Liverpool

Liverpool

Premier League • England

Klopp believes ‘massive’ Liverpool boost could hamper Everton; sends Benitez pressure message

Jurgen Klopp Liverpool

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has admitted that his side’s extra day of preparation for Wednesday’s Merseyside derby against Everton will serve them well.

The Reds come into the match at Goodison Park off the back of Saturday’s 4-0 hammering of Southampton at Anfield. That win marked their third in a row, by an aggregate scoreline of 10-0.

Everton, meanwhile, lost 1-0 to Brentford on Sunday. That was the second Premier League defeat in a row for the Toffees, who have won once in eight games.

Klopp insisted in his pre-match press conference that “previous form matters, especially when it’s good”, even in derby matches.

However, he also stressed that Liverpool know the experience of benefitting from an extra day of preparation, which could therefore hamper Everton.

“The extra day usually helps. When we have one day less we feel that,” the manager said.

“You only have the recovery day, actually the second recovery day is really important.

“But it’s difficult to train properly and then you play again. It makes a massive difference, so we will see.”

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Klopp noted that former Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez faces intense pressure at Everton amid their poor form.

Asked if he therefore has nothing to lose with the spotlight on the Spaniard against his former club, Klopp said: “Nothing to lose? I don’t think we can see it like that.

“There are three points at stake and we try to get them, but before you play it you cannot lose it. We just try to win it, it’s nothing to do with the special situation over their coach.”

In the corresponding fixture last season, Liverpool lost Virgil van Dijk and Thiago Alcantara to lengthy injury lay-offs. The fiery 2-2 draw also proved a controversial contest for Liverpool’s ruled-out winner late on.

Klopp talks Liverpool, Everton intensity

Thiago Liverpool Southampton November 2021

On the subject of keeping his players’ emotions in check, Klopp said: “That’s always important, in football you always need a cool head.

“We are still an emotional team, but you have to use the emotion in the right way and that’s the plan.”

As for the injury situation 13 months on from the 2-2 draw, Thiago and Van Dijk are back fit and in strong form.

However, Joe Gomez and Naby Keita are out, even if they are “not too far away from team training”, according to Klopp. Roberto Firmino needs “probably another week” as he recovers from his hamstring issue.

Curtis Jones is fully fit and in training. Still, Liverpool’s precaution over his eye injury continues to restrict the midfielder’s activity.