Arne Slot has said Liverpool must be smarter in the 245th Merseyside derby having played into Everton’s hands on their last visit to Goodison Park.
Slot prepared for his first derby as Liverpool head coach by analysing last season’s 2-0 defeat at Goodison, which in effect extinguished Jürgen Klopp’s hopes of winning the Premier League title. The Dutchman was struck by the amount of free-kicks Liverpool conceded that night and insisted there should be no repeat against a Sean Dyche team that are dangerous at set pieces.
“You need to be aggressive if you go over there because they will be aggressive as well but you need to be aggressive in a smart way,” said Slot, who will be without Alisson again on Saturday. “Last season we were very aggressive when we went over there because I watched the game back yesterday. After half an hour I was a bit surprised because Liverpool had the ball most of the time and there were 10 fouls made by Liverpool players and only one by an Everton player. So we have to be aggressive but in a smart way, especially because they are a big threat from set pieces.
“Every time we give away an unnecessary free-kick that is not smart. Be aggressive, but in a concentrated and smart way. If you want to have a chance to win you have to be very aggressive, you have to run a lot and that is one of their strengths as well. They are a very hard-working team so if you want to talk about tactics you first have to match their work-rate and we have shown in all the games this season that we can. Everton work really hard and their fans will probably help them work even harder.”
Slot studied last season’s Goodison derby to get a feel for Dyche’s tactics and claimed the Liverpool performance was not quite as bad as Klopp portrayed. “The team can play better than they did over there but I always feel that the result comes in your mind first, second, third, fourth, and fifth,” he said. “I know how it works. They [Liverpool] had their chances. The reason I watched this game back was because the same manager is still there and our playing style is quite a lot the same and a lot of players are the same. So maybe we can expect something similar to what they did last season.”
Slot’s first Merseyside derby will be the final league meeting between Everton and Liverpool at Goodison Park, with the hosts relocating to Bramley Moore dock next season. The 46-year-old said it would be a historic occasion. “It is going to be special for everyone, for all the fans involved, for all the players and the managers,” said Slot. “To be part of it is already special and to be part of the last one at Goodison Park makes it even more special. But it is only a nice experience if the result goes your way. That is what we are focusing on most for this game.”
Fans have been advised to allow extra travel time and to heed weather warnings with winds of 60-70mph expected on Merseyside. The Met Office has issued an amber severe wind warning from 1am Saturday, that is expected to remain in place until 6am Sunday. Another safety assessment will be taken before the 12.30pm kick-off.
