Marco Silva has described the Merseyside derby as a special match for fans of both clubs after rival boss Jurgen Klopp said it was a kind of World Cup final for Everton supporters.
Toffees manager Silva also pointed out how Liverpool celebrated their late winner the last time the sides met.
Ahead of his side’s visit to Goodison Park on Sunday, Reds boss Klopp was quoted by a number of national newspapers as saying: “Then you have Everton, and we all know for them it’s a kind of World Cup final.”
The meeting at Anfield on December 2 saw the hosts win 1-0, with Divock Origi punishing a mistake from Jordan Pickford by heading home in stoppage time and Klopp running on to the pitch to celebrate with his goalkeeper Alisson Becker.
When asked what he made of Klopp’s comments, Silva laughed and said: “It is a special game for both, for the city also, for our fans a special match, for their fans also a special match.
“I didn’t see a big difference. I managed my first Merseyside derby last December and what I felt was a special match for both teams, and they celebrated that lucky goal, that lucky moment they had in the last seconds of the match, (like it) was the final of a World Cup for us and for them.”
Everton have not won any of their last 18 meetings in all competitions against current Premier League table-toppers Liverpool, with their last victory coming in 2010.
When Silva, whose men are ninth in the table, was asked what it would take to win on Sunday, he said: “We have to be ourselves, believe in ourselves.
“Of course it is a long period without a win for us as a football club. It shows us it is a difficult match.
“If we can perform at the level we did last December, it will be very good.
“If I could sign now to perform in the same way, I would sign straight (away) because that means we will be really close to winning the match because in that match we deserved something more.”
He added: “If you ask me as a manager now, and all our players if we have something in our minds to give to our fans, all of us would answer three points on Sunday.
“I’m sure we have to work really hard to achieve that. Our players on the pitch and our fans, we have to work together.”
Everton go into the contest on the back of a win, Tuesday’s 3-0 victory at Cardiff.
That followed five losses in six games in all competitions and was only a fourth win in 15 league matches – a run that began with the reverse at Liverpool in early December and featured nine defeats in total.
Silva said: “It (the loss at Anfield) had an effect (in terms of damaging confidence) in that specific moment because we deserved really more than what we achieved.
“But if you are talking to me (asking if) what has happened in January or February is a reflection of what happened at the beginning of December, no, because it doesn’t make sense.
“In the level we are, we have to react. For all the good moments we have to react well, but in the bad moments we have to react stronger and show character and personality as a team.
“Of course it had the impact at that specific moment, maybe the week after, but after that, no, because it was new games, new challenges for us, and it doesn’t make sense.”
