‘I feel for Everton…’ – Arne Slot says David Moyes’ side have been hard done by over one thing
Arne Slot has expressed sympathy for Everton following the Merseyside derby on Wednesday night, although it wasn’t in relation to anything which happened in the match at Anfield.
The Liverpool head coach addressed the media this morning to reflect on his team’s 1-0 victory (and James Tarkowski’s dangerous challenge on Alexis Mac Allister) and look ahead to our next match against Fulham on Sunday, with the Reds again playing one day after Premier League title rivals Arsenal.
Curiously, it’s a reversal of opponents for the top two, with the Gunners having beaten their fellow Londoners on Tuesday night before travelling to Goodison Park for the 12:30 kick-off this Saturday.
Slot feels for Everton over rapid turnaround
While Liverpool and Arsenal have a similar gap between their respective fixtures, Everton have the shortest permissible turnaround from the derby for their clash against Mikel Arteta’s team this weekend, and Slot had sympathy for his opposite number David Moyes over the tight scheduling.
The Reds boss said (via Liverpool FC on YouTube): “It is a unique situation [both LFC and the Gunners swapping opponents] and that’s why it would’ve been more fair if all four teams would’ve played on the same day, but we have more than enough rest for the Sunday game so it’s not a problem for us.
“I feel for Everton that they play on a Wednesday night and have the early kick-off on Saturday. The good thing is that they play at home, and I know how much their fans can influence the game.”
Everton left shortchanged by fixture scheduling
Given that Arsenal are the only team who still have (faint) aspirations of catching Liverpool at the top of the Premier League, Kopites are set to put local rivalry aside for a couple of hours this weekend and cheer on Everton in the hope that they can deny Arteta a winning return to his former stomping ground.
The Reds are no strangers to dealing with playing on a Wednesday night and then Saturday lunchtime, having done so last season much to Jurgen Klopp’s chagrin.
Even had the Toffees’ next match been a 5:30pm kick-off, the extra few hours between games may have been appreciated. The Gunners might point to having a box-office Champions League tie against Real Madrid on Tuesday night, but the scheduling of this weekend’s fixture has definitely been weighted in their favour.
As Slot acknowledged, though, Everton at Goodison Park are a tough proposition, having held us to a tempestous 2-2 draw in the stadium’s last-ever derby in February. They also claimed a point against Arsenal when the sides met in north London earlier this season, so they won’t be overawed by Arteta’s side.
It’s not every day we say this, but let’s hope that our nearest neighbours can manage the quick turnaround and get a result on Saturday lunchtime!
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