It was September 27th 1999 and yet again it was another evening Merseyside Derby at Anfield with both teams pushing for two completely different targets. For Liverpool it would be their first full season with Frenchman Gerard Houllier, and many of their supporters were expecting vast possessions from their new foreign coach. Everton’s aspirations were different to their bitter rivals, as ‘The Toffees’ had found it tough year upon year in the Premiership, they simply just wanted to stay away from the relegation zone and manager Walter Smith was trying his utmost to move Everton away from this danger.

The teams for the two sides on the night were as follows:

Liverpool: Sander Westerveld, Vegard Heggem, Sami Hyypia, Jamie Carragher, Steve Staunton, Patrik Berger, Dietmar Hamann, Jamie Redknapp, Vladimir Smicer, Robbie Fowler, Michael Owen

Everton: Paul Gerrard, Richard Dunne, David Weir, Richard Gough, Michael Ball, Abel Xavier, Don Hutchison, John Collins, Nick Barmby, Francis Jeffers, Kevin Campbell

The stage was set for another fantastic Merseyside Derby with the previous fixture at Anfield the season earlier being 3-2 to the hosts. The battle commenced, and it took just four minutes for Everton to strike with their in form striker Kevin Campbell netting in front of the Kop to silence Anfield. The goal was the product of a fine Everton move. Nick Barmby fed Francis Jeffers and his clever flick made redundant Jamie Carragher and Sami Hyypia, leaving Campbell to extend his hot scoring streak to 12 goals in 19 games. 

Everton held on to win this game and remain unbeaten against Liverpool in that season with the next game at Goodison Park being a 0-0 draw. The significance of this game is because it was the last time Everton have recorded a victory against their rivals on their own turf, which can be only be great credit to Liverpool. When it comes to playing Liverpool at Anfield Everton have found it very difficult to outplay their opposition often coming unstuck. This simply has to do with Liverpool’s great experience at performing in the big games and performing a great tactical knowledge, which repeatedly mastered previous coaches Walter Smith and David Moyes.

Everton have never been themselves when playing to Anfield with performances often giving the spectator the impression that it meant more to ‘The Toffees’, which often showed in the presentation. Liverpool have always been disciplined since the last win for Everton at Anfield and you get the impression that it has become a bit of an obsession by Everton supporters that this need to win at their bitter rivals is an obligation. Martinez spoke recently to the club website about the game and, recent mentality, “Liverpool have got history in their favour if you look at what has happened over the years, but it’s time for us to have enjoyment out of a performance at Anfield and make sure that every Evertonian is proud. That’s the only focus that matters to me, to go to Anfield and be ourselves and give everything that we have to get a positive result.”

It is the 222nd Merseyside Derby tomorrow evening at Anfield with Everton feeling they have a good chance to go and win there for the first time since 1999.

The aspirations and objectives are arguably the same now with both teams pushing for the top four, however Liverpool may still feel they are capable of winning the Premier League due to being top at Christmas.

Everton are now attacking teams above them, which is proving to be the right formula steering Everton into the right direction. Roberto Martinez is now providing Evertonians with a new belief that they can go to teams and out play them with the right result coming after ninety minutes. In games this season ‘The Toffees’ have demonstrated that they can go into big games and be confident in their own ability, which has been demonstrated at home to Chelsea and away to Arsenal and Manchester United.

The Spaniard supported this claim by saying, “Before the game at Old Trafford and the Emirates there was a question whether we were mentally ready to be ourselves whatever the situation, I think we have proven we can be. The way we performed at the Emirates and the way we got the three points at Old Trafford shows that the team is ready to go anywhere and impose themselves. Those are the games that if you want to achieve big things, you need to enjoy them and embrace them. If you are not going to enjoy those games, you are not going to be at your best.”

The Everton manager went on to talk about the game itself and what it could entail, “Normally in derbies you have got a team that has got a bigger need than the other to win for whatever reason, said the Catalan. “Now it is not the case because we are going into a Merseyside derby where there are two teams with a similar amount of points, both having good moments in the season and both still in the FA Cup.

Martinez continued by saying, “It is a game that has got every single ingredient to be important and then, on top of that, everyone knows the meaning of the Merseyside derby. The fans are excited and somehow it’s one of those games that we have to be able to enjoy, because it’s not just a derby for bragging rights. We are also competing for three crucial points.”

In the last encounter between the two sides at Goodison Park it displayed how far both teams had come under their new managers. The match was a tremendous advert for both organisations. It ended in a 3-3 draw with both set of fans being satisfied with the game itself. It is going to even be remotely close to that game the supporters are in for another encounter that will certainly play with emotions. 

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About the author
James  Williams
I am a freelance writer who focuses on the German Bundesliga and what it offers to football supporters around the world.