Dirk Kuyt believes derby day success was the perfect way to banish Liverpool’s Champions League misery – and can be the catalyst for another assault on the top four.
The Holland international is no stranger to scoring crucial goals against Everton and he repeated his trick of two years ago, when he bundled in from close range to give the Reds a priceless 2-0 victory.
Liverpool have climbed up to fifth in the table now and are just three points behind third-placed Tottenham Hotspur but, as Kuyt accepted, three points were not secured with a performance to please the purists.
That, though, was no concern to the Dutchman, who feels winning one of the most significant games they will play in the Premier League calendar will give him and his teammates the belief to emerge from their dreadful autumn with a bang.
“We’re really happy with the result,” said Kuyt, who netted for the first time September 19.
“It’s one of the most important games of our season and to beat Everton always gives you a special feeling. I’m really happy for the team and the supporters.
“It’s a good result and hopefully we can take the confidence from this into our next couple of games. It’s been a while since I scored, but for me that’s not the most important thing.
“We needed to win, and that’s what matters most. This win has come at the right moment for us. Everybody knows that we have struggled in the Premier League this season and haven’t done well in the Champions League. But we have to move on.
“When you play in a derby match, they aren’t often the greatest games to watch but I think we showed a lot of character to win, and that’s what it was all about.
“A derby is more important than almost every other game, and to win this means a lot for us.
“The result is more important than the performance in a derby. You know it’s going to be hard to play football and you need to show character. We beat Debrecen with a clean sheet and we did the same here, so hopefully we bring some of our confidence back.”
Liverpool took the lead when Javier Mascherano’s long-range effort deflected off Joseph Yobo past Tim Howard but for much of the game they were subjected to a barrage of Everton pressure.
That the Blues did not find a way through was down to Pepe Reina’s enduring brilliance and Kuyt was quick to pay tribute to the Spaniard, particularly after his double save midway through the second-half from Tim Cahill and Marouane Fellaini.
“Everton put us under a lot of pressure with the long balls because they have quality players in the air like Fellaini and Cahill,” said Kuyt. “They caused us a few problems but I thought the defence and Pepe Reina were superb.
“Pepe made a great double save, and for me he is one of the best goalkeepers in the world. He definitely showed that with the save today. We work hard to get results and we’ve all come to Liverpool to win trophies.
“When things don’t go your way it’s disappointing. It has been a very hard period for us but, like the manager says, we have to move on now and look forward. This was a good win, especially as it gets us back in the top five.
“Liverpool have had a great history in the Champions League, including the three years I have been here. We have had some special nights and we want them again.”
The Holland international is no stranger to scoring crucial goals against Everton and he repeated his trick of two years ago, when he bundled in from close range to give the Reds a priceless 2-0 victory.
Liverpool have climbed up to fifth in the table now and are just three points behind third-placed Tottenham Hotspur but, as Kuyt accepted, three points were not secured with a performance to please the purists.
That, though, was no concern to the Dutchman, who feels winning one of the most significant games they will play in the Premier League calendar will give him and his teammates the belief to emerge from their dreadful autumn with a bang.
“We’re really happy with the result,” said Kuyt, who netted for the first time September 19.
“It’s one of the most important games of our season and to beat Everton always gives you a special feeling. I’m really happy for the team and the supporters.
“It’s a good result and hopefully we can take the confidence from this into our next couple of games. It’s been a while since I scored, but for me that’s not the most important thing.
“We needed to win, and that’s what matters most. This win has come at the right moment for us. Everybody knows that we have struggled in the Premier League this season and haven’t done well in the Champions League. But we have to move on.
“When you play in a derby match, they aren’t often the greatest games to watch but I think we showed a lot of character to win, and that’s what it was all about.
“A derby is more important than almost every other game, and to win this means a lot for us.
“The result is more important than the performance in a derby. You know it’s going to be hard to play football and you need to show character. We beat Debrecen with a clean sheet and we did the same here, so hopefully we bring some of our confidence back.”
Liverpool took the lead when Javier Mascherano’s long-range effort deflected off Joseph Yobo past Tim Howard but for much of the game they were subjected to a barrage of Everton pressure.
That the Blues did not find a way through was down to Pepe Reina’s enduring brilliance and Kuyt was quick to pay tribute to the Spaniard, particularly after his double save midway through the second-half from Tim Cahill and Marouane Fellaini.
“Everton put us under a lot of pressure with the long balls because they have quality players in the air like Fellaini and Cahill,” said Kuyt. “They caused us a few problems but I thought the defence and Pepe Reina were superb.
“Pepe made a great double save, and for me he is one of the best goalkeepers in the world. He definitely showed that with the save today. We work hard to get results and we’ve all come to Liverpool to win trophies.
“When things don’t go your way it’s disappointing. It has been a very hard period for us but, like the manager says, we have to move on now and look forward. This was a good win, especially as it gets us back in the top five.
“Liverpool have had a great history in the Champions League, including the three years I have been here. We have had some special nights and we want them again.”
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