15/09/2025 22comments  |  Jump to last

Once in each and every season, Everton make the now somewhat longer trip to their first stadium in Anfield Road, where they won their first Football League Championship trophy in 1891. 

Everton's annual pilgrimage to Anfield approaches this weekend, and with it comes the familiar, sickening mix of anticipation and dread. For the uninitiated, this isn't a "friendly" derby; it's a grotesque ritual where the footballing gods conspire against us, a 90-minute exercise in emotional abuse. 

This season, the pre-match buzz has started earlier than usual, perhaps as a desperate attempt to drown out the memory of our baffling failure to score against Aston Villa, a game where we dominated and had 20 efforts on Villa's goal but were denied by a mix of bad luck and our own attacking impotence.

But all of that pales in comparison to the coming injustice. Both Merseyside teams enter this contest unbeaten, but don't be fooled into thinking this will be a fair fight. The script is already written. 

The referee, his VAR henchmen, and the entire corrupt PGMOL apparatus are on a mission to ensure the home side emerges victorious, by any means necessary. We've seen it time and again, with the media, a complicit chorus of sycophants, desperate to spin it as another "great derby win" for the Red half of the city.

The match has been shifted as usual to facilitate the now customary live TV coverage — the last time Liverpool hosted Everton at Anfield in a Premier League match on a Saturday at 3 pm was almost 20 years ago, on 25 March 2006.

At least that will spare all but the bravest of Evertonians the grim experience of being showered with coins, bottles, and other unspeakable objects by the feral animals that masquerade as Liverpool fans. 

That's for those who want to watch this annual televised torture, variously touted as a great local rivalry, a passionate onfield drama, the once 'friendly' derby.

But in truth they are so often horrible games to watch, spoilt by heinous refereeing, disgusting fouls and cowardly punditry that fails to call out the blatant injustices. It's a day spent screaming at the screen, watching our players unfairly booked, their fouls ignored, and every 50-50 decision going the way of the other team.

Who can forget the 2020 Goodison derby, when the thuggish Virgil van Dijk tried to end James Rodriguez's career within 10 minutes? That cynical, unpunished assault — a typical Liverpool foul — neutralised our most creative player, and with him, our nascent title challenge that had seen us going into that game at the top of the Premier League table under Carlo Ancelotti on the back of seven straight wins to start the season?

The pundits, of course, were deafeningly silent. That brilliant, table-topping Everton side was derailed, and we tumbled down the league, mainly because of a moment of brutal, unpunished violence that the media and officials pretended never happened. 

It's a blatant microcosm of our history in this fixture. They injure our players, they get the decisions, and they get away with it all while basking in the glow of a media that has long since sold its soul to the Liverpool narrative.

It's all set to unfold again on Saturday at 12:30 BST on TNT Sports 1. We will watch, we will fume, and we will pray for a miracle that history tells us very rarely comes.

 

Reader Comments (22)

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Gary Creaney
1 Posted 15/09/2025 at 12:58:08
I would love to say we now have a team that can go there and sufficiently "compete" and if circumstances were normal, we do have that.

But you just know fine well that we will concede in the 94th minute to a howler of some kind. Or if we manage to take the lead, at least one penalty will be awarded against us.

The RS were as average and flat as you can get against Burnley. Watch them turn into a bunch of rabid dogs on Saturday.

With some luck, Atletico can take a bit out of them during the week.

Laurie Hartley
2 Posted 15/09/2025 at 13:03:57
Well Michael, I have just watched the full 90 of them against Burnley and I won't be feeling any dread going into this game. They are all huff and puff this season.

If Grealish, Ndiaye, and Dewsbury-Hall start and Mykolenko is fit so Garner can move back into midfield all we have to do is keep the ball on the deck and we will run rings round them.

Craig Walker
3 Posted 15/09/2025 at 13:06:38
Brilliant article, as always, Michael. It does just sum up the dread of a derby, especially at their place. I hate it but always have that modicum of hope that we might just get something. It's the hope that kills you. As you say, I expect St Virgil to try and clobber as many of the Holy Trinity as he can, and get away with it.

One slight error though. We aren't unbeaten. Chris Kavanagh saw to that, away at Elland Road.

Liam Mogan
4 Posted 15/09/2025 at 13:09:57
The RS were helped by their pact with Satan as per usual against Burnley.

We could dominate the whole game, and we will still likely fall foul to some ref decision/jammy deflection/ mind-blowing error.

I'm not even going to watch. It's my son's 18th that day. Can't have the whole day potentially spoiled by the luck of the Devil.

Joe McMahon
5 Posted 15/09/2025 at 13:30:21
Can't disagree with a word, Michael.

I'd rather Jack Grealish sat this one out, as they will target him all match. St Virgil ending his season.

Tom Bowers
6 Posted 15/09/2025 at 13:37:15
Chances of winning with our poor offense are dim but maybe we can steal a draw with a great defensive show.

We need to get to the 80th. minute and then get everyone behind the ball as the last ten minutes are when Redshite usually steal the points. Four games already this season?

Moyes should at least start the new guys, Barry, Rohl and Dibling. The experience could do them a World of good against a billionaire squad.

David Bromwell
7 Posted 15/09/2025 at 13:48:06
The game yesterday was a hard watch, yes Burnley did well to defend their gaol for 90 plus minutes and lost because of a moment of madness but they were hardly able to put more than two passes together going forward. On Saturday we now have a number of talented forward players so we cannot follow the same tactic as Burnley.

So what should we do ? Please don't get too excited and try a treat the match as a normal game against a very good side. A silly sending off is my usual nightmare, and my guess is their crowd will remember the Tarkowski incident from last season, so calm heads on the pitch and in the crowd please.

Hopefully Mykolenko will play, and Beto will again give their centre backs a rough ride and we will take our chances. Also we need to vary our corner and long throw routines, always looking for Tarkowski has lost some of the initial effectiveness.

So for me we should avoid all the hype, it will not help our players, and for the first time in many years we have a squad who are more than capable of winning the game. But we must avoid the ' Burnley ' type error as that's simply all they need to take the points.

Ian Bennett
8 Posted 15/09/2025 at 14:01:16
Passionate piece. But we aren't both unbeaten sadly. Leeds..
Dave Williams
9 Posted 15/09/2025 at 14:05:02
As others have said we now have players who can win this game for us. We have to keep a full team on the pitch and get at their full backs.

Beto is difficult for them to handle and as we all know he is due a goal. Jack will go there and won't be intimidated by them- blues to win!!

Rob Halligan
10 Posted 15/09/2025 at 14:23:58
Well I suppose the one good thing about going to that shithole is that it's so early in the season. It's not very often the first derby is played at that shithole, and we normally spend about 6 - 7 months dreading going there.

Hopefully, with it being so early in the season, along with a change to the kick-off time, many of the feral bastards won't have had time to book their flights from whatever part of the world they come from.

Ian Jones
11 Posted 15/09/2025 at 14:50:22
Michael, is this not also the game where Pickford got involved in a tangle with Van Dijk and Richarlison got sent off and Liverpool had a last minute or added time goal disallowed. Just saying :)
Jack Convery
12 Posted 15/09/2025 at 14:51:00
A decent LB has been recorded as a free agent on Transfermarket. Renan Lodi, who has 19 caps for Brazil. He has termnated his contract with Al Hilal, after the new coach has sidelined him. Played 118 games for Athletico Madrid and also played at Forestn -32 games. Seems to be an attacking LB. Valued at £13m by TM.

Renan Lodi's life has taken a dramatic turn at the start of the new season. He was one of the team's standout performers last season, appearing in 42 matches, scoring four goals and providing 10 assists. However, with the arrival of the new coach, the player has been completely sidelined, not even appearing in a single match this season, a surprise that has upset many.

Paul Kossoff
13 Posted 15/09/2025 at 14:55:39
Playing those jammy bastards we will need the spirits of Dixie Dean, Alan Ball, Brian Labone to beam themselves down, the referee, linesman and var all to be reds haters. Jesus, and the real Merlin to perform miracles and magic, and Everton to play brilliantly, plus lots of luck, then,we may beat the other lot at Lego stadium.
They have the dark side with them, I'm convinced that they hold a spell over us and have done for decades, so to beat them, read above. Blanket, pillow drinks all ready behind the couch. Pesemistic me, you bet I am. Miserable no, because we only have to play those fks twice a season.
Paul Kossoff
14 Posted 15/09/2025 at 14:58:28
Jack 12. Excellent research, thanks.
Christy Ring
15 Posted 15/09/2025 at 15:00:52
Michael sadly everything you said is spot on and most of the pundits are exredsite, as well and don’t forget we’ll have Van Dick refereeing the game as normal. I just hope Mykolenko can start, with Garner back in midfield, which will make us a lot stronger, and a lot more confident of getting a result, but as always can expect a controversial decision to go against us?
Kevin Molloy
16 Posted 15/09/2025 at 15:28:30
James was never the same player after that challenge. It really was a nasty one.

Must admit I can't stand these games. I don't expect anything from them, and indeed half the time I avoid them. the most painful aspect is how often we go to pieces when we are there. they don't collapse like that when they come to Goodison, it really is something we need to get off our back. As Michael says, we won't get anything from the officials, and if we do, there will be such howls of derision from the crowd the referee will make it right within minutes for them.

I'd play Barry ahead of Beto (we need to hold onto the ball in this one) and if things go wrong expect a first sight of Dibling.

Paul Kossoff
17 Posted 15/09/2025 at 15:47:21
Just had a thought. I wonder if it's possible to fly a drone with a paint gun to that lots ground, and spray Lego Land, in BIG letters, all over for all to see, would upset them I think.😁
Rob Halligan
18 Posted 15/09/2025 at 15:47:45
Ian # 11…….it was also the same game where if Michael Oliver had refereed the game properly, he would have sent off Van Shite for two bookable offences within the first ten minutes. As pointed out by Michael in the OP, Van Shite tried to nobble James not once, but twice and also DCL, all of which, in my opinion were all bookable offences. So a kind of Karma that the dirty bastard suffered a knee injury putting him out for the entire season, rather than just the one game he would have missed due to suspension.
Jimmy Salt
19 Posted 15/09/2025 at 15:59:25
I can't watch these games anymore it's bad for my health.
I'm in London doing a bit of sightseeing and catching an event in the Albert Hall ( la de da)
I'll wake up on Sunday and check the fallout.
Martin Reppion
20 Posted 15/09/2025 at 16:05:08
Jack #12, Sadly as he was under contract at the closure of the transfer window we can't sign him until Jan 1st.
He'll be on the beach in Brazil until then, unless the South American transfer system is different to ours.

Sergio Reguilon, however, is available as he left Spurs as a free agent at the end of his contract in June.

Martin Berry
21 Posted 15/09/2025 at 16:24:43
I think our chances may hinge on Myko getting back to allow Garner to play in his natural position. With that in place I expect us to be the real deal.
I am sure that Moyes we want us to match them in midfield, and especially to battle Mc Allister who is a real hatchet man in there for the dark side.
We have enough ability to create chances and maybe our luck comes and theres runs out.
Everton 2-0, now that will shake up the Sky darlings.
Jim Bennings
22 Posted 15/09/2025 at 16:27:16
It's unwinnable let's be honest.

The powers that be don't allow Liverpool to lose home games anymore, the crowd holds too much sway over weak officials and VAR now is like another member of the corrupt gang to see them through.

We haven't won at Anfield with fans in the ground this century, I'd love to see it happen again but I seriously doubt now the way football has gone that it will happen again unless a minor miracle happens.


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