Liverpool and Everton join forces with request to Premier League; both clubs have had an answer | OneFootball

It’s not very often that Liverpool and Everton fans are aligned with one another, but both sets of supporters might be collectively feeling a sense of frustration ahead of next week’s Merseyside derby.

Both teams resume their season with the battle for local bragging rights at Anfield on 2 April, seven weeks on from the tempestuous 2-2 draw in Goodison Park’s last-ever instalment of this timeless fixture.

Although the long-standing rivalry was laid bare that night with sharply contrasting emotions on either side of the divide, the two clubs joined forces in recent days on a mission which served the best interests of both.

Liverpool and Everton ask for Merseyside derby to be moved

As per the Daily Mail, Liverpool and Everton had asked for the upcoming derby to be brought forward by 24 hours to Tuesday 1 April, in order to give the Merseyside duo an extra day’s preparation for their respective fixtures the following weekend.

The Toffees have scant turnaround time between their next two matches, with the Anfield clash swiftly followed by a home game against the Reds’ title rivals Arsenal on Saturday 5th with a 12:30 kick-off.

However, the clubs’ joint-request was refused by the Premier League, apparently on the grounds that the Wednesday night scheduling doesn’t see either Arne Slot’s side or David Moyes’ play another match within the minimum permissible period of 60 hours.

(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Not the most ideal for either Liverpool or Everton

Liverpool have had a few instances of playing at 8pm on Wednesday and 12:30 the following Saturday, so Kopites may have a greater than usual degree of empathy with their Everton counterparts on this occasion.

Although the Reds don’t play again until 2pm on Sunday (Fulham away), they might’ve appreciated the derby being brought forward by 24 hours so that it’d be held simultaneously with Arsenal’s match against the Cottagers, rather than the night after.

In fact, the Gunners play before Slot’s side on all five Premier League matchdays in April, which gives the north Londoners the benefit of being able to close the gap on us before we take to the pitch and seems generously weighted in their favour.

The flip side of that equation is that, should Mikel Arteta’s team drop points next month, it gives Liverpool the boost of knowing that they have an opportunity to capitalise when their games come around.

With neither the Reds nor Everton playing this coming weekend due to both sides being eliminated from the FA Cup, there’s a longer than usual gap to the resumption of club duties after an international break, so moving the derby to the Tuesday night would’ve been welcome in this instance.

Alas, the Merseyside duo must get on with the Wednesday scheduling, when hopefully the Premier League leaders can assert their 14-place, 36-point superiority in the table by securing victory and taking a step closer to potential title glory!