Despite a late spur from the hosts, including chances made for and by Cenk Tosun, there was to be no beating of either keeper. Klopp said the game against Everton is just as important as the one against City; the proof will be in his starting XI.
Advertisement
It is more than seven years and 16 matches since the blue half of the city celebrated victory over their closest rivals, with Liverpool winning four of the past five encounters. After 75 minutes of utter lethargy and inaction, nobody particularly deserved to convert, either.
“I think it’s an advantage we could possibly take”. They’re ninth in the Premier League table, three points above 10th-place Bournemouth and three below eighth-place Leicester.
Yet with Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich widely expected to make up the other semi-finalists after this week’s first legs, Klopp will be aware his team would be the outsiders to win the trophy. “If I keep a clean sheet, I am happy”. I liked it. We were intense but not too aggressive.
“When Farhad rings me up and says “Sam we don’t want you any more” then I know I’m not wanted”.
Loris Karius produced his own stunning stop to prevent Yannick Bolasie’s bending shot before Pickford came to Everton’s rescue twice – tipping Milner’s whipped effort wide before holding on to Virgil Van Dijk’s free kick as halftime approached.
Asked if the result was a decent one, Klopp said: “Yeah, absolutely”.
“I don’t feel I’m on trial, it’s my second season”.
“He’s good with his feet, he’s been calm and made some very good saves so it is good to see him doing well and the boys behind him pushing him”. He has also notched on his last two visits to Goodison (one for Southampton and the victor in this fixture last term) and should be available at around [3.2] come kick-off.
The game also marked the return of Nathaniel Clyne, who played the full 90 minutes, and a rare start for Danny Ings, who has been plagued with injury during Klopp’s tenure. However, they will have the chance to change that as Klopp could ring in the changes as the side haven’t had much time to recuperate and could name a second-string side.
“What a player Clyne is”.
Advertisement
Liverpool’s fixture list is nowhere as kind this season as it was last season at this stage or even as it looked just last month. Having claimed a battling 1-1 draw in his second league match in charge of Everton last December, his record for upsetting the “bigger” teams he’s faced will need to come to the fore once more. For me he has to rest players.”Salah won’t play”.
