Carragher: Everton Is The Best Competition

Jamie Carragher says Liverpool will never be found wanting when it comes to mixing it with local rivals Everton.

The Anfield defender admits he gets wound up ahead of facing his boyhood idols more than any other match.

And with in-form Everton threatening Liverpool’s challenge to get back into the top four, today’s game at Anfield is one Carragher is desperate to win.

He said: “My feelings haven’t changed one bit. There is always that little bit of extra anxiety, which comes from the fear of losing."

“You talk about results being more important than performances but ideally you want to put the two together. When you think over the last decade, we’ve probably had our best-ever run of results against Everton."

“Normally in the past whenever Everton have beaten Liverpool, the accusation was that they wanted it a little bit more."

"So I’m glad in the last decade we have turned that around.”

Most people thought Liverpool were lucky to win 2-0 at Goodison Park in November.But Carragher added: “I don’t think we played particularly well and Everton had a decent game, to be fair.

“But we still managed to go to Goodison, one of the toughest places in the country, not play well and win 2-0.”

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has an unbeaten home record against Everton since taking charge in the summer of 2004.

And he said: “Every game for us now is important but because this is the first one it is the most important. When you’re not in a very good position, you know that every game will be crucial.”