Premier League: Everton will be allowed to host rivals Liverpool at Goodison Park, says city's deputy mayor Wendy Simon

Everton will be allowed to host city rival Liverpool at Goodison Park instead of playing at a neutral venue when the rivals meet on 21 June.

Police had initially believed the Merseyside derby could not be staged in Liverpool because of fears that fans would congregate outside.

Premier League games will take place without fans for the rest of the season because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Ground Safety Advisory Group in Liverpool says Anfield and Goodison Park can now be used for Liverpool and Everton matches.

Liverpool could clinch the trophy by beating Everton if Manchester City loses to Arsenal on 17 June.

Liverpool Deputy Mayor Wendy Simon says “we are confident the measures in place will allow the matches to be held behind closed doors without any detrimental impact to all concerned and recommend to the city council that the safety certificates for both grounds be amended to allow this to happen.”