View: Toffees fan fave features in Everton and Liverpool combined XI

James Garner makes my combined Everton and Liverpool XI ahead of this Sunday’s Merseyside derby.

Few Premier League fixtures get the excitement levels going more than a Merseyside derby.

It’s one of English football’s great games, dividing families and playing host to some of the most memorable moments in the league’s history.

There is much debate over who is the favourite coming into Sunday’s latest renewal, with Everton in strong form whilst Liverpool have four defeats from their last five.

Hill Dickinson Stadium will write it’s opening chapter of this rivalry too when hosting its first Merseyside derby, but which Everton and Liverpool players make my combined XI?

James Tarkowski in Everton and Liverpool combined defence

Working through this combined XI by defence, midfield and lastly attack, let’s start from the back and work our way up: for context, I’ve picked this team solely based on what they’ve done this season.

Between the sticks I’ve gone with Jordan Pickford. The Everton shot-stopper has once again proven he’s one of the best in the Premier League, whilst Allison hasn’t been at his best this term and Giorgi Mamardashvili has played only seven league games.

At right-back, Jeremie Frimpong makes the team. The 25-year-old hasn’t been amazing for Liverpool this season, but I can’t take any of Jake O’Brien, Nathan Patterson or Seamus Coleman over him, respectfully.

Meanwhile at left-back, I’ve gone with Milos Kerkez. Again, the Hungarian hasn’t been superb for the Reds, but he’s taken the starting job from Andy Robertson and I can’t justify picking Vitalii Mykolenko over him either.

Filling my two centre-back spots was the toughest part of the defence, as you can make a case for a number of players here.

In the end, I’ve settled on Virgil van Dijk and James Tarkowski, although I think the latter and Michael Keane are fairly interchangeable here.

Tarkowski has rivalled Van Dijk for defensive stats this season, and I haven’t been overly impressed with Ibrahima Konate in 2025-26.

And, whilst Van Dijk, in my opinion, has taken a step backwards this year as well, I still think he’s been good enough to edge in over Keane and Jarrad Branthwaite.

Although, I do need to say that if Branthwaite had played a full season, I’m sure he would’ve been in over Van Djik based off his recent performances, but I can’t include him on a nine-league game sample size.

Garner claims midfield spot in Everton and Liverpool combined XI

Moving into midfield, this was the toughest department of this combined XI to fill.

Starting with my two central midfield positions, I’ve gone with Dominik Szoboszlai and Garner.

Szoboszlai is likely to be named Liverpool’s player of the season, and had to be in this team, and whilst Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch are quality players, I do feel Garner has had a better season than both.

Everton’s 37 has pulled the strings for the Toffees this term, and his six assists and two goals from 32 Premier League games have been a just reward for his consistent eight out of 10 performance levels.

On the left wing, Iliman Ndiaye has to be in for me. Cody Gakpo was his main competition here, and the two both have six league goals this season, with Ndiaye registering three assists and Gakpo four respectively.

However, based on the importance to their respective team, I feel Ndiaye and his contributions are considerably more valuable to Everton than Gakpo is to Liverpool.

Jack Grealish would’ve had a big shout too had he been able to stay fit, and probably would’ve rivalled Ndiaye more than Gakpo.

On the right, I just couldn’t leave out Mohamed Salah. He’s not been at his world-class best for Liverpool this term, but Dwight McNeil hasn’t done enough to get in over him.

Then in the number 10 role, again based off what they’ve done this season, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is in the team.

His seven goals and three assists have seen him enjoy a career year at Hill Dickinson Stadium, and that’s a better return than Florian Wirtz’s four goals and three assists as well as Mac Allister’s two goals and two assists respectively.

Liverpool striker leads the line in Everton combined XI

And so, to complete this combined XI, we now have to find our centre-forward.

Everton’s main contender is Beto, with seven goals and one assist from 32 league games, whilst Liverpool present a hand containing Gakpo, Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike.

For me, Beto only has a stronger case than Isak for what they’ve done this season, so then it’s down to Gakpo and Ekitike.

So, despite his recent devastating Achilles injury, his 11 goals and four assists from 28 games grants Ekitike the honour of leading the line in my combined XI – I’m sure that’s what he put the hours in as a youngster to achieve.

Complete Everton/Liverpool combined XI: GK Pickford, RB Frimpong, LB Kerkez, CB’s Van Dijk, Tarkowski; CM’s Garner, Szoboszlai, RW Salah, LW Ndiaye, CAM Dewsbury-Hall; ST Ekitike

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