Klopp and Liverpool eye festive derby spoils

LIVERPOOL: Liverpool cannot lead the Premier League on Christmas Day, so the best present their fans can wish for is victory at neighbours Everton in Monday’s 227th Merseyside derby.

Jurgen Klopp’s side were top of the table brief ly last month, but seem to have overcome the stumble since then that caused them to lose significant ground on current leaders Chelsea.

Klopp made a big cal l by dropping goalkeeper Loris Karius after uncertain performances against Bournemouth and West Ham United.

He was rewarded at Middlesbrough on Wednesday as Simon Mignolet kept a clean sheet in a 3- 0 victory that moved Liverpool back up to second place.

Adam Lal lana was also a

There will be no surgery, there is not even a risk of it. It is only about resting the injury or not. Try it every day or give it a few days. That is what we already did.

significant factor in that victory, scoring twice to take his goal total to three in two matches since his return to the starting line- up following a groin problem.

Lallana has established himself as one of the English top division’s most threatening attacking players, with six assists to go with his six Premier League goals.

That i s a s i g n i f i c a nt improvement for a player who managed only four league goals and six assists over the whole of last season.

Liverpool have found ways to share the goals around. They went into the weekend as the Premier League’s top scorers, with 40 goals from 16 matches.

Consideri ng t he f it nes s problems of Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho, it is of great encouragement to Klopp.

Striker Sturridge may be able to play some part at Goodison Park after missing the last five matches with a calf injury.

But Brazi l ian playmaker Coutinho’s ankle injury, sustained against Sunderland last month, will keep him out until at least the visit of Manchester City on New Year’s Eve.

Emre Can could return to the midfield after a two-game absence with a minor knee problem.

Cent r e - back Joe l Mat ip continues to struggle with ankle trouble, meaning Klopp is likely to stick with Ragnar Klavan alongside Dejan Lovren at the back.

“It will just be time,” Klopp said of Matip.

“There will be no surgery, there is not even a risk of it. It is only about resting the injury or not. Try it every day or give it a few days. That is what we already did.

“Against West Ham it was possible to play, but then against Middlesbrough it was not.”

Injury troubles aside, Liverpool have good reason for optimism going into the derby, having not lost any of their last 12 meetings with Everton in all competitions.

Ronald Koeman’s side have at least managed to halt their slide down the table, winning for only the second time in 11 matches as they came from a goal down to beat Arsenal 2-1 on Tuesday.

That win, over a team with title aspirations, showed what Everton are capable of, although it came at a price, with Phil Jagielka collecting a red card that will see him miss Monday’s match through suspension.

Koeman could do with a win over his side’s great rivals, if only to placate his own club’s supporters, who were unhappy that he cited Klopp’s men as title contenders earlier in the season. — AFP

Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool manager