Jurgen Klopp Aims To Accomplish A Liverpool Milestone In The Upcoming Merseyside Derby.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp will strive to achieve a managerial milestone as the Reds prepare to visit Goodison Park for the Merseyside derby against Everton on Wednesday night.
This midweek clash marks Klopp’s final Merseyside derby in charge of Liverpool, following his announcement in January of his departure from the position at the end of the season.
Depending on the outcome of Arsenal’s match against Chelsea on Tuesday night, Liverpool could find themselves three points adrift of the league-leading Gunners before their own fixture the following day.
Reigning champions Manchester City are also in close pursuit, trailing Liverpool by just one point with a game in hand. However, the Reds emerged victorious with a 2-0 win in their most recent Merseyside derby against Everton in October.
This victory marked Klopp’s ninth win out of 16 Merseyside derbies in the Premier League. Should Liverpool triumph again, Klopp would become the first manager in the club’s history to achieve 10 victories against their arch-rivals in the competition.
Klopp aims to replicate Sir Kenny Dalglish’s Merseyside derby record Since Klopp took the helm in October 2015, Liverpool has suffered only one defeat to Everton across all competitions. His inaugural Merseyside derby in the 2015-2016 season culminated in a resounding 4-0 victory at Anfield.
In achieving this, Klopp could join esteemed company alongside Sir Kenny Dalglish, who is the only other Liverpool manager to win both their first and last Merseyside derbies in the league. Dalglish’s initial and final triumphs in this fixture were separated by 26 years: a 3-2 victory in September 1985 during the era of the First Division, followed by a memorable 3-0 win in 2012, propelled by a Steven Gerrard hat-trick.
Beyond managerial milestones, the upcoming 244th Merseyside derby presents several potential landmarks. Liverpool is on the cusp of securing their 100th victory against Everton, with just one win needed. Additionally, they are within striking distance of notching up 150 goals away to Everton in league encounters, requiring only three more goals to reach this milestone.
Moreover, recent history augurs well for the visitors, as Everton finds themselves amidst a 12-game winless streak against Liverpool at Goodison Park in the Premier League. This stretch represents Everton’s longest period without a home victory against a specific opponent.
The Toffees did manage to secure a victory at Anfield in 2021, albeit behind closed doors. However, they have since endured a tough spell against the Reds, losing four matches and drawing one in their last five meetings. Moreover, Everton has failed to find the net in each of their last four encounters with Liverpool.
Unfortunately for Liverpool, their aspirations of a potent attacking performance have been dampened by the news of a fresh injury to Diogo Jota. The Portugal international sustained a hip issue during the weekend’s 3-1 triumph over Fulham. Jota, who both started and scored in that game at Craven Cottage, boasts an impressive record of averaging a goal every 115 minutes in the Premier League, the best among players with at least five non-penalty goals.
During his pre-game press conference, Klopp disclosed that Jota would be sidelined for two weeks due to the injury, further adding to Liverpool’s injury concerns. Jota joins the likes of Ben Doak, Thiago Alcantara, Conor Bradley, and Joel Matip on the sidelines.
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