Jurgen Klopp has urged his Liverpool players to keep their cool in the heat of derby battle as they prepare for a Goodison inferno this evening.
The Reds make the short journey across Stanley Park for the 244th Merseyside scrap
Klopp recently expressed his surprise at the ferocity of derbies earlier in his Anfield tenure, with his first game against the Blues in April 2016
in October 2020, both Virgil van Dijk and Thiago Alcantara were ruled out for lengthy periods after challenges from Jordan Pickford and Richarlison
Klopp believes the derby has benefited from losing some of its physicality and has outlined the importance of his team keeping 11 players on the pitch
Asked if the derby was the most physical game of the season,
Klopp said:
“It used to be. At the beginning I remember I showed the players videos of (Jamie) Carragher in the derby and Stevie (Gerrard) where he got red cards. I love one, and respect the other a lot.
"That's what the people expect, that if you get a red card against Everton it's fine. It's not, it's absolutely not because we want to win the game, and it's the only reason why we go there.
"At the beginning there were a few situations where I thought it was over the top. Since then it has become a bit settled and I hope it stays like this because it should.
“At the beginning I thought 'wow, that's what they are allowed to do?!?' and I didn't get that. But I had to learn all these things over the years, obviously.
"Everything that makes it a really special football game with all ups and downs in a game and good and bad and stuff like that, I'm fully in for it.
“When it goes over the top, I'm absolutely not. That's how it is. Let's see."