Everton’s New Home, an Old Rivalry, and a Form Table That Tells Two Very Different Stories

Last Updated on April 17, 2026 8:46 pm by ZUWP Automation

The Merseyside derby arrives at Hill Dickinson Stadium — and Everton come into it with more momentum than Liverpool

The Merseyside derby has always carried its own gravity, independent of league tables and form guides. But when these two sides meet on Sunday, the context adds another layer: Everton are the side in better recent form, and it is Liverpool who arrive at Hill Dickinson Stadium needing to prove something. That is not a sentence that has been written often.

Match Details

• Fixture: Everton vs Liverpool
• Venue: Hill Dickinson Stadium
• Date: Sunday, 19 April 2026, 13:00 BST

Form: Everton Building, Liverpool Inconsistent

Everton arrive with 3W 1D 1L from their last five matches — a run that includes a 3-0 home win over Chelsea and a 3-2 victory away at Newcastle United. Those are not results against bottom-half opposition. The only blemish was a 0-2 defeat at Arsenal, and even that came sandwiched between two wins. The most recent outing, a 2-2 draw at Brentford, keeps the momentum ticking without quite reaching the heights of what came before.

Liverpool, by contrast, have been fitful. Their last five reads 2W 1D 2L, and the losses carry weight: a 1-2 defeat at Wolverhampton and a 1-2 reverse at Brighton suggest a side that can be undone by teams prepared to press them on the road. The 5-2 home win over West Ham looks like an outlier rather than a statement of intent. A 1-1 draw at home to Tottenham and the Brighton defeat in particular point to a side that has not yet found consistency.

The trajectory matters here. Everton are building. Liverpool are searching.

Key Players to Watch

The single most compelling individual narrative in this fixture belongs to Hugo Ekitiké. The Liverpool forward has 11 goals and 4 assists in 27 appearances this season, averaging 2.4 shots per match with 19 on target. He is Liverpool’s top scorer, top assister, and — with 398 total passes — their most active presence in build-up play. In a derby where margins are tight, a player operating across multiple phases of the game is a significant asset.

Against him, Everton will look to Jarrad Branthwaite and James Tarkowski to provide the defensive foundation. Branthwaite has accumulated 5 interceptions and 10 clearances across his 8 appearances, with a tackles average of 0.8 per game. Tarkowski brings 18 clearances and the kind of aerial presence that disrupts the service Ekitiké will need. Whether that defensive partnership can contain a forward producing at Ekitiké’s rate is the central physical contest of this match.

For Everton in possession, Ashley Young is the unlikely engine. Across 36 appearances, he has accumulated 725 total passes, 538 accurate, 59 tackles, 26 key passes, and 6 big chances created. Those are numbers that belong to a player operating well above what his role might suggest. He is Everton’s top passer, top tackler, top assister, and top chance creator. Liverpool will need to account for him.

Dominik Szoboszlai offers Liverpool a creative counterpoint, with 12 key passes and 251 accurate passes from 24 appearances. His type scores rank him among the most balanced midfielders in the squad, combining defensive work (5 interceptions, 7 tackles) with genuine creative output. If Liverpool are to control the tempo of a derby that will not be handed to them, Szoboszlai’s influence will be central.

Season Stats at a Glance

The contrast in individual leaders tells a story about how differently these squads are constructed. Everton’s statistical leaders are almost entirely Ashley Young — a veteran full-back carrying a disproportionate creative burden. Liverpool’s are clustered around Ekitiké, with Mac Allister leading tackles and Szoboszlai providing the midfield architecture. One side relies on a single creative hub; the other distributes its threat more widely.

Head to Head

The recent head-to-head record offers Liverpool some comfort, even if the broader picture is limited. In their last three meetings, Liverpool have won twice and drawn once, with Everton yet to take a victory. The most recent encounter, in September 2025, ended 2-1 to Liverpool. That result, played at Liverpool’s ground, will be in the back of Everton’s minds as they prepare to host the derby for what may be the first time at their new stadium.

Three meetings is not a long enough run to call it psychological baggage, but it is enough to confirm that Liverpool have had the better of this fixture recently. Everton will know that reversing that record, in front of their own supporters at a new ground, would carry its own significance.

What the Bookmakers Say

The market makes Liverpool narrow favourites. Consensus odds across bookmakers place Liverpool at approximately +130 (implied probability around 43%), Everton at approximately +220 (implied probability around 31%), and the draw at approximately +230 (implied probability around 30%). The over/under is set at 2.5 goals, with the line having moved down from an opening of 2.75, suggesting the market anticipates a tighter, lower-scoring affair than the initial assessment. The Asian Handicap is effectively level, with Pinnacle offering Everton +0.25 and Liverpool -0.25, underlining how closely matched the two sides are considered to be.

The Weight of Sunday

A derby at a new ground, a home side in better form, and a visiting side that has not convinced in weeks. Everton have beaten Chelsea and Newcastle in recent weeks; Liverpool have lost to Wolves and Brighton. The head-to-head leans Liverpool’s way, Ekitiké’s output gives them a threat no Everton player can currently match, and yet the form table and the venue both point in the other direction. Sunday’s match will not simply be about who wants it more. It will be about whether Liverpool’s superior individual quality can override a momentum gap that, right now, sits firmly with Everton.