Three referees are banned from officiating Merseyside derby including Liverpool fan
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Everton and Liverpool face off in the Merseyside derby on Sunday at Goodison Park in a huge game for both clubsThree Premier League referees will be unavailable for Everton vs Liverpool this Sunday owing to conflict-of-interest regulations. Instead, Chris Kavanagh - from Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester and a supporter of non-league Droylsden - will take charge.READ MORE: Hugo Ekitike devastating injury confirmed as Liverpool release statementREAD MORE: Jordan Pickford can become Everton great but team-mate will be 'very difficult to replace'Liverpool enter the fixture looking to bounce back after being knocked out of the Champions League by PSG in midweek.
Liverpool are currently fifth in the Premier League and with five English teams set to qualify, they must keep ahead of the chasing group.One of those challengers is Everton, who sit five points back in eighth. David Moyes' side are in strong form, winning three of their last five league matches, including a convincing 3-0 victory over Chelsea.A win for Everton would reduce the gap to just two points and could lift them as high as sixth, strengthening their European push - 21 years after Moyes nearly guided Everton into Europe's top competition in 2005, when they finished fourth but were later knocked out in the qualifying rounds.It would also be only Everton's second Merseyside derby victory since February 2021.
Liverpool have largely controlled the fixture in recent years, winning six of the last nine meetings.Their latest meeting at Anfield in September finished as a 2-1 win for Liverpool, with goals from Ryan Gravenberch and Hugo Ekitike deeming Idrissa Gueye's second-half goal for Everton a mere consolation.Everton's only win in the past five years came in April 2024, a 2-0 success in what was Jurgen Klopp's final Merseyside derby. However, Alexander Isak's recent return from a long spell out should help ease their attacking concerns.With so much at stake, Sunday's derby is shaping up to be one of the most significant in recent years, with Liverpool fighting to secure a top-five finish and Everton sensing a rare chance to close the gap and reignite their European ambitions.Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV packageThis article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it.