Winning Merseyside Derby, Liverpool Could Be Premier League Champions in April

LIVERPOOL, THURSDAY – After sinking into disappointment in the last two games in March that wiped out their treble winner ambitions, Liverpool are on the road to revival in the first match of April. If nothing goes wrong, “The Reds” have a great chance of securing the Premier League title this month.

Liverpool's cycle of good fortune seemed to take a turn when they were eliminated by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, followed by a 1-2 defeat to Newcastle United in the English League Cup final. However, the Liverpool squad demonstrated their championship mentality when they hosted Everton on Thursday (3/4/2025) early morning Western Indonesian Time at Anfield Stadium.

Liverpool managed to return to winning ways with a 1-0 victory in the second Merseyside derby of the 2024-2025 season. Not only did they secure a win, but Arne Slot's squad also ended their streak of conceding goals in the previous three matches.

The decisive winning goal from forward Diogo Jota in the 57th minute was enough to secure three points for Liverpool. They maintained a 12-point lead over Arsenal at the top of the standings.

Jota considers the victory in the Merseyside derby to be massively significant for Liverpool. According to Jota, it is important to get back on the winning track after the international break.

"It's important to start again with three points. Hopefully this result gives us momentum for the rest of the season. The only way (to win the title) is to win the remaining games," Jota told Sky Sports.

With eight matches remaining in the English Premier League, consisting of four games each in April and May, the Reds have their best opportunity to secure their second league title in the Premier League era before the month changes.

Liverpool's four matches in April are away games against Fulham and Leicester City. Then, two home games at Anfield against West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur.

The certainty of Liverpool's early league title was also aided by their superiority in goal difference over Arsenal. As of the 30th week, Liverpool recorded a surplus of 43 goals, while Arsenal had a surplus of 30 goals. The English Premier League prioritizes goal difference to determine the standings of two teams with equal points.

If Liverpool fail to secure the title in April, their chances of securing the league title will be at least in week 35. Liverpool will host Arsenal at Anfield on May 10.

English Premier League champion optimism has echoed throughout Anfield as the Merseyside derby draws to a close. Liverpool supporters can be heard chanting in unison, "We're gonna win the league," until all the players enter the dressing room tunnel.

Liverpool's center-back and captain Virgil van Dijk stressed that the fate of the Premier League title is already in the hands of the Red squad. Although mathematically Liverpool need at least 12 points to win the title, Van Dijk said that winning is not always easy.

"Every team wants to be in our position. Now it's time for us to keep going and keep the same mentality that we've shown all season. We've got a tough game in London on Sunday (against Fulham)," Van Dijk told Sky Sports.

In the first half, Everton had two chances. However, bad luck befell striker Beto, so he failed to change the score for the visitors.

Beto had the Toffees supporters cheering in the 20th minute thanks to his header that shook the Liverpool net. However, the goal was immediately disallowed because Beto was caught offside by the Reds' center-back duo, Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk. A check by the video assistant referee (VAR) confirmed the linesman's decision was correct.

Thirteen minutes later, Beto was able to win the ball to outwit Konate. Beto was unable to beat Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, because his shot failed to enter the goal because it hit the post.

He could not believe he had failed to score against the home team. A similar gesture was also shown by Everton manager David Moyes on the sidelines.

Meanwhile, Liverpool got the best chance when the match was not even two minutes old. Through the first corner, Konate got the chance to put the ball into Everton's goal, but the French defender's header was off target.

The Reds' attacking trident of Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz failed to pose a real threat to Everton's defence in the first half. Only Jota had a chance to get a shot off in the 11th minute, but it was blocked by an Everton defender.

Jota's wait for a league goal since late January 2025 ended early in the second half. He scored after tricking two Everton defenders and finishing with a well-placed shot. It was the Portuguese striker's sixth goal in the Premier League this season.

In addition to delivering victory for his team, Jota also extended Moyes' curse at Anfield. Moyes has never led his four teams to victory in 22 Premier League visits to Liverpool's headquarters.

The record consists of 14 defeats and eight draws. In fact, the nine negative results were created in a row since handling Manchester United in the 2013-2014 season.

Moyes said Jota's goal should have been disallowed due to Diaz's offside position in the build-up. According to Moyes, Everton are capable of showing the quality of play to match Liverpool in the two Merseyside derbies in the 2024-2025 season.

"Liverpool played better and that's why they deserve to be top of the table, but we showed resilience to match them. It's a bit annoying when we get a result that we don't deserve," Moyes was quoted as saying by the BBC.