This weekend marks the 248th meeting between Liverpool and Everton in the Merseyside derby; however, this will be the first time the two have met at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
The two teams have faced each other up and down the country over the last century, though none may be more special than the one this Sunday.
Bragging rights are on the line, and with Arne Slot’s side hopeful they can overcome their recent poor form to win the first game at the new ground.
Confidence is surging through the corridors of the Hill Dickinson Stadium, with the Toffees boasting a perfect record of two wins from their last two outings on home soil.
Now, David Moyes men are looking to go one better than the dramatic conclusion of the final derby ever held at Goodison Park. On that storied afternoon, it was James Tarkowski who rose highest to snatch a late equaliser, ensuring the Old Lady’s derby history ended with a defiant roar rather than a whimper.
This time, however, the Blue half of Merseyside won’t be settling for a point they’ll be hunting for all three to truly christen their new waterfront home.
As we prepare for the clash, ReadLiverpool has put together its top five Merseyside derbies of all time.
Liverpool 1-0 Everton – 02/12/2018
Liverpool were fully in a fight with Manchester City for the Premier League title at this stage, but they faced a tough test against their local rivals.
The Toffees came agonisingly close to finding the back of the net in the first half if it weren’t for a reflex save from Alisson and a goal-line clearance from Joe Gomez.
Deep into stoppage time, Virgil Van Dijk sliced an effort high into the air. Jordan Pickford couldn’t deal with it, which allowed Divock Origi the chance to nod it home and send the ground into ecstasy, with the German manager running on the pitch to hug his keeper amidst the celebrations.
Before this game, the Belgian hadn’t played a single minute in the league and had only been in the squad twice before that, though this goal set him in Liverpool folklore and gave the supporters one of the wildest ends to a derby you’ll ever see.
The Reds may have gone on to lose the title, but that game was one that summed up Klopp’s legacy perfectly. A never-say-die attitude.
Everton 1-4 Liverpool – 01/12/2021
Another affair in December, another title battle with Pep Guardiola’s side, except this time, it would take place at Goodison Park.
Once again, they needed a win to keep the pressure on the Cityzens, but this wasn’t an easy place to travel to, with the Anfield outfit winning just once in their nine previous visits.
Former manager Rafael Benitez oversaw the Blues, and they struggled under the Spaniard, allowing Klopp’s troops to land a heavy blow on their rivals.
Captain Jordan Henderson and Salah gave the away team a 2-0 lead, and Demarai Grey pulled one back before the break.
The Egyptian wizard grabbed his second just after the hour mark, and Diogo Jota blasted a fourth into the roof of the net late on.
This was the Reds’ biggest win at Goodison since 1982 and gave one side of the city a wonderful festive period.
Everton 0-5 Liverpool – 06/11/1982
A time when the Reds weren’t just dominating England, but the continent under their legendary manager Bob Paisley.
This would be Paisley’s last season in the dugout at Anfield before being replaced by Joe Fagan. One of the most memorable games of his reign was on this November afternoon.
Ian Rush put the away side 1-0 before the break, but Everton’s Glenn Keeley was also sent off.
LFC History reported on what the Welshman said happened at half-time, and the words from his manager.
“Do you know that only one has scored a hat-trick in the Merseyside derby in nearly 50 years?” I said: ’What are you telling me that for?”
He didn’t score three, but four as a goal from Mark Lawrenson made it 5-0, and is still remembered today at Anfield, as a verse in the ‘Poor Scouser Tommy’ chant.
Everton 2-3 Liverpool – 16/04/2001
This crucial derby, which took place on a spring afternoon in 2001 as Gerard Houllier’s Liverpool faced off against Walter Smith’s Toffees.
Under the Frenchmen, the Anfield outfit had already won the League Cup in a final against Birmingham City and were on the way to the FA Cup final and UEFA Cup final, though this game had plenty at stake.
Since changing to the Champions League, the Reds hadn’t featured in Europe’s elite competition since 1992 and needed a win at Goodison to make that a real possibility.
It was a chaotic game which saw the away team take the lead twice, first through Emile Heskey and then through Markus Babbel, but they were both cancelled out by Duncan Ferguson and David Unsworth.
The late twist was provided by Scottish midfielder Gary McAllister, who struck a free kick past Paul Gerrard from range, which helped the Reds qualify for the Champions League.
Liverpool 3-1 Everton – 10/05/1986
Drama, stakes and iconic moments make this the greatest Merseyside derby ever.
The 105th FA Cup final was held at Wembley, where 98,000 people from Merseyside travelled to watch their teams go at it for glory between the two best teams in the country
This was Kenny Dalglish’s first season as manager at the club, and seven days prior, he led his side to the league title over their final opponents, who finished as runners-up.
Only two teams had achieved the league and FA Cup double before, and the most recent came in 1971 by Arsenal.
Gary Lineker gave the blue half of the city the lead in the first half, while teammates Bruce Grobbelaar and Jim Beglin got into a dispute on the pitch.
Thankfully for Dalglish’s men, Rush was on hand to strike against their Merseyside rivals, with a goal from Craig Johnston separating his brace as they went to lift their third FA Cup under the Wembley arch.
Few rivalries in English football amount to the history, passion and drama that the Merseyside derby possesses, and both sets of fans will be hoping for yet another historic match, in the first of many at the Hill Dickinson stadium.
