Everton face acid test against Liverpool in Merseyside derby

… as Arteta battles former boss, Pep Guardiola

Club football action returns this weekend after the international break. Premier League action opens with a potential thriller between Merseyside rivals Everton and Liverpool at Goodison Park. Both the Toffees and the Reds have enjoyed excellent starts to the 2020- 21 season, with Carlo Ancelotti’s tutoured Everton side feeling they could challenge Jurgen Klopp’s champions in this clash and perhaps pull off a first league win over their cross-town rivals since October 2010.

Liverpool have been handed a health boost as Sadio Mane and Thiago Alcantara are back in training after quarantining for contacting coronavirus.

Liverpool are coming off of a massive defeat to Aston Villa, while their crosstown rivals are sitting at the top of the table.

The return of Mane and Alcantara should provide a significant boost for Liverpool. Diogo Jota did a solid job filling in for Mane, but he does not have the same psychic connection with his strike partners Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah just yet, Mane will likely slot back into his starting role.

“Everton is a massive club, the reality hit with a lot of the players that we’ve got a world class manager and, as players, if we’re not delivering then they can bring someone else in who can do a job,” said defender Michael Keane.

Saturday features another mouth-watering clash with the meeting of Manchester City and Arsenal in the earlyevening kick-off. Once again, Gunners manager Mikel Arteta will pit his wits against former boss Pep Guardiola and look to continue his growth as a leader of a major club.

One of the top matches to look out for in Laliga sees Barcelona head to the Coliseum Alfonso Perez to take on Getafe also on Saturday 17, October, a meeting of two teams which have made promising starts to the season and will be looking to keep up their momentum.