Andy Burnham makes Brentford, Luton admission ahead of Everton v Liverpool
Mayor of Greater Manchester and lifelong Everton fan Andy Burnham has made a surprise admission ahead of their clash with Liverpool on Wednesday (24 April).
Everton have five Premier League games left, and moved five points clear of the drop zone with a 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest on Sunday (21 April), a game that has since been shrouded in controversy due to some of the refereeing decisions that occurred.
With the Merseyside derby up next, Everton also face league leaders Arsenal on the final day, but Burnham claims those games will not define their season, especially tonight’s derby.
Speaking to the Liverpool Echo (24 April), Burnham said: “It’s an interesting game, a lot at stake for both clubs, but the good thing for Everton is that it’s not the be all and end all, the bigger game is Saturday, Brentford, then Luton away, those are the games we need.”
Despite his reservations about the importance of the game in terms of their survival bid, Burnham still has optimism about how the encounter could go.
“Things feel different this week than they did last week and Sunday was a massive boost for us. It’s a hard ask for us I think but I’m going there with a bit of hope,” Burnham revealed.
Everton result against Liverpool will not be important in the fight against relegation
While Evertonians will be desperate to get one over on their bitter rivals after 14 years without a home win against Liverpool, Burnham’s comments are true.
With Brentford, Luton and Sheffield United to come in the three games following the derby, Everton will be looking to take something from all three, which would in turn seal their Premier League safety.
A win over Brentford and avoiding defeat at Luton would almost guarantee survival thanks to Everton’s superior goal difference, and mark a fine achievement for Sean Dyche, who has had to battle against an eight-point penalty handed to them by the Premier League this season for two separate Profit and Sustainability breaches.
Liverpool are a class above those three sides, though, and they returned to form with a 3-1 win over Fulham on Sunday (21 April) to maintain their title bid, and will go into the derby as big favourites.
Despite only losing two of the last 11 Goodison Park derbies, Everton have not won one here since 2010, and look unlikely to change that trend given the current gulf between the two sides.
However, a repeat of last season’s 0-0 draw – a scoreline that has been seen in four of the last six meetings at Goodison – would go down very well on the blue half of Merseyside, moving the Toffees another point closer to safety, while also damaging their rival’s title challenge.
In other Everton news, an injury expert has said Dominic Calvert-Lewin may not be fit for the Merseyside derby.
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