Martin Keown has suggested that this weekend’s Merseyside derby will be a “leveller” despite the discrepancy between Everton and Liverpool’s league form.
With the Reds chasing the title and the Toffees struggling in mid table, Marco Silva’s has less at stake than their city rivals, but Keown believe that the threat of seeing their neighbours lift the Premier League trophy could spur them to a heroic performance.
As quoted by the Daily Mail, he said: “This derby can be a huge leveller. Everton fans do not want to be reading about Liverpool winning the title.
“Jurgen Klopp’s men have to play this game with their heads – while matching the heart Everton will put into this fixture.”
OPINION
Known could be right, but it would be a shock if he is. Ordinarily the prospect of devastating your local rivals might be enough to inspire a side to really pull a performance out of the bag, but Everton look so lacklustre this season that you have to question whether they are capable of any kind of heroics, no matter the stakes. It’s not that they’re a bad side, it’s just that the Toffees lack any real bite or cutting edge, and when all is said and done, they have no chance of getting anything out of Liverpool without some kind of guile. Stranger things have happened, and the Toffees did come close to stealing a point off their neighbours last time they met, but really, this one feels like a bit of a step too far for at team that roll over far too easily at the first sign of resistance.