Saturday 9 December 2017 08:22, UK
Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum says the Merseyside derby remains one of the most important fixtures in the club's season despite Everton's struggles this season.
The Reds are unbeaten in nine matches since losing 4-1 to Tottenham in October and Jurgen Klopp will be hoping his side can continue their promising form when the Toffees visit Anfield on Sunday, live on Sky Sports Premier League.
Everton have shown signs of improvement under new boss Sam Allardyce and Wijnaldum expects the visitors to raise their game for Derby Day.
"It is Everton's biggest game of the season," Wijnaldum told the Daily Mail. "It is one of our biggest games."
Liverpool head into the derby on the back of an impressive 7-0 win over Spartak Moscow in the Champions League.
Philippe Coutinho scored his first hat-trick for the club in the emphatic win at Anfield, while Sadio Mane (2), Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah also added to their personal tallies for the season.
Much of the build-up to the match has focused on the form of Liverpool's 'Fab Four' but Wijnaldum insists his team-mates must continue to perform if they are to be considered truly world class.
"They can be a high level but you can only really say it if they have done it for a long time, not only for a few games," he said.
"We have to see. Everyone knows they are wonderful and world-class, but we as a team have to help them show they are world-class players every game.
"The way it is now, they get all the credit and the glory from outside, but if you make a mistake at the back you get criticism. But where is the criticism when we don't score? Nowhere.
"So here we work together. We defend as a group and that starts up front. On Wednesday, OK they all scored, but the defence also did a good job. Nobody will say anything about that when it's good, only when it's bad. That's something I don't like in football."
