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Everton v Liverpool: Premier League – as it happened
April 19, 2026
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Virgil van Dijk’s added-time winner gave Liverpool a crucial vicroy in the first derby at Everton’s new home, taking them to the cusp of Champions League qualificationOtherwise, Florian Wirtz is again given a chance to assert and establish – the numbers and profiles behind him, more defensively minded, offer him yet some ballast, but does he have the necessary speed of thought and play, along with the required combativeness, to make a difference?The problem he has is that he replaced two full-backs who were better in attack than defence, with two full-backs who are better in attack than defence.
Essentially, he doesn’t have a combination that works, so has prioritised solidity and experience here, the new lads excluded. That means Dominic Szoboszlai again plays at the back, which means Liverpool must do without their best midfielder in the centre of the pitch; I guess the plan might be for him to invert, but otherwise Slot will hope that the ball-carrying and tenacity of Curtis Jones compensate. Continue reading...
Premier League | The Guardian
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