Everton could unleash new secret weapon against Liverpool with one huge tactical change

Everton are looking to make a major statement when they travel to Anfield to face rivals Liverpool on Saturday, and David Moyes could deploy a new tactic to stun the Reds.

The Toffees have got off to a good start this season, picking up seven points from four Premier League matches so far, leaving them sixth in the table.

Everton were unlucky not to beat Aston Villa last weekend after dominating large portions of the game, but ultimately had to settle for a 0-0 draw.

The clash against Liverpool will undoubtedly be Moyes’ toughest test so far this season. The Reds have won all four of their league games, winning each of those matches with goals in the final 10 minutes. They also picked up a win in the Champions League on Wednesday, beating Atletico Madrid 3-2 thanks to a 92nd-minute Virgil van Dijk goal.

Liverpool will be confident ahead of the Merseyside derby, but Everton have every right to be, too. And Moyes could opt to hand two exciting summer signings their first starts and change the position of one of their most effective players: Iliman Ndiaye.

Ndiaye has injected new life into Everton’s attack since joining from Marseille last summer. Last season, he thrived on the left wing, but has featured on the right wing this term to allow Jack Grealish to play on the left.

The 25-year-old has proven that he can be effective on the right flank – the position he often plays for Senegal – scoring two league goals so far. But this Saturday, could we see him start as a striker at Anfield?

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Ndiaye has proven himself as a striker before

One thing Everton lack at the moment is a clinical centre-forward. Beto has notched one goal this term, but he missed a couple of big chances against Villa, which could have changed the result.

Summer signing Thierno Barry, meanwhile, has started once this term but the 22-year-old hasn’t really found himself with a big chance in front of goal to open his account for the Toffees.

That is why we could potentially see Moyes take a risk by deploying Ndiaye as a striker instead.

The Senegalese star has played 49 times as a striker in his career, during stints with Sheffield United and Marseille. Ndiaye has also appeared 16 times in a second striker role.

Across those games, Ndiaye has notched a combined 17 goals and 15 assists, therefore averaging 0.65 goal contributions per match when playing in those positions.

While Beto remains highly regarded by Moyes and Barry is considered a talented and capable player, using Ndiaye up front could potentially help give them the edge when they face Liverpool.

Should Ndiaye start up front, another Everton summer signing, Tyler Dibling, could potentially make his first start for the club on the right-back.

Elsewhere on the pitch, James Garner looks likely to start out-of-position as a left-back again due to Vitaliy Mykolenko’s recent injury worries.

The next question is whether Tim Iroegbunam starts in midfield again, as he did against Villa, or if new signing Merlin Rohl gets the nod in the middle of the park after his impressive cameo last weekend.

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Potential Everton XI with Ndiaye position change