I've played in Merseyside and North London derbies - this is how they compare
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A win last time out in the Premier League kept them within touching distance of Manchester United and Aston Villa, but under-pressure Arne Slot faces a much tougher test in the fixture where he was sent off after tensions boiled over 12 months ago.READ MORE: I knew Xabi Alonso was destined to coach - I'd love to see him at LiverpoolREAD MORE: David Moyes shoots down Arne Slot's Liverpool complaint - 'Ask any Premier League manager'Aaron Lennon is a player who has played in numerous derbies in English football and tasted the Merseyside derby during his time at Everton. Latest EFC news and analysis from via the Liverpool Echo’s dedicated FB page"It's up there, it's fierce, I played in the North London one that's fierce as well.
They're very similar, it's not just outside but within the football club."At Everton you knew the tension, you've got the old school, the kit men, the staff they're all Evertonians. There's been times where we've come in, we've lost and everyone's fuming then they'd go, 'at least the Reds got beat as well', you could see how much they disliked each other.
It's similar, they're great, the atmosphere goes up a notch, they're brilliant to play in."United's 1-0 win over Chelsea saw them extend their gap to Liverpool, while a fourth straight home league defeat for Liam Rosenior's side means that Everton will leapfrog them into sixth.The meeting between the two 12 months ago descended into chaos after four red cards were shown. Tensions boiled over at Goodison Park which saw four red cards shown, three for Liverpool including management staff Slot and Sipke Hulshoff.Moyes has stoked the fire ahead of the first meeting at the new Hill Dickinson Stadium as the Scot told his opposite number to stop complaining about referees.He said: "He has done a brilliant job and I have got to say he is a really good coach – that is from a neutral point of view."But I'm not sure I'm having him saying they are getting bad decisions at Anfield because if you ask any Premier League manager over football history, they will tell you that if there is one club that gets all the decisions, it is Liverpool Football Club."So if they are finding a few bad things at the moment, well, we have had to put up with them for years, every time we go there.