Liverpool striker Divock Origi has warned fierce Merseyside rivals Everton to brace themselves for a ‘war’ when the Reds come visiting to Goodison Park on Monday night
The stakes can’t be any higher for either side when Liverpool and Everton face off against each other at Goodison Park on Monday night.
End up on the wrong side of the result, and Liverpool risk losing momentum in their chase for the Premier League table as they currently lie nine points adrift of runaway leaders Chelsea. For Everton, a loss will see them drop to ninth in the table and leave them with a big catching-up job in their quest to qualify for Europe.
The importance of this match isn’t lost on Liverpool striker Divock Origi, who has even gone to the extent of describing the highly-awaited clash as a ‘war’ in the making.
As reported by Guardian, Origi said: “It will be a war, so we go there in a very positive way. You want to win this game, you know it will not be easy, it is a derby so it will be special and a very big and important game for us as a club also. We have to prepare it well.”
Belgium international Origi has been prolific for Liverpool this season, having scored seven goals in all competitions for the Reds this season, scoring a goal every 109 minutes.
As he looks to score for a fifth consecutive league game on Monday, Origi has also recollected the incident against Ramiro Funes Mori last season, when a collision with the Argentinian saw the 21-year-old sustain an ankle ligament injury.
Funes Mori is likely to start in the heart of the Everton defence with club captain Phil Jagielka suspended for getting sent off in last Tuesday’s 2-1 win over Arsenal. As the duo look set to go head-to-head again for the first time since last season’s incident, the Reds striker has said that he holds no grudges against defender, adding that it’s part and parcel of the game.
He added: “These are things that happen. I came back stronger and I have to continue growing. These things happen in a football career. I received an official message [from Funes Mori].How will I feel? I don’t know who is playing but I am very motivated.”
The highly anticipated meeting between the two city rivals is set to be a fiercely competitive one. With both sides coming into this match on the back of confidence boosting midweek games, expect this to be a lively encounter that will go back and forth all through the 90 minutes.
