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Slot expressed anticipation over the booming atmosphere Goodison Park generates during the fixture historically and asserted that his side would need to be absolutely focused on the task at hand.
Liverpool’s manager Arne Slot waves before the English FA Cup fourth round soccer match between Plymouth Argyle and Liverpool at Home Park stadium in Plymouth, England, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Liverpool boss Arne Slot will make his first trip to the Goodison Park as the Reds take on cross-town rivals Everton on Wednesday in the Premier League. The Toffees have done well to pull off nine draws at home against their rivals in the last dozen encounters and look much improved following the return of Toffees’ icon David Moyes.
Everton could prove to be a stern test for table-toppers Liverpool who stand atop the points table with a six-point cushion over closest-placed Arsenal with a game in hand.
Slot expressed anticipation over the booming atmosphere Goodison Park generates during the fixture historically and asserted that his side would need to be absolutely focused on the task at hand.
“It’s probably going to be a fantastic atmosphere and that’s never easy to play against because every single time they cross the half-way line or they get a corner kick or whatever happens, the fans will cheer for that,” Slot began.
“And then you have to be mentally really strong as an away team to resist all that complete atmosphere and you still have to be focused on what you have to do, defending the corner kick, defending the set-piece, and when you have the ball, be as calm as you can in this fantastic atmosphere,” the 46-year-old added.
“I assume our players are ready for another battle tomorrow, for the simple reason that they’ve been ready for the whole season,” the Dutchman said.
Everton come into the fixture on the back of a three-game winning streak and Slot called on his players to enter the fixture with an opening intensity befitting the derby.
“Every time you play against a team that wants to fight with you, and that’s almost every time we play against any opponent, but maybe this one even more, you have to be ready for that,” the Liverpool boss said.
“So you have to run just as much, you have to be just as intense in tackles. Not going across the line, but be cool enough to play a good and firm tackle. And that’s where it starts and then nine out of 10 times, after 10, 15, 20 minutes, a game settles down a bit, and then you can start to think even more about playing football,” Slot explained.
Liverpool’s quadruple ambitions were halted as second-tier Plymouth Argyle knocked the much-changed Reds out of the FA Cup and Slot rallied his men to return to their lofty standards as they go chasing the PL crown in the Dutchman’s first season at the helm of the Merseyside club.
“There was a wise man that once said to me ‘Nothing good comes from losing a football game’, and I completely agree,” said Slot.
“We have to show a different side of us tomorrow, because it wasn’t only the result, the performance was far from what Liverpool standards are as well,”
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