Tony Scott has insisted that Everton’s midfield could be bullies in the Merseyside derby.
The Lowdown: Looking to cause an upset
Not many people will have given Everton the slimmest chance of beating table-toppers Arsenal last weekend, even with a new manager bounce but indeed they managed to pick up a huge win.
Therefore, heading into the Merseyside derby, things appear to be far more balanced than many may have expected just a week ago and that could lead to a fascinating Monday night fixture.
An area of weakness for Liverpool that’s been widely spoken about is their midfield, which could be huge for Everton as Sean Dyche may unleash the likes of Amadou Onana, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Idrissa Gueye at Anfield.
The Lates: Midfield battle is key
Scott has claimed on The Leg It podcast that if Everton approach the game in the right way, their midfield could run all over Liverpool’s and hand them a major advantage.
He said: (24:50) “I think the only area where Everton look a lot stronger than Liverpool is the midfield.
“Everton have got units in there like Doucoure, Onana and Gueye can get around the pitch and I look at Liverpool’s midfield and I think that’s an area if we can go long to Calvert-Lewin, win them second balls because I think Everton could bully Liverpools’ midfield because it’s been getting walked all over.
The Verdict: Everton will be confident of getting a result
Given the differing fortunes both Everton and Liverpool have experienced in recent years, it would be unthinkable that the Toffees could go to Anfield and win a game, but with Dyche at the helm and Everton playing well against Arsenal, there is no reason why that couldn’t be the case.
If Everton can pick up maximum points on Monday night then it eases the pressure off of them heading into their game against Leeds United next weekend, which is indeed a big relegation six-pointer.
Liverpool are indeed sitting rock-bottom of the Premier League form table so Everton will head into the crunch clash next week with their confidence levels very high and looking to cause an upset against their local rivals if Onana can put in another Man of the Match performance the Reds could struggle against Dyche’s side.
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