Premier League: Merseyside derby could be held at Goodison Park

According to the latest reports, Liverpool has been cleared to play their home games at Anfield when the Premier League season restarts. On the other hand, the Merseyside derby between Liverpool and Everton could be held at Goodison Park stadium.

The match, which is scheduled to be held on June 21, could be the moment wherein the Reds can officially clinch the title after a long wait of 30 years. Liverpool is currently 25 points clear on top of the Premier League table.

However, their win alone won't guarantee the trophy for now, as second-placed Manchester City must also lose their first match on June 17 against Arsenal at home to ensure Liverpool's title victory.

The 2019-20 Premier League season was suspended back in March because of the novel coronavirus pandemic. The encounter between Liverpool and Everton was being considered as one of the risky games because of fears that groups of fans might congregate outside the stadium.

Previously, Southampton's St Mary's was considered to be a potential neutral venue for the Merseyside derby. However, after a series of inspections, Liverpool's ground safety advisory group has recommended that both Liverpool and Everton could play their remaining home games "safely and securely" behind closed doors at their respective stadiums.

The group that decided to grant Goodison Park permission to play matches included representatives from the city police, fire service, and both clubs' fan groups. The ground safety advisory group's chairman, Wendy Simon, who is a councillor and Liverpool City Council's deputy mayor, revealed that there is "no evidence" supporters would congregate.

It is expected that a safety certificate would be handed over to the ground officials by the relevant licensing committee soon.

Spirit of Shankly and Blue Union, the supporters' groups for Liverpool and Everton respectively, released a joint statement, which reads, "Building on the community work both sets of fans continue to do throughout this pandemic, we are confident that supporters of these two great clubs will respect safety advice about avoiding visiting stadiums where home and away fixtures are taking place. We fully understand the importance of lockdown as a measure to control COVID-19 and would encourage fans to stay away from any stadium and avoid congregating in numbers."

Previously, the Merseyside Police had said that they had "no objections" to matches being played at Goodison Park. Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson, who had initially opposed the proposal of organising matches at the venue, has now reversed his opinion.