Liverpool manager Arne Slot has expressed his his relief that both his side and Everton have had an equal amount of rest ahead of Saturday’s 245th Merseyside derby.
The Reds face their city rivals at Goodison Park in what will be the last-ever derby at the historic stadium.
The relentless fixture schedule has placed significant demands on Liverpool, who have had to contend with quick turnarounds between matches.
This week has been no different, with less than three days separating their midweek trip to Newcastle and the derby clash with Everton.
Liverpool looked fatigued during their 1-1 draw at St James’ Park on Wednesday, a result that Slot partly attributed to the shorter recovery period compared to their opponents. Speaking to LFCTV, he said:
“Again, we had one day less to recover compared to our opponents. It was the same against City.
“If you can come up with such an impressive second-half performance where we came back from being 2-1 down to being 3-2 up one minute before the end, you feel a bit of disappointment if you go away with only a draw.”
Looking ahead to the Everton match, Slot acknowledged the significance of having parity in recovery time, particularly after the Toffees dismantled Wolves 4-0 on Wednesday night.
“We can expect similar things to what we experienced tonight. The fans of Newcastle were really helping the team,” Slot said.
“The good thing for us is we have had just as much rest as the team we face. But it will probably be a similar style of play from Everton as Newcastle did in the first half.”
With only 63 hours between midweek fixtures and Saturday’s derby kickoff, both teams will be tested to their limits. The tight schedule raises questions about player welfare, as a Saturday lunchtime kickoff offers little time to recharge.
That said, Liverpool will take solace in the fact that Everton have had no additional preparation advantage. Slot’s side will need every ounce of resolve to secure a result in what promises to be a fiercely contested encounter.
