'People tell me' - Liverpool boss Arne Slot makes Goodison Park atmosphere claim ahead of Everton clash

Liverpool manager Arne Slot will get his first and final taste of a Merseyside derby at Goodison Park as Everton prepare to head to their new home on Bramley Moore Dock next season.

The Dutchman replaced Jurgen Klopp in the Anfield hot-seat following the German’s departure from the Reds but he has yet to take charge of a game against the Toffees. The original fixture was postponed due to adverse weather conditions back in December but the two rivals will finally come to blows on Wednesday.

It could prove to be a decisive evening in the Premier League title race with Liverpool knowing they will go nine points clear of Arsenal in second with a win. Everton have enjoyed a strong uplift in form since David Moyes’ return to the club and are now nine points clear of the bottom three and virtually out of the relegation battle.

Slot discusses Goodison Park atmosphere

Ahead of the clash at Goodison, Slot admitted he was expecting the atmosphere to be ramped up a notch as the sides meet in front of the Gwladys Street Stand for the final time. Liverpool lost on their last visit across Stanley Park while they have found wins hard to come by in the last number of seasons. They did record a 4-1 victory in 2021.

Of it being the final derby at Goodison, Slot said: “I think it's an extra reason why the atmosphere will probably be even better than all the occasions before. I haven't been to one but people tell me at Goodison Park, as at Anfield, it's always a fantastic atmosphere. Home supporters are there to support their team and the away fans are mostly loud as well. It's probably going to be a fantastic atmosphere and that's never easy to play against because every single time they cross the halfway line, or they get a corner kick, or whatever happens, the fans will cheer for that.”

Winning the mental battle

On how he will ensure his side are ready to cope with the home fans, Slot continued: “You have to be mentally really strong as an away team to resist all that, the complete atmosphere, and you still have to be focused on what you have to do; defending the corner kick, defending the set-piece. When you have the ball, be as calm as you can in this fantastic atmosphere. But it's not the first time for these players that they are playing in atmospheres like this. I hope they can focus on what they have to do, but it's not only tactical, you also have to stand up to those emotions because I've noticed also in the Plymouth game that the intensity of the tackles and how aggressive they were, that was a quality of their players but it was definitely also because of the emotions in the stadium, so we have to be up for that.

“I've seen the game of last season, for example, I think we were quite ready because after 10 minutes the referee blew his whistle 11 times and 10 times in favour of Everton! The Liverpool players were ready to compete, but every time they touched them it was a freekick. I assume our players are ready for another battle tomorrow for the simple reason that they have been ready for the whole season and many of them are experienced for this tie.”

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