In his pre-match press conference, Liverpool manager Arne Slot spoke about the atmosphere at Goodison Park, though he was quick to place it below that of Anfield.
For him, several factors will make this match and its atmosphere truly special—chief among them, the fact that it will be the last Merseyside derby ever played at Goodison Park.
However, Slot couldn’t resist bringing up the last derby, taking aim at what he perceived as officiating that was overly favourable to the Toffees.
“I’ve seen last season’s game, for example, and I think we were quite ready because after 10 minutes, the referee had already blown his whistle 11 times—10 of them in favour of Everton. The Liverpool players were ready to compete, but every time they touched them, it was a free kick.”
Matching the intensity of the game is one thing, but playing within the rules is another.
We all know that these kinds of comments are nothing new from Arne Slot, particularly before high-stakes matches. The Liverpool manager has made a habit of such remarks. But blaming the referees always seems to be the easier option rather than addressing his own team’s shortcomings.
Liverpool have just been knocked out of the FA Cup by Plymouth, exposing some of their vulnerabilities ahead of a match as crucial as the Merseyside derby.
Meanwhile, Moyes and his players fully understand the importance of this fixture, which goes far beyond simply securing three points. It’s about making a statement and riding the momentum of their recent positive results.