Marco Silva has hit back at Jurgen Klopp’s claim that the Merseyside derby is Everton’s ‘World Cup final’.
The Liverpool manager made the remark about his side’s locai rivals last week ahead of their 233rd meeting in Sunday’s highly-anticipated Goodison Park clash.
Everton’s form suffered a significant downturn after December’s corresponding fixture, in which Divock Origi scored a 96th-minute winner in front of the Kop.
Klopp was charged by the Football Association after sprinting on the Anfield pitch to celebrate Origi’s late goal – something which Silva insists did not go unnoticed.
He said: “It’s a special match for the city and the fans.
“I didn’t see a big difference. I managed my last derby in December.
“What I felt was a special match for both teams. They celebrated that lucky goal.
“For them, they celebrated like a World Cup final.”
Despite the nature of their most recent derby defeat, Silva is refusing to use the outcome of the meeting three months ago as a motivational tactic.
“We do not need that type of thing to motivate our players,” he added.
“Not for a game like Sunday. It is the most historic derby in England.
“Our motivation comes from ourselves, from our dressing room.”