Dramatic new Merseyside Derby date resolved with Everton and Liverpool fixtures confirmed

The 244^th Merseyside Derby has been rescheduled for Wednesday April 24 (8pm kick-off), avoiding the prospect of Everton facing Liverpool in the final week of the Premier League season.

The game at Goodison Park was originally set to be played last Sunday but was postponed because of Liverpool’s FA Cup quarter-final commitments against Manchester United. As the ECHO highlighted last month, the potential for a late showdown between the two rivals from across Stanley Park was a realistic proposition.

Joe Thomas wrote: “Premier League planners are now assessing the fixture list for a new date and, with the season entering its final third, spare days are at a premium. Availability is largely dependent on Liverpool’s record in the Europa League.

“Should they reach the semi-finals of that competition then just two midweek slots are available. The most likely to be selected is in late April, but until that is confirmed the only other clear possibility is the final week of the campaign.”

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However, the earlier date has now been agreed upon, avoiding the prospect of Everton’s final home game and Liverpool’s final away game of the 2023/24 season being against each other in a clash that could potentially have had huge ramifications on both title and relegation issues going into the last day.

The decision means that Everton will now finish next month with three consecutive home games in the space of a week with changes also being made to the times of their matches either side of the Merseyside Derby which has been slotted in between. The match against Nottingham Forest will now be a 1:30pm kick-off on