Everton host Liverpool on Sunday when both Merseyside rivals finally resume Premier League action after more than three months, and the city derby is expected to be feisty despite the absence of fans.
An empty Goodison Park will witness its first-ever Merseyside derby, and both sets of players will be raring to go.
The Brazilian has reminded everyone of how he has already dribbled past the Reds star, and both players will definitely keep an eye out an each other on Sunday.
“People talk a lot about him, yes he is a great defender but I’ve already dribbled past him,” Richarlison said of Van Dijk in an interview with famous Brazil YouTube channel Desimpedidos.
“He was chosen as one of the top three in the world as he had an excellent season. But yes, for me there are better defenders. Thiago Silva, Marquinhos and Sergio Ramos.”
Trolling Liverpool’s most important player ahead of the derby is a very risky thing to do given that it could backfire, but the Everton star appears more than ready to prove himself against the Premier League’s best defender.
Richarlison has scored 10 league goals and assisted three others in 27 games this term, and he is one of the threats Van Dijk will look to put a leash on on Sunday.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin is another one, and the 13-goal man will be very keen to lead his side to their first victory in the Merseyside derby since 2010.
It has been 21 failed attempts at victory for Everton since then, and they were handed a 5-2 drubbing at Anfield in the league in December before getting knocked out of the FA Cup by a second-string Liverpool side a month later.
Not many Everton fans will be confident of their chances of even getting a draw against Jurgen Klopp’s side, but Richarlison will fancy a victory.
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