A free-scoring Liverpool side play hosts to arch-rivals Everton in the latest edition of the Merseyside derby at Anfield on Sunday.
The Reds come into the clash having won their last three matches in all competitions, scoring a remarkable 15 goals in the process.
Jurgen Klopp’s men followed up a 5-1 win away against Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League last weekend with a 7-0 thrashing of Spartak Moscow in the Champions League on Wednesday night, which ensured that they advanced to the knockout stages as group winners.
Their frontline is in devastating form right now, and the fourth-place Reds will be looking to keep the pressure on Chelsea and Manchester United above them in the table with another three points.
Meanwhile, Everton would have been dreading the short trip across Stanley Park a fortnight ago following successive 5-1 and 4-1 defeats against Atalanta and Southampton respectively, but the appointment of Sam Allardyce has changed their fortunes.
The Toffees have since picked up consecutive home wins against West Ham United and Huddersfield Town – scoring six goals and conceding none in the process – while a second-string side kept another clean sheet as they beat Apollon Limassol 3-0 in their final Europa League group game on Thursday.
Their previously leaky backline – they conceded 28 goals in their opening 13 Premier League matches this term – is looking far more solid, while they are starting to find more of a rhythm in attack.
Both clubs certainly know they have the players that can make a difference at Anfield, and they will be looking for those players to step up to the plate on another huge derby day.
Here are four key on-pitch battles that will decide the result…
Sadio Mane vs Jonjoe Kenny
Liverpool seem to generally play better attacking football when Mane is part of their frontline, and the Senegal international looks to be nailed on to start wide on the left in a 4-3-3 system against Everton on Sunday.
The 25-year-old was an unused substitute against Brighton last week, but he came back into the starting XI against Spartak Moscow and scored a brace – including a spectacular volley.
The forward has now scored seven goals in 15 appearances this term, and Klopp will know that his pace, unpredictability and finishing prowess could be key in the latest derby clash.
Meanwhile, Kenny has been putting in some mature performances at right-back in recent weeks, but he probably faces his toughest task of the season against the majestic Mane on Sunday, and he will need to have 100% concentration to keep the Senegalese attacker quiet.
Joe Gomez vs Gylfi Sigurdsson
Big things were expected of Sigurdsson when he joined Everton in a club-record £45m deal during the summer transfer window, but he was often pushed out to the left-hand side during the early stages of the campaign and he failed to impress.
The Iceland international didn’t score a goal or pick up a single assist in his first 10 Premier League appearances for the Toffees despite being well known for them at Swansea previously, but he has been much-improved in recent weeks.
The 28-year-old has scored twice – including in the 2-0 win against Huddersfield Town last weekend – and provided two assists in his last four top flight games, and he has been making a big impact even though he is still playing wide on the left.
Liverpool defender Gomez has gone from strength to strength this season with a consistent run in the team leading to a first senior England call-up, and he will be looking to keep his playmaking opponent quiet on Sunday to try and limit Everton’s goal threat.
Mohamed Salah vs Cuco Martina
With 12 Premier League goals this season at a rate of one of every 94 minutes, there is no doubt that Salah is probably the standout player in the division right now.
The forward leads the goalscoring charts and he has netted in all of his side’s previous seven Premier League matches, as well as scoring one in the 7-0 thrashing of Spartak Moscow in midweek.
18 goals in 23 appearances in all competitions show how lethal he can be in front of goal, but a further six assists also prove that he can create for his teammates too.
The man tasked with keeping the attacker quiet will likely be Martina, who has started Everton’s last two Premier League matches at left-back with Leighton Baines absent through injury.
The Curacao international hasn’t been of the club’s most popular players following his summer arrival from Southampton, and even though he has been part of a defence that has kept successive top flight clean sheets he must be prepared for his toughest challenge of the season when he comes up against Salah.
Dejan Lovren vs Dominic Calvert-Lewin
When Romelu Lukaku left for Manchester United during the summer and wasn’t replaced before the summer transfer window closed, Calvert-Lewin wouldn’t have beeen able to believe his luck.
He would have known at that stage that he had a real chance to stake his claim for a regular spot in the Toffees team up top, and that has proven to be the case as he has made 26 appearances in all competitions.
The 20-year-old has certainly shown that he isn’t afraid to throw his weight around, while he has also scored six goals – including one in the 2-0 win against Huddersfield last weekend – and provided a further five assists.
Sam Allardyce will tell the young attacker to let Liverpool centre-back Lovren know he is there on Sunday, with the Croatian defender often coming under scrutiny from the Anfield faithful because he is prone to an error.
