Liverpool vs Everton Prediction: Salah to send Reds on their way to victory

The March international break, coupled with last weekend's FA Cup quarter-finals, has left Liverpool a long time to stew on their Carabao Cup final defeat to Newcastle United. The Reds are back in action on Wednesday, though, and straight back into the thick of it as neighbours Everton provide the opposition at Anfield (20:00, Sky Sports Main Event).

Below are my Liverpool vs Everton predictions, supported by all the latest team news and match odds, as Arne Slot's side look to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League.

Team News

Liverpool midfielder Ryan Gravenberch was forced to pull out of international duty with the Netherlands due to fatigue, and goalkeeper Alisson Becker left Brazil's camp early after sustaining a head injury in the Selecao's 2-1 win over Colombia. However, Slot has offered a fairly positive update on the pair.

He said: "Ryan Gravenberch is okay. Alisson trained with us as well. The last check [will be] later today [Tuesday]."

Football Odds

Slot added: "Conor Bradley is with us again, but he's only had a few sessions after being out for quite long, so we have to make a smart decision."

With Bradley likely to be eased back to action following his thigh injury and Trent Alexander-Arnold (ankle) still out, Jarell Quansah could start at right-back again on Wednesday.

Joe Gomez (hamstring) and Tyler Morton (shoulder) are also still in the Liverpool treatment room.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin (muscle), Iliman Ndiaye, Dwight McNeil and Orel Mangala (all knee) remain on the sidelines for Everton due to injury.

Vitalii Mykolenko, meanwhile, is a doubt after picking up a problem with his thigh on international duty with Ukraine.

Should the left-back be passed fit, though, Blues boss David Moyes could name the same starting XI that lined up in their 1-1 draw with West Ham United on March 15.

Ashley Young, Tim Iroegbunam and Jesper Lindstrom all began that stalemate on the bench and are options to come into the side if Moyes decides to switch things up.

Liverpool vs Everton Odds

Liverpool have lost their last two games, the first of which was a Uefa Champions League last 16 penalty shootout defeat to Paris Saint-Germain after going down 1-0 in regulation time at Anfield. They're also winless in the last two Merseyside derbies, although both were played at Goodison Park.

The Reds are heavy favourites (4/11) to return to winning ways on Wednesday, implying a win probability of 73.3%, while the Blues are 9/1, or a 10% chance, to triumph at Anfield in front of supporters for the first time since September 1999.

Everton stole a point in dramatic circumstances in February's head-to-head, equalising in the eighth minute of second-half added time through James Tarkowski to make it 2-2, and you can back another draw between the two teams at 4/1.

Both teams to score is priced at 11/10, and a repeat of that 2-2 scoreline is 20/1.

Liverpool's main man and the Premier League's leading marksman this season, Mohamed Salah, who scored at Goodison Park earlier in the campaign and bagged a brace in his side's 2-0 Merseyside derby victory at Anfield in 2023/24, is 9/10 favourite in the anytime goalscorer market.

Everton forward Beto, who has scored five times since Moyes replaced Sean Dyche as Blues boss in January, including one against their city rivals, is considered the visitors' most likely goalscorer at 3/1.

Match Result & Total Goals Over/Under 2.5 - Liverpool & Under 2.5 Goals @ 11/5

Everton scored twice against Liverpool in February and are unbeaten in nine Premier League games since losing their first under Moyes against Aston Villa (0-1) on January 15, while the Reds are smarting after back-to-back defeats against PSG and Newcastle that saw them knocked out of Europe and beaten in a domestic cup final.

However, the first of those losses was against one of the best teams on the continent this season, who scored through Ballon d'Or contender Ousmane Dembele, and the second was at Wembley against a fired-up Magpies side desperate to lift their first trophy in nearly 56 years. Liverpool were so poor that day, but credit must also go to the north east club.

I'm expecting a big response on Wednesday from the Premier League leaders, who will also have February's dramatic draw with Everton in their minds. Slot's side were mightily close to taking all three points at Goodison, but Tarkowski popped up in the dying embers to get the hosts on level terms.

It won't be easy for the Reds, but at Anfield, where they have lost just once in the league this season and won the last three Merseyside derbies 2-0, I'm backing them for the victory.

Everton have lost the Goodison factor they had in February and are missing some key players, and while nine games unbeaten in the league is impressive, five of their last six have ended in a stalemate.

They've drawn their last four, and all were against sides in the bottom half, while their most recent three ended in a 1-1 scoreline.

Only Arsenal (62%) have seen a higher proportion of their league games this season end in under 2.5 goals than Everton (59%), while four of Liverpool's last six matches in all competition have seen two or fewer strikes (they won three of those).

Beto has gone off the boil for Everton, too, failing to score in his last five games for club and country (Guinea-Bissau), and three of their top four goalscorers this season are out injured.

A 1-0 or 2-0 win for Liverpool is the most likely scoreline on Wednesday, in my opinion, so take a home victory and under 2.5 goals at 11/5.

First Goalscorer - Mohamed Salah (LIV) @ 11/4

Salah was kept quiet in Liverpool's losses to PSG and Newcastle, managing just one shot on target in the first and failing to muster even one attempt in the second. In fairness to the Egpytian, though, he was let down badly by his teammates, particularly against the Magpies, who won the midfield battle at Wembley and stopped the supply line to him.

Two games without a goal is rare for the 32-year-old, but three is almost unheard of for Salah this season; in fact, it's happened just once in 2024/25, in September when he blanked in matches against Nottingham Forest, Milan and AFC Bournemouth.

I'm not anticipating that happening for a second time this term, with Salah enjoying a great goalscoring record in Merseyside derbies. He's scored eight goals in 12 appearances against Everton, netting six in his last seven after notching just twice in his first five.

Salah has struck in three of the last four Merseyside derbies and bagged both of Liverpool's goals in last season's 2-0 win at Anfield. He also opened the scoring in his side's 2-0 victory in February 2023, so he will be looking to make it three derbies in a row at Anfield with the first goal on Wednesday.

Offers

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