
The Egyptian, while one of the Premier League's superlative forwards, has not been at the races recently – failing to even earn a start against Fulham – and he simply has to rekindle his attacking verve if Liverpool are to prevail against Manchester City and Arsenal in the weeks to come.
10 LW – Luis Diaz
Against Fulham, Luis Diaz didn't steal the limelight but he worked doggedly to help his team clinch three points. Often wasteful but invariably dangerous, the Colombian's pace and trickery will be key to victory later on.