Everton vs. Liverpool Betting Preview – EPL, October 17, 2020

Merseyside derbies are always exciting affairs but this first one of the season should be an excellent advert for the EPL – even though there will still be no fans inside Goodison Park.

Everton has been the form side so far this season and would dearly love to put one over its old city rival.

It has been quite a while since Everton was the favorite to win this fixture – at Goodison Park or Anfield – and BetOnline is refusing to back the home side on Saturday even though it has started the season so well. But I think these look like great odds for either the home win or the draw.

All eyes have been on Everton this season. With a marquee signing in the summer in the form of James Rodriguez, there was a question about the star’s ability to turn it on for the Toffees. But the Colombian has been integral to everything positive so far and should play a major part against Liverpool on Saturday.

The success hasn’t all been down to James though. Allan’s defensive play in front of the back line has allowed the attacking moves to be so effective – and Dominic Calvert-Lewin is having an exceptional season so far. This is the first real test for Carlo Ancelotti’s side however.

The international break could not have come at a better time for Liverpool after the 7-2 thrashing it received at the hands of Aston Villa in its last league game. That humiliating experience will surely galvanize the Liverpool players into raising their game for the Merseyside derby.

But Everton is not going to be the pushover it has been in the past and Jurgen Klopp could well look to new signing Thiago Alcantara to pull the strings in the middle of the pitch. He looked head and shoulders above everyone else in his debut against Chelsea and could be a real game-changer for Liverpool this season.

It wasn’t until the league title was virtually assured last season that Liverpool lost a game but the signs this year already suggest that it will be a closer battle at the top. Everton is making the headway in the early stages and I think that it will be the blue half of Liverpool that will the happier on Saturday as its side continues to be the only side with a 100% record in the EPL.