Jordan Pickford said the team needs to play at full strength to gain an advantage in the match against Liverpool.

Jordan Pickford expressed his strong desire to lead Everton to European competition next season, and also discussed the team's mindset ahead of the upcoming Merseyside derby. Everton will host Liverpool at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday, marking the first time the world-class seaside ground will host a Merseyside derby.  

This match is of great significance for Everton, as their opponent is a formidable city rival. Previously, last weekend the team drew 2-2 away to Brentford, with Kiernan Diussbury-Hall scoring the equalizer in stoppage time to secure a crucial point and keep their hopes of qualifying for European competitions alive.  

Jordan Pickford, looking ahead to the upcoming games, said: "The manager set the goal of returning to European competitions during the preseason, and that remains our goal. We still have six key games to play."  

“We got a point against Brentford and now we’re up against Liverpool. It’s going to be a big game, the first Merseyside derby at Hill Dickinson Stadium. We’ll take it one game at a time and hopefully get Everton back to European competition.”  

If Everton defeat Liverpool this weekend, they will reach 50 points in the Premier League, narrowing the gap with fifth-placed Liverpool to just two points. Everton previously put on a strong performance at Hill Dickinson Stadium, securing a 3-0 victory over Chelsea.  

Jordan Pickford says Everton must deliver their best performance again to secure all three points on Sunday. He added: "Next up we face defending champions Liverpool, which will be a tough match. Despite their less-than-stellar season, they remain a formidable threat."  

“We are really looking forward to this game. We will fight hard in each game and focus on the next game. The coach also asked us to do the same thing, to take it one game at a time.”  

Image source: Internet/Everton official website