Danny Murphy admits concern ahead of Liverpool fixture

Danny Murphy admits concern ahead of Liverpool fixture

Liverpool’s focus may still be firmly on Paris Saint-Germain, but one former Red has already cast an eye ahead to next weekend’s Merseyside derby and issued a warning about Everton.

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After our 2-0 win over Fulham restored some confidence, attention quickly turns to the Champions League, yet the schedule means we’ll head into the derby with far less preparation time than our city rivals.

Murphy highlights Everton improvement under Moyes

Speaking on Match of the Day, Danny Murphy admitted he’s been impressed by the progress Everton have made and even suggested they are now a genuine threat heading into the clash.

He said: “That resilience is key, matched with the quality they have higher up the pitch. You think of Dewsbury-Hall with his contribution, Ndiaye, even Beto is starting to score now.

They are more of a threat; they’ve got more quality. He’s [Moyes] has done a wonderful job. Nobody gave Everton a chance of Europe, nobody. Unfortunately, it’s the derby next week, I’m a bit worried about that.”

Those comments reflect a growing feeling that Everton are no longer the struggling side many expected earlier in the campaign, with David Moyes clearly having an impact.

Their 2-2 draw with Brentford on Saturday showed that resilience again, coming from behind twice, and they now head into the derby full of belief with a full week to prepare.

Liverpool facing different challenge before the derby

The situation couldn’t be more different for us, with Arne Slot’s side needing to put everything into Tuesday’s second leg against PSG before even thinking about the trip to the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Fitness remains a concern too, with Slot already confirming after the Fulham win that Alisson Becker won’t be available, saying: “Tuesday I don’t expect him. He’s not training with the team yet.

“But he’s working very hard on his recovery, so we hope to have him back in the near future. But he doesn’t train with the team yet, so he will not be performing [on] Tuesday.”

There were positives at the weekend though, particularly from Rio Ngumoha, with John Aldridge noting: “Rio should have played the 94 mins, he’s young enough and certainly good enough! MOM”

Ultimately, Murphy’s warning underlines what we already know, the derby will be a completely different test, especially with Everton fresh and confident while we navigate one of the biggest weeks of our season.