LIVERPOOL, England — Georginio Wijnaldum said he expects Sunday’s Merseyside derby against Everton to be a “big fight” and Liverpool are desperate for the victory.
Liverpool sit one point clear of second-place Manchester City in the Premier League title race with 10 matches remaining after their 5-0 victory over Watford.
Jurgen Klopp’s side now make the short trip across Stanley Park as Everton seek to put a dent in their rivals’ hopes of securing their first league title in nearly three decades.
“I expect it’s going to be a big fight,” Wijnaldum said. “It was a big and good game last time we played them here [at Anfield].
“They were really good, better than all the times I’d played them before. I don’t expect them to be less motivated than they were before. I think it’s going to be a difficult game. But we want to defeat them badly too. It works two ways.”
Everton last tasted victory in a Merseyside derby in October 2010, having failed to beat Liverpool in their last 18 attempts.
Marco Silva’s men do not come into this match in the best form, with the 3-0 success over Cardiff on Tuesday just their fourth victory since late November.
“Every game is different,” Wijnaldum said. “They can have a bad run and something can change and make them good again.
“In the derby their fans expect a lot from the players, they will support the players on the pitch. It’s a different game to the others. This one is separate from all the other ones.
“I don’t think the last couple of games count, because of the atmosphere, the fans, the way everyone hypes this game. It’s different, separate.”