Can the Blues keep winning on the road?
Because of the team’s recent 3-0 thrashing of Bournemouth, Blues supporters have enjoyed a comparatively laid-back two weeks off over the international break. As a result, Everton had only suffered the terrible home loss to Luton Town in their previous four matches across all competitions.
The campaign has gotten off to an odd start, with Sean Dyche frequently observing that performances don’t always translate into outcomes. The team has moved up from the pitiful spot it had held in the first several weeks of the league standings, but now it has to establish consistency as we head into a run of difficult games.
The high-flying duo of West Ham United and Brighton & Hove Albion will follow in the coming weeks, but the Anfield derby versus Liverpool is the immediate priority.
Form
The Reds had a dismal season last year by their lofty standards, finishing fifth in the Premier League, losing to Real Madrid in the Round of 16 on aggregate by a score of 6-2, and only winning the Community Shield as a consolation prize. Jurgen Klopp was able to pull together a late winning streak of seven league games in the spring when the season was in danger of going horribly wrong, saving a Europa League qualification from certain doom. Failure for a team like Liverpool is always relative, but the 2022–23 season was a low moment in their history.
It was obvious that the team needed to undertake a lot of significant work during the winter. Although the offence appeared to be as strong as ever, the defence was exposed by a creaking, long-neglected midfield that had been lacking for so long. The club spent a whopping €117 million on new players, with a specific focus on the park’s core. Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis MacAllister, a World Cup winner, came from Brighton, and defensive midfielder Wataru Endo came from another German side, VFB Stuttgart. These brilliant young players cost a combined €110 million.
Along with the important Fabinho, the underwhelming Naby Keita, and the ageing James, the team lost captain Jordan Henderson, who is now approaching the senior period of his career.
