COUNTDOWN TO
Liverpool FC v Everton FC
KICK-OFF
F
A Cup third-round weekend
is always special and what
better way to start than
with a derby under the lights?
The second meeting of the old
rivals here in less than a month
is bound to be keenly contested
as both sides target a good run
in the competition. The Reds will
have plenty of spring in their step
after a productive Christmas
which saw Jürgen Klopp's men
collect ten points from a possible
12 in their four festive fixtures.
The most recent, Monday's
2-1 win at Burnley, saw AdamLallana impress on his first start
since May. “There's a lot to look
forward to,” the midfielder told
the Liverpool Echo. “We are in
among the top four and in the
last 16 of the Champions League,
and there is the FA Cup tie
against Everton on Friday.
"I'm delighted to be back and
part of a winning team again.”
New signing Virgil van Dijk
could be handed a debut this
evening, with the centre-back
saying: “Every player wants to
win trophies and, with the squad
we have and the progress theLiverpool
have won just
one of their last
six home FA Cup
ties – the replay
with Exeter City
in 2016.Everton
are one goal
short of 250 in
all FA Cup fixtures
that they have
played away
from home.Victory
tonight would
be LFC's first under
Jürgen Klopp in the
FA Cup at the first
time of asking, i.e.
no replay.The
last LFC
player to score
a hat-trick in this
competition was
Yossi Benayoun
in 2008.club is making, I think we are
very close to it. Obviously we still
need to do it. We will see what
the future brings.”
While Van Dijk arrives, the club
this week bade farewell to first-
team development coach Pepijn
Lijnders who's been appointed
head coach of Dutch club NEC
Nijmegen. “The decision to leave
has not been easy,” he said.
“You don’t really say goodbye
to Liverpool Football Club,
because you will always have
to represent its honesty and
passion wherever you go.”