Liverpool resumes its Premier League campaign with a highly anticipated fixture: the Merseyside Derby against Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
The upcoming clash marks a significant return to domestic competition for the Reds, travelling to face their local rivals in a match that carries substantial weight for both the league standings and regional bragging rights.
Heading into this game, though, the mood at Anfield is rather downbeat, with the Reds just fresh off a sobering 2-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, courtesy of a blistering Ousmane Dembele brace.
This defeat means Arne Slot‘s men will now go trophyless this season, with their adventure in Europe’s elite competition over at the quarter-final stages.
With only one win picked up across their last five games in all competitions, this weekend’s Merseyside Derby, which is the first of its kind at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, feels like a must-win contest for Slot, as he continues to tread on thin ice in the Anfield dug-out.
Without this added spice thrown in, contests between the Toffees and the Reds are usually gritty and full-blooded clashes to take in, with the referee chosen for such an encounter needing to ensure they have a firm grip on proceedings at all times.
Here is a look at the match officials chosen for Everton vs Liverpool on Sunday afternoon.
Who is the referee for Everton vs Liverpool?
The Premier League has confirmed that English referee Chris Kavanagh will be the man tasked with keeping a level head during the Merseyside Derby.
Kavanagh has overseen plenty of Liverpool games this season as a referee, with his last match involving the Reds being their dire 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur in mid-March.
He has also been the man in the middle for Liverpool in the Premier League this campaign, a further five times, away from the draw when Igor Tudor was hopelessly in charge of Spurs, with the Manchester-born official also overseeing the Reds’ shock Community Shield loss to Crystal Palace.
Chris Kavanagh’s record against Liverpool
The 40-year-old is a well-known referee at the very top of the English game, having previously taken charge of the Championship playoff final and the EFL Cup final across his varied career as a referee.
This long-standing reputation has resulted in Kavanagh overseeing 30 career matches as a referee involving the Merseyside giants, with Liverpool winning a healthy chunk of those.
Kavanagh’s record refereeing Liverpool:
| Matches | Liverpool wins | Draws | Liverpool defeats |
| 30 | 18 | 5 | 7 |
Indeed, the Reds have collected 18 wins, five draws, and seven defeats when Kavanagh has been their designated referee, with 43 yellow cards brandished along the way.
Chris Kavanagh’s record against Everton
He isn’t as fondly liked by Evertonians, on the other hand.
Indeed, the Toffees have only won a measly six games when Kavanagh has been their chosen referee, from 19 overall matches.
Six draws and seven defeats have also come their way, with the 40-year-old in the middle, but they did manage to beat Nottingham Forest earlier in the season with Kavanagh present, in a convincing 3-0 victory.
Moreover, Everton’s memorable 2-0 win at Anfield in 2021 was clinched with Kavanagh also present, as he awarded the Toffees a penalty in the behind-closed-doors affair.
He has been known to brandish a red card, as well, when crossing paths with David Moyes and Co., with three red cards handed out across the 19 clashes.
Who are the assistant referees and VAR?
Alongside Kavanagh calling the Hill Dickinson Stadium his temporary workplace on Sunday, his assistants for the day will be Dan Cook and James Mainwaring.
The chosen fourth official has been confirmed as Andy Madley, with the VAR positions filled by Paul Howard as the main man, while Sian Massey-Ellis is his VAR assistant.
The Reds must find a way to navigate a “must-win” scenario against a side that has historically struggled under Kavanagh’s officiating.
While the statistics favour Liverpool under Kavanagh’s whistle, the raw emotion of a Merseyside Derby, coupled with the Toffees’ desire to compound Slot’s recent woes, promises a volatile atmosphere. With a seasoned officiating crew led by Kavanagh and supported by the aforementioned Howard in the VAR booth, fans will be hoping for a contest defined by footballing merit rather than officiating controversy.
For Slot, anything less than three points on Sunday may see the “thin ice” beneath him finally give way.
