Everton manager Sean Dyche has elected to stick with the same lineup that defeated Bournemouth 3-0 before the international break, and has wisely rejected the temptation to start Idrissa Gueye.
The Senegalese international has been Dyche’s preferred option in the middle of the park so far this season, appearing in seven of their first eight games before being ruled out of the Bournemouth encounter due to injury.
Gueye played for his country during the international break, and Dyche was tempted to start him at Anfield.
Dyche, on the other hand, has decided to remain with Amadou Onana, James Garner, and Abdoulaye Doucoure in midfield, with Jack Harrison and Dwight McNeil flanking Dominic Calvert-Lewin for Saturday’s encounter at Anfield (21 October).
The defense remains unchanged.
Everton supporters have gotten accustomed to being let down by this match in recent Premier League seasons, particularly at Anfield.
The Toffees’ only victory on enemy territory since the turn of the millennium came in February 2021, during the lockdown season, with no fans present, under Carlo Ancelotti’s supervision.
A win on Saturday may be the biggest surprise in a Merseyside derby yet, and despite their terrible record over Stanley Park, Everton may have had reasons to be optimistic, and they should not approach this game with fear after a recent run of play.
And Dyche’s decision to leave the returning Gueye out of the starting lineup is spot on.
Gueye’s lack of confidence and poise in possession has begun to be a source of concern, resulting in his team regularly losing the ball and inviting pressure from the opponent, as he has made only 35.1 correct passes per game this season.
His underlying possession starts are disastrous, with him ranking in the 57th percentile of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for pass completion, the bottom 32 percentile for passes attempted, the bottom 23rd percentile for progressive passes, and the bottom 40th percentile for touches in the middle third [FBRef], demonstrating his lack of class and influence on the ball.
Using Gueye so soon after his injury comeback against a Liverpool squad that likes to press fiercely under Jurgen Klopp could have been a very unnecessary and costly decision.
