Egyptian superstar Mohamed Salah has been the scourge of Everton in recent years and only Ian Rush (13), Steven Gerrard (nine) and Harry Chambers (eight) have scored more league goals for the Reds in the Merseyside derby than the winger.

Salah bagged a brace against the Toffees in the reverse fixture between the rivals in October, taking his recent tally up to five goals in five derbies combined since December 2021. The 31-year-old has scored 17 times in just 24 Premier League starts this season and he is on course to breach the 20-goal barrier in the top division for the fifth time in seven years.

Terrier-like Japan international Wataru Endo has become a midfield mainstay for Jurgen Klopp this season thanks to his battling qualities, and the anchorman has been averaging 2.50 fouls per 90 minutes in the Premier League. Endo committed three fouls in Liverpool’s last league fixture at Fulham on Sunday and he is likely to be in the thick of the action again on derby day.

Klopp seems to really value Endo’s ability to break up play and the former Stuttgart midfielder, who is a fan of the tactical foul, has committed at least two fouls in 12 different Premier League matches already this season. Endo will make his Merseyside derby debut this evening, so expect him to tackle with enthusiasm.

Ashley Young had a Merseyside derby to forget in October when he was sent off in the first half of Everton’s defeat at Anfield for two bookable offences. The 38-year-old struggled to cope with the pace in Liverpool’s frontline on that occasion and Young could toil against the same fleet-footed forwards in this evening’s rematch.

Young has picked up five yellow cards in 23 Premier League starts this season and has been committing 1.50 fouls per 90 in the division since August. Bookings collected in games against Chelsea, Arsenal and Man Utd earlier in the campaign highlighted a pattern of rash tackles in tougher games, and Young could labour against another high-calibre opponent today.

Tough-tackling Argentinean international Alexis Mac Allister has already collected eight yellow cards in all competitions this season, with six of those picked up in Premier League fixtures. It is worth noting that four of those six yellow cards in the league were earned in away games, which suggests Mac Allister can get a little hotter under the collar in more testing away matches.

Mac Allister has card-earning credentials again this evening against the backdrop of a heated Merseyside derby atmosphere at Goodison Park. The 25-year-old has been committing 1.80 fouls per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season and his foul count should be high again when he occupies the same battleground as some combative Everton midfielders.

Mohamed Salah is a reliably menacing presence for Liverpool in Merseyside derbies and the prolific wide attacker had two shots on target when the Reds beat Everton 2-0 in October, both of which hit the net. More recently, the 31-year-old hit at least two shots on target in five of his last eight starts in all competitions and he should offer a significant threat with the right service again today.

Salah has been averaging a healthy 1.90 shots on target per 90 minutes in the Premier League so far this season and with fit-again Trent Alexander-Arnold back supporting him on the right flank, Salah should see enough of the ball to maintain his output. Salah gave Everton full back Vitaliy Mykolenko a really tough time at Anfield in October and the Ukrainian full back could struggle to keep his antagonist under wraps again later on.

Like his defensive partner Ashley Young, James Tarkowski can often be found wanting against pace and the Everton centre half was also carded in the last Merseyside derby back in October. That yellow card was one of nine picked up by Tarkowski in the Premier League this term and only four players in the division have collected more bookings than the former Burnley man overall.

It’s also worth highlighting that the 31-year-old has looked a little fatigued during the run-in. Tarkowski has been an ever-present for Everton this season, starting 33 Premier League fixtures out of 33, though the timing of his tackles has looked tired of late and he was shown a yellow card in four of his last five starts in the competition.