LONDON – Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is looking forward to his last Merseyside derby as he rallies his players for their English Premier League clash at Everton on April 24.
The Reds head into the match at Goodison Park on the back of a fairly comfortable 3-1 victory over Fulham over the weekend, while the Toffees overcame relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest 2-0.
There are five matches left, and Klopp’s men are still locked in a tight three-way battle for the Premier League title with holders Manchester City and Arsenal.
With City busy on FA Cup semi-final duty on April 20 when they beat Chelsea 1-0, Liverpool’s win meant they moved up to second on 74 points and were tied with Arsenal.
But Mikel Arteta’s Gunners, who took on Chelsea on April 23 after press time, could be on 77 points with four games remaining should they beat the Blues.
City, on 73 points, have played 32 fixtures and take on Brighton & Hove Albion away on April 25. If Pep Guardiola’s men win all their remaining matches, they will be crowned champions again.
Liverpool’s fate is out of their hands, and Klopp is not focusing on the title race for now and is only plotting a way to beat Everton before he departs Anfield at the end of the season.
“Super important for us, that is clear,” he said on April 23.
“Again and again, it’s really important like all the other games. But we know about the importance (of the derby).
“My first derby was in 2016, but when you (first) come here I wouldn’t have said it was my game of the year. I knew it was for the fans but didn’t feel it then. But now I know it and feel it, my understanding developed over the years.
“They are always difficult games, especially there. We have to give it a proper try.”
When asked about what is so tough about the derby, the German added: “The intensity. Goodison Park can create quite a good atmosphere. At Everton, if you play Liverpool it’s much more than three points and that’s the way everybody sees it there.”
But there are many positives for Liverpool and signs that this could be another easy victory.
By scoring against Fulham at Craven Cottage, the Reds have now netted in 20 matches in a row on the road and should not be deterred by the task at Everton.
Liverpool have also lost just one of their last 26 Premier League games against their city rivals, winning 12 and drawing 13, and have clinched victory in four of the last five – while keeping clean sheets in the last four.
To make matters worse for Everton, the Toffees are winless in their previous 12 league home games against Liverpool, drawing nine and losing three, which is their longest run without a home win against any opponents.
Klopp’s men will hope to take advantage, while the Liverpool boss also urged his men to “win all the games” in hopes of winning the Premier League title come May.
“This is the last part of the season, it’s not about playing the freshest football of the year, that would be strange, but you have to win games and I think we know how to do that,” he said.
Klopp confirmed that Diogo Jota is injured again and “will be out for two weeks”. Joel Matip, Ben Doak, Thiago Alcantara and Conor Bradley remain sidelined.
For Everton, Beto will miss the derby after a bad head injury in the Forest game, joining Lewis Dobbin, Dele Alli, Nathan Patterson and Seamus Coleman in the treatment room, while Dominic Calvert-Lewin is doubtful.
Despite their win over Forest, the Toffees’ Premier League survival is far from certain, but Sean Dyche’s 16th-placed team are above Forest, Luton Town and Burnley with a game in hand.
“We’re not (mathematically safe), but we took another important step forward,” the manager said.
“Each step that we make is only a step and there are lots more steps to make this season.”
