Wednesday night will bring a surreal meeting with Rafa Benitez at Goodison Park, and the ex-Liverpool boss saw his Everton side endure a deflating result three days before.
The Reds cross Stanley Park in midweek to take on Benitez’s Everton, and though the Spaniard has now been in his role for five months, it will still be a strange occasion.
It will not be the first time Liverpool have been reunited with Benitez in the opposite dugout, but given he is now managing their city rivals, there will be a tinge to the atmosphere.
Jurgen Klopp‘s side enjoyed the perfect warmup to their derby visit on Saturday as they tanked Southampton on their way to a 4-0 victory.
Liverpool have now won their last three games to a combined score of 10-0, and are keeping up the pace at the top of the Premier League behind Chelsea and Man City.
Meanwhile, Everton are in miserable form ahead of the meeting, suffering a 1-0 loss to Brentford on Sunday afternoon for their sixth defeat in 13 league games.
A strike from lifelong Reds supporter Ivan Toney gave Brentford the win, with the Bees edging it despite Everton having more possession and considerably more shots on goal.
Everton are now six games without a win, losing four of those, with their last victory in September – a 2-0 home win over Norwich, which remains their only win in the last nine games in all competitions.
Pressure is mounting on Benitez as he reaches the halfway mark in his first season back on Merseyside, with a very ordinary side at his disposal.
There is a case, of course, of form not applying in the Merseyside derby, and Liverpool will be wary of letting their standards slip at Goodison.
Klopp, meanwhile, is cautious of an overly aggressive approach from the Blues, as he told Sky Sports after Saturday’s win at Anfield.
“It’s always a completely different game, so I really very often don’t like the intensity of the game,” he said.
“It’s too much for me. I like physical football, I have no problem with that, we play that, other teams play that, but in that game very often people put too much in.
“I can’t say it’s my favourite game of the year to be honest, because of that.
“But we have the chance to watch Everton tomorrow, we will prepare for the game and will try to make a normal but good football game.”
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