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The Toffees are full of confidence having had a perfect start to the season, while their rivals in the city are coming off a 7-2 loss.
Saturday’s Merseyside Derby takes place 10 years after Everton recorded a win over Liverpool for the last time.
Beating them on the anniversary, right now, with this team, would be a fitting way to end a difficult decade for the Toffees and herald the beginning of a new era, if not as equals, at least as worthy challengers to the Reds. ‘recent supremacy.
Maybe that’s too exaggerated. Perhaps the symbolism of winning three points this weekend is not so loaded with what the next 10 years will bring to Goodison Park.
However, I could forgive Everton fans for believing so much after their perfect start to the 2020-21 Premier League season, particularly now that they are led by two true superstars of the game: Carlo Ancelotti and James Rodriguez.
These are the early days of the project, of course, but there is already a tactical balance and sophistication to what Ancelotti’s Everton are doing, suggesting that they can end their drought against Liverpool and compete for La Liga spots. of Champions.
The Italian has always been a powerful coach, a coach with an eye for proper training and the broader structure of his team’s game, but lacking in the finer details.
Over a career spanning AC Milan, Chelsea, and Real Madrid, among others, he has displayed a laissez-faire attitude towards the small tactical adjustments that are often required to win league titles, but Ancelotti has an undoubted talent to get the pieces. to click on cup competitions.
And that’s probably what we’ll see at Everton, if the first four league games of the campaign are anything to go through.
The Premier League leaders have been very consistent in their training and style, caring only for their own overall shots rather than the unique challenges of each opponent.
In a 4-3-3 formation, the main characteristics are: flying wingers who advance in tandem and seek to make crosses in the area at every opportunity; a playmaker in James Rodríguez who swerves to the right to spread the ball and set the pace; and a three-man midfield designed to provide a solid base of support against the fast break.
The overall goal is high-paced possession football with defenders regularly serving the ball from the back and Allan pulling the strings from the base of midfield, although the pretty patterns tend to give way to a more direct approach in the latter. third, keeping up with Ancelotti’s simplistic attack lines at previous clubs.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin, stripped down and taught to play poacher by Duncan Ferguson and Ancelotti, is an important target for crosses into the box and set pieces.
Richarlison often joins him, cutting from the left wing to make room on that side for Lucas Digne to advance. A dart box from Richarlison, a cross pass from James and a cross from Digne – this is the template for many Everton moves this season.
Last year, Ancelotti primarily used a 4-4-2 formation that morphed into a 4-3-3, mimicking the system with which he had enjoyed so much success at Napoli.
The aim was for Alex Iwobi or Bernard to flutter between midfield and forward depending on whether Everton had the ball, although the lack of sophistication in their passing meant they were often too disjointed to find any rhythm.
More importantly, they simply didn’t have the central midfielders for such a complex approach to work, with Tom Davies and Gylfi Sigurdsson frequently outnumbered by more agile opponents.
Adding in Abdoulaye Ducoure and Allan, with Andre Gomes joining the other side of the Brazilian, has given Everton a solid wall that protects against opponents’ counterattacks, which in turn allows Everton to position its defensive line higher and master possession.
That has transformed their style of play, while a formation change to a permanent 4-3-3 has been taken to accommodate the signing of James.
The elegance of the Colombian adds that unpredictable element. Indeed, James, who previously stood out with Ancelotti at both Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, sums up the best of the coach’s tactical philosophy.
At Ancelotti, the Everton players get a smart and well-trained point guard, but, because the coach takes a more backseat focus once the system is in place, they also have plenty of room to improvise, hence the combination of a strong midfield with good compression. between the lines and the hard-to-trace positional freedom of both James and Richarlison.
And the overall tactical pattern of Everton’s first four league games turns out to be exactly the approach needed to target Liverpool’s weaknesses, as Aston Villa demonstrated in their 7-2 win a fortnight ago.
Liverpool’s lack of pressure in a passive midfield, coupled with Jurgen Klopp’s high defensive line, left them exposed to simple counterattacks channeled by the Reds right wing.
Villa’s midfielders sprayed the ball to the left for Jack Grealish and Ross Barkley, who then slipped Ollie Watkins from behind. It was two simple moves that bypassed most of the Liverpool team, exploited the space behind Trent Alexander-Arnold, and isolated his weak link, Joe Gomez.
The psychological power Liverpool had over their opponents, forcing them into a nervous territorial retreat so they could win victories, is almost certainly no more. Villa has punctured something significant, and now Liverpool must find a way to push furiously once more or face a surprisingly difficult season.
Everton, for their part, will not fear a possible backlash.
They will attack with enthusiasm, mimicking Villa’s approach through their natural rhythms, using James’s long diagonals to get behind Alexander-Arnold, using Richarlison’s power to outmaneuver Gomez, and using Calvert-Lewin’s scoring prowess to add. the finishing touch.
Win or lose on Saturday, next season promises to be Everton’s best since 2013-14, when Roberto Martínez and Romelu Lukaku inspired a fifth place finish with 71 points. But with Tottenham stabilizing under José Mourinho and Arsenal looking very impressive under Mikel Arteta, Everton will most likely be frustrated in their quest for a top four finish.
On the other hand, in this most absurd and unpredictable season in the Premier League, it would be unwise to rule out anything. Indeed, as Manchester City and Liverpool falter, many experts are already wondering if 2020-21 is ripe for another Leicester City season.
And if we’re going to have a surprise on that scale this May, Everton is the team most likely to upset the ‘Big Six’. However, if it is to happen, they will have to start with a win over Liverpool on Saturday.
Based on what we’ve seen so far this season, a first derby win in 10 years is certainly not out of the question for this exciting Everton side.
