The Reds had nearly two weeks to stew over the 7-2 drubbing they received at the hands of Aston Villa, and will now look to right the ship against their Merseyside rivals on Saturday, as they return to action out of the international break.
The good news about the break is how it allowed many of Liverpool’s players to recover from nagging injuries. That should provide Jurgen Klopp with numerous options for his line-up against Everton.
Goalkeeper
In goal, Adrian hasn’t covered himself in glory in his past few appearances. His error leading to the first goal against Villa set the tone for the rest of the game.
Alisson is still weeks away from being available, so Liverpool need Adrian to be better if they want to stay near the top of the table.
Defense
It wasn’t just Adrian who struggled against Aston Villa. Liverpool’s backline looked a disjointed mess in the loss, with their high line being breached on numerous occasions.
Still, Andy Robertson, Virgil Van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold will surely start against Everton, with Klopp hoping the 7-2 loss was a wake-up call.
Whether or not Joe Gomez starts is the question. The young English centerback has struggled since the end of last season and has twice been taken off early in matches.
Liverpool should have Joel Matip back as an option and have used Fabinho as an emergency center back. Gomez probably starts on Saturday, but it could be his last chance as a first-choice option.
Midfield
One of the strengths of Everton’s impressive start has been the play of its midfield.
Liverpool will have to come up with a good solution to neutralize that part of the pitch. The Reds should have captain Jordan Henderson back, who’s leadership was missed in the loss to Villa.
Also back is new signing Thiago, who has finished his isolation after testing positive for COVID-19.
Liverpool will most likely be without Naby Keita, who potentially tested positive for the virus while on international duty.
That leaves the third midfield spot to Gini Wijnaldum, James Milner and Fabinho.
Attack
Sadio Mane has returned after testing positive for COVID-19 before the international break, and will provide a boost in Liverpool’s attack. Mo Salah scored twice in the blowout loss at Villa, and has five goals in four games.
Roberto Firmino is flying back from Brazil after international duty, and won’t have much time to prepare with an early kick-off.
With a lot of games coming, and very little downtime, Firmino likely starts on the bench. Diogo Jota and Takumi Minamino are options to start if Firmino doesn’t.
Predicted Liverpool Line-up (4-3-3): Adrian, Andy Robertson, Virgil Van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Thiago, Jordan Henderson, Gini Wijnaldum, Sadio Mane, Mo Salah, Diogo Jota.