Three Premier League referees will be unavailable for Everton vs Liverpool this Sunday owing to conflict-of-interest regulations. Under league rules, officials must disclose any club connections to the PGMOL, ensuring they are not appointed to fixtures involving teams they support or have significant local ties to.
This policy is intended to maintain impartiality in high-profile games. Consequently, Peter Bankes, Rob Jones and Jarred Gillett will not be eligible to officiate the match at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Bankes originates from Merseyside, Jones is from the Wirral and Gillett is a declared Liverpool supporter, excluding all three from consideration for this weekend's Merseyside derby. Instead, Chris Kavanagh - from Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester and a supporter of non-league Droylsden - will take charge.
Liverpool enter the fixture looking to bounce back after being knocked out of the Champions League by PSG in midweek. A 2-0 defeat to the European champions at Anfield on Tuesday confirmed a chastening 4-0 aggregate loss, effectively guaranteeing a trophy-less campaign for Arne Slot's side.
Their attention now turns to securing a spot in next season's Champions League. Liverpool are currently fifth in the Premier League and with five English teams set to qualify, they must keep ahead of the chasing group.
One of those challengers is Everton, who sit five points back in eighth. David Moyes' side are in strong form, winning three of their last five league matches, including a convincing 3-0 victory over Chelsea.
A win for Everton would reduce the gap to just two points and could lift them as high as sixth, strengthening their European push - 21 years after Moyes nearly guided Everton into Europe's top competition in 2005, when they finished fourth but were later knocked out in the qualifying rounds.
It would also be only Everton's second Merseyside derby victory since February 2021. Liverpool have largely controlled the fixture in recent years, winning six of the last nine meetings.
Their latest meeting at Anfield in September finished as a 2-1 win for Liverpool, with goals from Ryan Gravenberch and Hugo Ekitike deeming Idrissa Gueye's second-half goal for Everton a mere consolation.
Chris Kavanagh will be the man in the middle on Sunday
Everton's only win in the past five years came in April 2024, a 2-0 success in what was Jurgen Klopp's final Merseyside derby. Goals from Jarrad Branthwaite and Dominic Calvert-Lewin secured the result, which also effectively ended Liverpool's title hopes.
Three points for Liverpool on Sunday could move them up to fourth place, depending on the result of Aston Villa's clash with Sunderland. They will be without Hugo Ekitike, who is sidelined until 2027 with a serious Achilles injury. However, Alexander Isak's recent return from a long spell out should help ease their attacking concerns.
With so much at stake, Sunday's derby is shaping up to be one of the most significant in recent years, with Liverpool fighting to secure a top-five finish and Everton sensing a rare chance to close the gap and reignite their European ambitions.
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