Liverpool head coach Arne Slot hopes his first-choice side will handle the emotion of Goodison Park’s final Merseyside derby better than the second string whose “unacceptable” performance resulted in them being dumped out of the FA Cup by Plymouth.
The Dutchman’s gamble in leaving out nine of the side who beat Tottenham to progress to the Carabao Cup final on Thursday resulted in a 1-0 defeat to the Championship’s bottom club on Sunday.
That starting XI still included nine senior squad players, including a forward line of Federico Chiesa, Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz, but they could not find a way to break down committed and organised opponents.
The likes of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo will all be back for Everton’s 122nd and final derby at their historic home, where the atmosphere is likely to be ramped up even more than usual.
“It should have an impact because if you are working at a club like this you should compete for every trophy. To lose against Plymouth is not acceptable,” said Slot of Liverpool’s cup exit.
“Now we have to show a different side of us because it wasn’t only the result but the performance was far from what Liverpool’s standards are as well.
“It is probably going to be a fantastic atmosphere and that is never easy to play against because every single time they cross the halfway line or get a corner the fans will cheer for that and then you have to be mentally really strong as an away team to resist all that.
“You still have to be focused on what you have to do: defending the corner, defending the set-piece and when you have the ball be as calm as you can.
“It is not the first time for these players playing in an atmosphere like this. I hope they can focus on what they have to do but it is not only tactical, you also have to stand up to those emotions.
“I noticed also in the Plymouth game the intensity of the tackles, how aggressive they were, was a quality of their players, but it was also definitely because of the emotions in the stadium, so we have to be up for that.”
Slot said his players needed to display “a cool head but not cool legs” in the cauldron of a Goodison derby, having lost there for the first time since 2010 last April.
“Every time you play against a team that wants to fight with you – and that is almost every time we play against any opponent but maybe this one even more – you have to be ready for that,” added the Dutchman, whose team could go nine points clear at the top of the table with victory.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Highlights from the Premier League match between Bournemouth and Liverpool
“You have to run just as much, be just as intense in tackles, not going across the line but being cool enough to play a good and firm tackle.
“That is where it starts and nine of 10 times after 10 or 15 minutes a game settles down a bit and then you can start to think even more about playing football.
“I have seen the game of last season, for example, and we were quite ready because after 10 minutes the referee had blown his whistle 11 times and 10 times it was in favour of Everton.
“The Liverpool players were ready to compete but every time they touched them it was a free-kick so I assume our players are ready for another battle for the simple reason they have been ready the whole season.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Highlights from the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur
Trent Alexander-Arnold has missed the last two matches with a minor injury but Slot is hopeful he could be available having returned to parts of training.
Fellow defender Joe Gomez is looking at another spell on the sidelines after suffering a recurrence of the hamstring injury which put him out for all of January.
Analysis: Slot calls for cool heads, not cool legs, for final Goodison derby
Sky Sports News reporter Vinny O’Connor at the AXA Training Centre:
“Arne Slot quoted a wise man who once said to him ‘nothing good comes from losing a football game’.
“That encapsulated his mood having already admitted that missing out on the chance to go for the quadruple, so early, should have an impact, because working at a club like this you should be competing for every trophy.
“He reiterated losing to Plymouth is unacceptable and so now, in the Merseyside derby, they have to show a different side because the result and performance were far from the standards expected.
Both sides are tied on 41 wins at the famous old stadium and given the emotion there will be among the home support at least, Slot is calling for cool heads, but not cool legs.
“The team he fielded, of course, was very different as well. At Goodison Park we can expect to see Mo Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahim Konate, Alisson, Andy Robertson, Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai or Curtis Jones return to the starting line-up at the very least.
“Trent Alexander-Arnold will also train ahead of the game and a decision as to whether or not he’s ready to return will be taken from there.
“Joe Gomez is definitely out and there’s concern around the fact that he’s suffered another hamstring injury in the same leg, having only just returned.
“Aside from that, Slot again has the best part of a fully-fit squad to choose from for the last Goodison Park Merseyside derby.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Everton dented Liverpool’s Premier League title bid when beating Jurgen Klopp’s side 2-0 at Goodison in April
“Both sides are tied on 41 wins at the famous old stadium and given the emotion there will be among the home support at least, Slot is calling for cool heads, but not cool legs.
“So calmness of mind while maintaining the intensity of work-rate and commitment is key, and even though Liverpool have a six-point advantage at the top of the Premier League, the Dutchman believes they can’t slow down.
“He says: ‘You cannot have a few games where you are not on top of your game. Because then all of a sudden another team catches you up. That’s what the Premier League is, that’s why it’s such an exciting league and such a beautiful league to work in’.”
