Everton manager David Moyes has heaped praise on Liverpool boss Arne Slot but has urged his players to “put on a spectacle” when they host their local rivals in the Merseyside derby on Wednesday night.
It will be the last meeting between the two sides at Goodison Park ahead of Everton’s move to their new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock next season. Liverpool are six points clear at the top of the Premier League with a game in hand, while Everton are 16th in the table.
However, Everton won this fixture 2-0 last season and Moyes believes his team can harness the power of Goodison to help get a result on Wednesday night.
“It’s been a while since my last Merseyside derby but they’ve always been difficult games over my years,” he told a news conference on Tuesday. “Liverpool have always been a tough opponent. At Goodison it always felt a lot easier because we had the support of a fantastic crowd and this time will be no different.
“Of course we want to win. Let’s put it into perspective, the most important thing is that we get points to keep us in the Premier League. It’s a big game. I’m looking forward to it now and hopefully the players will be ready as well.”
The clash was initially slated to take place in December, before being postponed due to Storm Darragh. Since then, Moyes has replaced Sean Dyche as manager, returning to club where he previously spent more than a decade at the helm between 2002 and 2013.
“I think the gap between the two teams at the moment is as big as it’s been for a long time,” Moyes said. “That’s something I have to do, try and bridge that gap and bring my club closer to their club. Liverpool are a good guide because if you’re finishing above Liverpool then you’re probably winning the league.
“They had a fantastic coach in Jürgen Klopp who made Liverpool so good for so many years. You saw how often they were competing with Manchester City for titles and cups.
“I think most people will be amazed at just how well Arne Slot has done coming in after Jürgen. He’s done a great job, which is hard to say when you’re sitting in this seat, but he’s done a great job. He’s done it very smoothly and he has got the team playing well.”
On the prospect of it being the last Merseyside derby at Goodison Park, Moyes added: “Goodison is always a very difficult, intimidating atmosphere. It’s a difficult place to play.
“I’ve had some great nights here as a manager. I hope I’ve got some more still to come this season. The supporters have always played a huge part. They’ve had a difficult period but hopefully they can see a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel.
“We’ve not got many games left and I know everyone in the stadium is doing their best to make it memorable for everyone who watches football. We want to put on a great spectacle at Goodison and hopefully a good game.”
