- Everton set for biggest game of their season against Liverpool this Sunday.
- Both sides are in the hunt for Champions League football and bragging rights.
- Ex-Everton captain Alan Stubbs detailed his thoughts ahead of the huge clash.
Everton’s European charge continues this weekend as they welcome Liverpool to the Hill Dickinson.
In recent times there has been a large quality gap between the two rivals, but this season is a different story.
With six games left in the Premier League season, Everton sits in eighth. Liverpool are only five points ahead in fifth.
The clash is set to be a feisty one. A former Everton captain has detailed his thoughts ahead of the landmark fixture.
Stubbs sees Merseyside Derby as the biggest game of the season
Speaking to A View From The Bullens, Alan Stubbs highlighted how important the Toffees’ next game is.
He said: “Where we are in the season makes it even bigger. The feel coming into this derby game has got a bigger feel to it.
“I think that it’s because this is the closest we’ve been to Liverpool in a number of years.
“So I think that’s why there’s a bit more pressure on ot and excitement and probably a little bit of nerves as well.
“But for me, 100%, [it’s] the biggest game of the season.”
Stubbs captained Everton to their highest Premier League finish in 2005, and beat Liverpool in the same season thanks to a famous goal by Lee Carsley.
Everton have to take rare chance against Liverpool
It is not often that Everton go into a Merseyside Derby with a greater spring in their step than Liverpool.
The usual scripts sees the Reds as favourites and the Toffees as battling underdogs.
Based on the recent spending of the two, this remains true, but the contrasting atmospheres at the two clubs play into Everton’s hands.
Where Liverpool players have been booed by their fans and questioned over their lack of effort, those in royal blue are fuelled by the momentum of the past few weeks.
Everton must channel this and go into the game knowing they can capitalise on a fragile Liverpool team.
But as goes in any local rivalry, form goes out of the window once on the pitch, and if the Toffees are to send their supporters home happy, they are not going to be handed an easy task on Sunday.
