With Liverpool boasting home advantage and phenomenal attacking form, it would be naive to expect anything other than a defensive, attritional performance from Sam Allardyce’s Everton on Sunday.
The Toffees are still regaining their confidence after a poor start to the season that cost Ronald Koeman his job and Allardyce has forged a career from finding ways to frustrate more offensive-minded sides.
While that may well play into Liverpool’s hands should Everton allow themselves to become boxed in at Anfield, the visitors can take inspiration from the fact Craig Pawson has been appointed to referee Sunday’s clash – with one statistic particularly standing out.
Indeed, Everyon have committed the most fouls of any Premier League side this season, averaging 13.2 per match, and physical challenges that disrupt the rhythm of the opposition will inevitably play a key role if Everton are to pull off a defiant defensive display against their local rivals this weekend.
Conveniently, then, only two referees have awarded less fouls per match than Pawson this season, highlighting a leniency that Allardyce’s side will need to take advantage of if they’re to come out on top this weekend.
Perhaps more important, though, is that Pawson looks set to allow the kind of physical and aggressive game befitting of the Merseyside derby. Everton and Liverpool rank fourth and fifth respectively for tackles in the Premier League this season and they’ll be putting in even more challenges than usual in such a bitter, rivalry-fuelled affair.
Although there are more lenient referees than Pawson, ranking in the bottom half from the 18 to work in the top flight this term for fouls per match, fouls per tackle, yellow cards per game and penalties per game suggests he’ll allow for the rough and feisty local derby most neutrals want to see.
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