Everton get a chance to test their mettle against Liverpool on Sunday afternoon at Goodison Park. Both teams have suffered major injury woes this season, and both have had slow starts. However Liverpool are in 7th place on the table with 20 points, while Everton are in 14th place with 15 points.

Everton suffered an away 3 - 0 loss to Manchester United last weekend, and also lost 3 - 2 to Hull City on Wednesday. One can only wonder how well they will hold up against Liverpool, or , if they can hold up at all.
In attack, Louis Saha and Yakubu Ayegbeni are available, as well as Jô. Victor Anichebe is still out injured with no return date as yet.
In midfield, Mikel Arteta, Steven Pienaar, Leon Osman and Vaughan are injured. Phil Neville is injured as well and may require surgery. For now, Moyes has got Tim Cahill, Jack Rodwell, Johnny Heitinga, Diniyar Bilyaletdinov and Marouane Fellaini.
It's mainly determination and grit that will enable Everton keep a tight midfield on Saturday, and not just skill.
Defense has got a number of injuries as well, the biggest blow being Phil Jagielka who has recently undergone knee surgery and is not expected to play till after Christmas.
Lucas Neill, Josephy Yobo, Leighton Baines and Johnny Heitinga are available chioces for David Moyes. Tim Howard will be in goal.

Liverpool are currently having a bumpy season, with the numerous injuries to key players, and being evicted from the group stage of the UCL.
Fernando Torres remains injured and is not likely to feature in this game, as rushing him back before he is fully fit may just lead to a more serious complication.
David Ngog, Dirk Kuyt and Andriy Voronin are the strikers Coach Benitez will have to choose from for this match.
Steven Gerrard has been back in midfield for a little while now; he has gotten sufficient warm-up time and should be back to his goal-scoring ways. Alberto Aquilani should feature in this match as well. If he does, Liverpool will have a really tight and also attack-minded midfield.
Ryan Babel and Riera are out injured.  .  .a possible replacement for Riera is Lucas. Javier Mascherano and Yossi Benayoun are available though, so it remains to be seen if Lucas will get a start. The Liverpool midfield does look nicer than the Evertonian midfield on the surface.
In defense, Daniel Agger is out injured, while Glen Johnson is expected back for this match. Skrtel, Aurelio, Carragher are among the options available for Rafa Benitez's back line. Pepe Reina will be in goal.
This is a match that can swing either way.  .  .but it should end in favor of the side that shows more grit.

another draw!

Another wretched derby by two clubs in wretched form
Everton wins

The two clubs needs 3point to save their beleaguared season and a share of the spoils isn't bad but Liverpool wins.

Liverpool wins, goals from Ngog and/or Kuyt

1-0 to Liverpool
Was that a Yobo own goal or Masch's goal

Everton scores. . ,

chei ! offside

Krayola:

Everton scores. . ,

chei ! offside

Offside?

I will kill liverpool if they draw this one.

Kuyt scores
Looks like the game is over
Liverpool 2-0 Everton

yobo is finished  

This is the Kinda game Kuyt does not take for granted, I just knew he was going to get a goal

HNIC:

Kuyt scores
Looks like the game is over
Liverpool 2-0 Everton

Yobo ruined Everton.
I am sure Benitez paid him some dosh before this game.

What a twit!!!

~Sauron~:

Yobo ruined Everton.
I am sure Benitez paid him some dosh before this game.

What a twit!!!

Yobo's not been too bad today.
Only that, he's one defender I know who loses concentration when it matters most!

Everton 0:2 Liverpool

Not the best game ,but 3 points secured.

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Gerrard was shite, obviously unfit, Mascherano was excellent. Hope we carry on from here.

tocdee:

Gerrard was shite, obviously unfit, Mascherano was excellent. Hope we carry on from here.

True. . , but he(Captain fantastic) has a psychological impact on the team,which is good.  Next stop F.A cup.

I quite agree with you on the influence part BUT he needs to offer much more than that.

Yes Gerrard has not really stepped up this season. i think he plays better with Torres.


I think Everton were unlucky, our win was a scrappy one. N gog needs to improve his all round play. he only looks good at poaching.

and why won't Rafa give voronin some chances? is he injured too? or better still play kuyt as the main striker, Gerrard moves to the right and Aquilani plays behind the striker.

You read my mind. . .Ngog is not Liverpool standard yet. He plays more like a Hull,Wolves,Wigan level player at the moment.

Learnt Babel told the gaffer off in the papers & he's almost certain to be shipped out in Jan ^{good riddance to bad rubbish of you ask me}.

I heard some encouraging news tha Van Nistelrooy maybe coming our way when the transfer window opens next (when we all expect Chelsea to lose some points ).Not all too bad if you ask me.
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tocdee:

Gerrard was shite, obviously unfit, Mascherano was excellent. Hope we carry on from here.

Lets see you play 3 matches in a row with a groin injury then. The Injury list has been our major issue this season along side the debt which lead to the sale of Alonso. No coach could do better than the Gaffer at the moment.
And rather than the Ruud (striker) option, we'd be better finding a replacement for Lucas in midfield.

arkinses:

Lets see you play 3 matches in a row with a groin injury then. The Injury list has been our major issue this season along side the debt which lead to the sale of Alonso. No coach could do better than the Gaffer at the moment.
And rather than the Ruud (striker) option, we'd be better finding a replacement for Lucas in midfield.

Everyone knows we have a strijer problem,once El Tor's down we're in trouble. VN will provide much needed cover. . . . .Ngog is currently a paperweight.

Lucas isn't too bad & we already have sufficient cover for that position IMO.