'Very special': Arne Slot says there's something he really loves about the fans when Liverpool face Everton
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Arne Slot believes the fans are what make Liverpool and Everton’s derby.
It is one of the most anticipated and dreaded fixtures on the list for fans from the city when the Merseyside Derby rolls around, and it is a very early one this season.
Liverpool will host the Blues at Anfield in the early kick-off on Saturday, with this being the third time Slot will have managed his title-winning side against the Toffees.
Last time at the ground, it was a successful outing for the Reds, who beat their rivals from the other side of the city 1-0 with a brilliant Diogo Jota goal to send them closer to the Premier League title.
But they had struggled to get the win in the final Goodison Park derby in one of the most fiercely contested in recent memory, with two red cards, a 2-2 draw, and a late equaliser from James Tarkowski.
The latter game will hopefully be a distant memory for the Dutchman’s side, considering they have a slightly different look to their side after a busy summer transfer window.
Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
It will be an interesting game given the form Liverpool have found themselves in, winning late on in all four of their matches this season, being the only team to remain undefeated in the top-flight this season.
This is a game that divides families and friend groups, and the rivalry can, at times, be very serious.
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However, Slot believes that how the fans deal with each other respectfully is something to be admired and is the ‘very special’ aspect of the derby he loves so much.
During his pre-match press conference, the Liverpool boss explained why he finds derby days in England much more enjoyable than in the Netherlands.
He said: “It differed to other derby days, what I like so much in England, no matter how much the rivalry is there with Everton, Newcastle, Man Utd,…the fans can be together, the 10 LFC shirts were standing with Newcastle fans I saw, which is impossible in Holland.
“That is something very special and I hope we can keep this here, the fans are so passionate but they respect each other as well.
Ajax v Feyenoord, away fans are not allowed anyway.
It makes it much nicer if both fans are there.”
The form is with the home side, with them being unbeaten in the first five games in all competitions this season.
Their opponents have been beaten once this season, in their first game against Leeds United.
There is another specific piece of form which will definitely give the squad the mental boost they may need as they are unbeaten in the 12:30 PM kick-off in the Premier League since the start of the 2023-24 season.
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They have won six of those games and drawn two when they have had to get up bright and early for a lunchtime start.
Slot will hope his team can perform against David Moyes’ side, but on a derby day, you just never know.