The anticipation for this Merseyside derby has been building, thanks to the international break and recent FA Cup fixtures. The previous encounter between Everton and Liverpool, along with the heated aftermath, has set up a tantalizing showdown at Anfield.
In the last such fixture at Goodison Park, Everton managed a last-minute draw against the Reds, courtesy of a powerful volley from James Tarkowski in the 98th minute. Beto had put the Blues ahead early on, but goals from Alexis Mac Allister and Mohamed Salah swung the game in favour of the Reds.
At the final whistle, Abdoulaye Doucoure taunted the visiting fans, triggering a furious response from Curtis Jones. Both players were shown red cards, and Liverpool’s head coach Arne Slot also received his marching orders after voicing his complaints to Michael Oliver about the refereeing.
Slot was apparently displeased that Everton’s late goal was allowed despite Beto’s contact with Ibrahima Konate in the penalty area, as well as the amount of added time. The dismissal of the Dutchman meant that no one was available to handle Liverpool’s post-match press duties – his assistant Sipke Hulshoff was also sent off after the final whistle.
This led to a delay in hearing Slot’s take on the tumultuous events. By then, the Dutchman had regained some of his usual composed demeanor. Reflecting on the heated moments of the match, Slot admitted: “What happened was the extra time additional five times it ended up being eight, the emotions got the better of me. If I could do that differently, I am hoping to do it differently next time as well.
“The players really stood up in a positive way. Mentally being so strong in those circumstances. If you don’t play your best game and part of our gameplan was to prevent them putting balls into our box but that’s hard when you concede 20 free-kicks.
“Apart from the first goal we conceded from a free-kick, I felt we defended that really well. Players showed they are more than just 11 quality players, they have great mentality in the most difficult of circumstances we have played in so far (under him).”
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Meanwhile, David Moyes, who has seen many a Merseyside derby, remained composed amidst the chaos. In his post-match press conference, he offered a sympathetic view of Slot’s actions.
“I actually feel a little bit for Arne Slot,” he said. “When I was a younger manager I was always getting involved in heated things. But it also tells me a little bit he cares a lot about his club and he’s fighting for his players. Everybody has to do what they have to do and he was doing that for his team. I’ve had plenty of moments, let me tell you, that I’m not proud of. But we all have to fight for our own team.”
Both managers have been doing a fantastic job for their respective teams this season, and it’s expected that the mutual respect will be evident when they meet the press on Tuesday ahead of Wednesday’s match.
However, once the players step onto the pitch and the intensity rises, it wouldn’t be surprising to see that passion spill over to the touchline as well.
