Jordan Henderson has urged anyone who believes Sunday's Merseyside derby is a foregone conclusion to 'think again'.
Liverpool are firm favourites to earn local bragging rights when Everton make the trip to Anfield on Sunday. Jurgen Klopp's side once again find themselves battling with Manchester City for Premier League glory but the Blues are fighting for their lives at the foot of the table.
Only adding to the idea that the Reds have every chance of producing a similar scoreline to that of Tuesday's 4-0 thrashing of Manchester United is one statistic, in particular, as the best team on home soil this term takes on the worst team at picking up points on their travels. Frank Lampard's men have won only one of their 15 games away from home during the 2021/22 campaign and now face the ultimate test of character in the form of a daunting Anfield visit.
READ MORE: Villarreal warn of 'special measures' ahead of Champions League tie with Liverpool
HAVE YOUR SAY: Pick your team to face Everton in Sunday's Merseyside derby
Everton ended their long wait for a win at the home of Liverpool last season and will hope to produce a similar result on this occasion as they continue to battle for survival. It's often said that poor form means nothing when a derby match comes along and Henderson is fully aware that nothing can be taken for granted despite the contrasting fortunes of the sides.
“Our games against Everton are among the first that everyone looks for when the fixtures first come out and I’m no different in this regard. The derby is always a special occasion, so hopefully it will live up to the expectation once again," said the Reds' captain in his programme notes ahead of Sunday's showdown.
“As ever, we’re expecting an incredibly tough game against an Everton team which has its own reasons for fighting for every single point. I can also say without any shadow of a doubt that anyone who uses the league table as a gauge for what will happen in this game should think again.
“I might not fully believe the old cliché about the form book going out of the window, but I have played in more than enough of these matches to know that nothing is won on the basis of what’s happened previously. It is all about how you perform on the day."
“I know Frank Lampard well from the time we spent together with England so I’m well aware of the kind of drive, passion, knowledge and experience that he will have brought to Everton and their last couple of results have underlined the fighting spirit that he has instilled," added Henderson on the Blues' boss.
“This will be a proper derby with everything that goes with it so we have to be prepared for that as a team because anything else won’t be good enough. Yes, we can go into the game with as much confidence as our recent form allows, but our desire and will to win has to be as strong as it would be if we hadn’t won a game in weeks, armed with the knowledge that we will absolutely have to earn the right to play.
“This isn’t me questioning our mentality, by the way, I’m reinforcing it. Every single quality that I’m saying we need are the exact same ones that we’ve displayed for some time and the lads deserve all the credit in the world for that."
To purchase a copy of Sunday's official matchday programme, click here.
