Liverpool will attempt to bounce back from their Champions League exit to holders Paris Saint-Germain by winning the first-ever Merseyside derby at Everton's new Hill Dickinson Stadium home on Sunday (2pm kick-off).
It will be no easy task given Everton come into the game with confidence high after three wins and a draw in their last five Premier League matches.
But if Liverpool can replicate the second-half performance they produced against PSG on Tuesday, they could mark the historic encounter with a victory that would go a long way to securing Champions League football for next season.
And ahead of the big match, our Reds fans' jury have returned to have their say...
It goes without saying that our expectations were fully tempered head into the midweek clash against PSG. I vividly remember the gnarly and palpable sense of belief around the ground heading into our famous win against Barcelona. There was a moody air of hostility and determination as fireworks crackled overhead and a sea of red smoke welcomed Lionel Messi and the the rest of the Catalan gang.
Given the way this season has played out, it all felt a bit different leading up to our exit from Europe. It’s a testament to the Reds then, that I really did believe we had a chance during large spells of the game before the Parisians extinguished hope.
Ultimately, I left the ground proud that we went down swinging and did ourselves some credit as fans and players. If we can get a big result against our bitter rivals come Sunday, it could well be the spark that we need to ensure we’re back in Europe next season. Games don’t come much bigger, do they?
There was certainly plenty to think about as we made our way out of Anfield following Tuesday’s Champions League exit at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain.
Encouragement could be taken from several components of the evening. Those opening 25-or-so minutes of the second half, in particular, brought what felt like fresh levels of intensity and proactivity. A tempo that aligned with and further enlivened a fervent atmosphere.
Elements to like but, ultimately, of course, it didn’t prove enough. Fine margins played their part, but the relative dysfunction and carelessness that has beset much of the campaign was also present. It would be amiss not to praise PSG’s class, too – that was persistently evident and, in the end, decisive.
Renewed questions around the team’s evolution and Arne Slot’s future have, understandably, followed, with Hugo Ekitike's cruel Achilles injury impacting the former topic.
Focus now turns to Sunday’s significant first visit to the Hill Dickinson Stadium. Having gained points on Everton, and others around us, last weekend, there’s all the more reason for Liverpool to take three on this historic afternoon.
Much to consider, then, both in the short and long term. The Premier League top-five pursuit offers clarity of purpose for the coming weeks, at least, and – particularly if some of Tuesday’s upsides are echoed and amplified – can hopefully lay the foundations for broader headway.
The light of our season has been dimming for some time, and PSG extinguished the faint flicker on Tuesday evening.
The team and the manager have rightly been questioned this year for their spirit and fight, but we saw a performance at least on Tuesday evening. There were glimmers of the old Liverpool, and just for a moment mid-way through the second half, as the atmosphere dialled up, and as pressure was being exerted to the PSG backline, it felt like the fuse had been lit, but PSG managed to put out our spark and our faint European hopes.
We can probably point to some injustices during the game, but it would be indefensible to suggest that PSG did not deserve the semi-final place; Liverpool were outfought physically and outthought tactically across the two games.
Arne Slot’s tenure hangs by a thread. The fan disquiet will not quieten over the coming months and into the summer. The season has been underwhelming in terms of performance and overwhelming in terms of frustration.
There are some questions though that can wait for the summer. There needs to be a final push, from the fans and players, to secure a Champions League place next year, and there needs to be unity and harmony to achieve that, rather than disharmony and division. In a season which started tragically, let’s hope for a brighter finish.
Paul Wheelock is the head of sport at the Liverpool ECHO, overseeing Everton FC and Liverpool FC coverage, having previously held the position of content editor and Blood Red: Liverpool FC podcast and video editor. He used to be a football club correspondent, reporting on Blackburn Rovers for the Lancashire Telegraph and Chester FC for the Chester Chronicle.
