Everton will make the short trip to Anfield tonight for the Merseyside Derby meeting in the Premier League against Liverpool and Sean Dyche will be hoping his team can carry their confidence from last weekend’s victory over Arsenal into the clash.
The Toffees could escape the relegation zone if they can snatch all three points from their bitter rivals which would be an incredible achievement considering it would only be their fifth win of the season, but not an impossible task considering Liverpool have suffered three defeats in their last four outings.
As a result, Dyche must put out his strongest attacking threat available which could be difficult considering Dominic Calvert-Lewin may be unavailable for selection following a hamstring concern this week.
However, the newly-appointed manager could have a secret weapon in Demarai Gray who could cause chaos for Liverpool with his undeniable pace and attacking talents.
Will Demarai Gray start against Liverpool?
Indeed, the experienced left winger was left on the bench in the 1-0 victory at Goodison Park over Arsenal but there is no doubt that Gray has been one of the better performers in the squad over the campaign so far.
Over 20 league appearances, Gray has scored three goals, registered one assist and created three big chances, as well as averaging 1.9 shots on goal, 1.3 key passes and 3.4 duels won per game, proving that despite Everton’s troubles he has been a reliable threat in front of goal.
The £25k-per-week dynamo – who was signed for just £1.7m in 2021 – has been the recipient of high praise from Premier League legend Rio Ferdinand who dubbed Gray “unbelievable” when reflecting on his displays so far this season:
“Demarai Gray’s the only one. Unbelievable find. He’s the one, in recent weeks anyway. He hasn’t done it over the course of the whole season, but in recent weeks, he’s been the one.”
Not only that, Gray has experienced a number of Merseyside Derby with a sound understanding of the heated outing – tallying up 10 appearances, three wins, two draws and one goal.
With that being said, unleashing the Everton forward could be a master move for Dyche tonight in his efforts to take the pressure off Everton in their battle for survival over the remainder of the season.
