Arne Slot has expressed confidence in his Liverpool players’ ability to handle the pressure of staying ahead in the Premier League title race.
Liverpool currently lead the table by seven points and face a crucial Merseyside derby against Everton on Saturday at 12:30 GMT.
Last Sunday, they extended their advantage to nine points with a victory over Manchester City, but that lead narrowed on Wednesday following a 3-3 draw at Newcastle, while Chelsea and Arsenal, their nearest competitors, secured wins.
Meanwhile, reigning champions Manchester City sit nine points behind Liverpool after defeating Nottingham Forest midweek.
“I think if you play for Liverpool, every day you feel pressure because you play at a big club,” head coach Slot said.
“Everybody expects two things from us – that we win and that we play good football.
“That’s also the good thing – that these players are used to this being expected from them – so, if we are top of the league, second, third or fourth, people expect us to win and in a certain way. That pressure is always there.
“If you play or work at this level, you like this pressure for the simple reason that players are able to do what is expected of them. It’s much harder if you, for example, have to stay above the relegation zone.
“We’ve got the quality to do what we are doing at the moment – winning games and playing good football. There is always pressure if you are at a club like Liverpool – like it is at Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea.”
‘We have to be aggressive but in a smart way’
The upcoming Merseyside derby will mark Arne Slot’s first as Liverpool manager and could be the last league encounter at Goodison Park, with Everton preparing to move to their new stadium next season.
Slot has reviewed footage of Liverpool’s previous visit to Goodison in April when, under Jurgen Klopp, they suffered a 2-0 defeat, a result that dealt a significant blow to their title ambitions at the time.
“I was a bit surprised after half an hour because Liverpool had the ball most of the time but there were 10 fouls by a Liverpool player and only one from Everton,” said the Dutchman.
“We have to be aggressive but in a smart way, especially because they are a big threat from set-pieces. If you want to talk about tactics, first you have to match their work-rate.”
There have been 23 red cards in the Merseyside derby during the Premier League era, with 16 for Everton and seven for Liverpool.
Slot added: “It’s going to be special for everyone. To be part of this game is already special and to be part of the last one at Goodison Park makes it probably even more special.
“It’s only a nice experience if the result goes your way and that is what we are focusing on most.”