Storm Darragh has caused the postponement of Saturday’s mouth-watering Premier League encounter between Everton and Liverpool at Goodison Stadium.
Chris Sutton’s prediction via SportsView was in vain as authorities deemed the severe weather conditions unsafe for fans, deciding to postpone the game until further notice, putting an additional squeeze on a full-packed fixture schedule.
Everton would’ve headed into the last-ever edition of the Merseyside derby at Goodison in high spirits following a remarkable 4-0 home triumph against Wolverhampton Wanderers last Wednesday.
However, Sean Dyche now awaits the league’s decision in anxiety, with the Toffees facing a brutal set of fixtures in the coming weeks.
Dyche’s charges resume their Premier League campaign next Saturday with a daunting trip to title-bidding Arsenal before locking horns with Chelsea (H) and Manchester City (A).
Everton will drop the curtain on the calendar year with a home clash against Nottingham Forest but could return to action on New Year’s Day to square off against Liverpool.
With neither team in action at the beginning of the new calendar year, this appears to be the most practical opportunity to reschedule the much-anticipated meeting.
If the game doesn’t take place on January 1, there’s a chance Everton and Liverpool could meet after the completion of the UEFA Champions League league phase.
Comfortably at the top of the 36-team table, Arne Slot’s men are on the verge of securing automatic knockout qualification and, in turn, avoiding the play-off round.
That would free two midweek slots for Liverpool, allowing the Goodison showdown to go through before trading tackles at Anfield at the start of April.
With the opening stage of Europe’s most prestigious club competition ending in February, there’s a decent probability that the Toffees could take on their city rivals during the winter break.
In the meantime, Everton must navigate a horror schedule in December.
Given the quality of their upcoming rivals, Dyche’s men face a potentially season-defining period, with only five points separating them from the bottom three ahead of a three-match nightmare.