The manager of Everton football club, Carlo Ancelotti, believes that Everton are good enough to defeat Liverpool football club when they meet today, February 20, 2021.
Everton are expected to visit Anfield Stadium for the second leg of the Merseyside derby of the 2020-2021 Premier League season at a time Liverpool are struggling to win games in the league.
In the first leg of the derby at Goodison Park on 17 October 2020, Everton drew 2-2 against Liverpool, and the coach of Everton believes that this is the right time to defeat the struggling Premier League champions.
The Merseyside derby which is scheduled to kick off at 18:30 is a must-win for both Merseyside clubs. Currently, Liverpool is sitting on the 5th spot on the league table with 40 points in 24 games, 2 points away from the top four.
So far this season, the reigning Premier League champions have recorded 11 wins, 7 draws, and 6 defeats which marked their worst form under coach Jurgen Klopp.
In the last three Premier League games involving Liverpool, the club which used to occupy the first spot on the league table recorded three successive defeats, a poor form Carlo Ancelotti believes Everton can take advantage of.
But Everton have not been having it smoothly too. The club currently occupies the 7th spot on the league table with 37 points in 23 games. They are 5 points away from the top four.
In the last three Premier League games involving Everton, the Merseyside club recorded two defeats and a draw which means that Everton are not having it smoothly in recent games. But Carlo Ancelotti stressed that his team is not under pressure to perform against Liverpool.
“Every derby you play for Everton against Liverpool, you want to win, of course,” Ancelotti said.
“It is a long time since Everton were able to win a derby and it can be the right time tomorrow. It could be the right time, but it depends on what we can do on the pitch, only this.
“I don’t think we feel pressure (of not winning against Liverpool for so long).
“I think we are better (now) compared to the past, so I think we can have more opportunity to get a result.”
Besides the fact that Liverpool are not in their best of form, Carlo Ancelotti is happy that his team is traveling to Anfield Stadium to play against Liverpool without spectators.
“The fact that the supporters are not there can be an advantage for the away teams”, Carlo Ancelotti said.
“But it is all the same what happened to us and the other teams in this particular season where you cannot have the support of your fans.”
🔙 | Calvert-Lewin and Allan are both fit for #LIVEVE! 💪
— Everton (@Everton) February 19, 2021
Carlo also repeats that Yerry Mina will miss Saturday's derby through the injury sustained on Wednesday night.
Watch live: https://t.co/bjyN5Q1PTn pic.twitter.com/aug8DLxlOI
If Liverpool win over Everton today, there is a possibility that Liverpool will return to the top four if 4th placed Chelsea, and 5th placed West Ham United failed to win their league games.
