Liverpool v Everton 12.02.18

11:15am ET, live in the US on NBC Sports

Last four head-to-head:
0-0 (a) 04.07.18
2-1 Liverpool (h; FA Cup) 01.05.18
1-1 (h) 12.10.17
3-1 Liverpool (h) 04.01.17

Last three matches:
Liverpool: 1-2 PSG (a); 3-0 Watford (a); 2-0 Fulham (h)
Everton: 1-0 Cardiff (h); 0-0 Chelsea (a); 3-1 Brighton (h)

Goal scorers (league):
Liverpool: Salah 7; Mané 6; Firmino 3; Milner, Shaqiri, Sturridge 2; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Wijnaldum 1
Everton: Richarlison, Sigurðsson 6; Calvert-Lewin, Tosun, Walcott 2; Coleman, Keane 1

Referee: Chris Kavanagh (LFC History) (WhoScored)

Guess at a line-up:
Alisson
Trent A-A Gomez van Dijk Robertson
Fabinho Wijnaldum
Shaqiri Firmino Mané
Salah

Is the Merseyside Derby more or less fun when Everton is actually decent?

It's been a while since we were nervous going into this match. Even when Liverpool are off-form, Everton usually aren't much better. And Everton always come into the match with a massive inferiority complex. Sometimes it leads to last season's league meetings, a dire 0-0 at Goodison, an unfortunate and almost unfair 1-1 at Anfield. Slow, slow deaths rather than fire and fury.

But Everton have a new, more progressive manager. Everton are in good form. Everton press, Everton attack, Everton actually score. And Liverpool – despite still unbeaten in the league, despite still second in the league and actually almost keeping pace with Manchester City – are doing those things intermittently, are doing those things less than in the last season or two.

Everton are more free-flowing compared to previous iterations. Liverpool are grittier, uglier. Does this change the way either side almost always approaches the Merseyside Derby?

Wednesday's match at Paris St-Germain was something of an advertisement for this season's 4-2-3-1 formation. Or, at least, an explanation why Liverpool have been using that rather than the 4-3-3. If the attack's going to struggle, if chances are fewer and farther between, it makes sense to get more attackers who can create and shoot and score on the pitch. So it seems as if Liverpool will do so again.

That Henderson is suspended after last week's red card seemingly makes that more likely. Fabinho hasn't looked great as the holding midfielder in a three-man unit. Wijnaldum can play there, but hasn't so far this season. Chances are we see those two as a pairing, but Wijnaldum-Milner-Keïta isn't completely out of the question if Klopp decides to stick with the 4-3-3. That should, at least, be a more dynamic unit than that deployed in France. And even in the 4-2-3-1, Fabinho or Keïta seems a valid question now that the latter is fit, with Wijnaldum capable of playing in a more reserved role and Keïta more likely than any other Liverpool midfield to break lines and add to the attack.

Just do more of the attack, Liverpool. Fix the attack, Liverpool. The defense is doing more than fine at the other end of the pitch.

Meanwhile, Everton. The first of the rest outside the top five, a point ahead of Manchester United. Marco Silva's got Everton doing well enough at the sharp end of the piych – 10th in the league in xG, sixth in shots taken, doing more through volume rather than precision – but they're much better in defense, fourth in shots allowed, eighth in xG allowed, and fifth in goals allowed. Much better defensively, I'll add, under Marco Silva than "defensive manager" Sam Allardyce.

Everton's defense starts in midfield. It starts with Idrissa Gueye, superlative at closing angles and taking the ball away from the opposition. That sort of one-man midfield wall makes me nervous given Liverpool struggles progressing from midfield to attack when in possession. Gueye's the sort of midfield who'll cut out all those entry passes to Salah and Firmino when Liverpool try to advance into dangerous attacking positions.

Get around Gueye and that's a defense that can be gotten at, whether it's Andre Gomes' lack of extra protection or Coleman and Digne's attacking from fullback or Keane's ability to commit errors at unwelcome times or Yerry Mina still acclimatizing to Everton and to England. It's getting around Gueye that's harder than it seems.

The XI seems likely to be Pickford; Coleman, Keane, Mina, Digne; Gomes, Gueye; Walcott, Sigurðsson, Bernard; Richarlison. That's the side used against both Chelsea and Cardiff in the last two matches. Ten of those 11 started the three previous matches as well, with only Zouma preferred to Yerry Mina. Everton have no real injuries and a fairly settled XI. Maybe Lookman replaces Walcott or Bernard, or Tosun or Calvert-Lewin start up top with Richarlison on the flanks, but that's about it. I find it hard to believe they'll change tack that much going into this.

As crucial as Gueye is to Everton's defense, Sigurðsson and Richarlison are to Everton's attack. Richarlison on fast breaks, Richardlison on the end of crosses and through balls. Sigurðsson from distance, Sigurðsson from set plays, whether the corner cross in or direct free kicks. Six goals each, through just 13 matches. Everton's top scorer last season was Wayne Rooney, who scored all of ten goals through the entire campaign.

Everton are dangerous opponents. Everton are an honest-to-goodness decent side. But, then again, I'm yet to be convinced that form actually matters in this match. Everton haven't won a derby since 2010, when Roy Hodgson was Liverpool's manager. Everton haven't won at Anfield since 1999, when Trent Alexander-Arnold was 11 months old. Until proven otherwise, Everton need to demonstrate they can do more than ugly up these matches. Everton still need to prove that they can compete.

However, this is the Everton side best-placed to compete in a very long time.