The fifth round of the 2025/26 Premier League season will see Liverpool host Everton in a Merseyside derby. Slaughter expressed his admiration for the rivalry between Liverpool and Everton at a press conference, urging his team to maintain a high level of intensity both with and without the ball.

In the last round of the Premier League, Liverpool beat Burnley 1-0 away from home after Salah scored in the last minute. As for Everton, Moyes' team defeated Wolves 3-2 in the last round, in which Grealish once again contributed an assist to Everton.

Liverpool manager Slaughter said: "When we played Everton last season, they were in very good form and they have continued to do so this season. I think they have brought in some good players, including a player who was once worth 100 million pounds and is now doing very well for Everton, that is Grealish, so this is a very strong team."

"The rivalry is there, but what I also liked and wanted to highlight was that when Jota passed away, they came to Anfield to pay their respects, from the sporting director to everyone at the club. In such a sad moment, we can see that the rivalry between the two sides is still there, but both sides also have respect for each other. I am very much looking forward to the game tomorrow because every game at Anfield is special, and this derby is even more so."

Talking about how the new signings are preparing for the derby, Slaughter said: "I have experienced playing against Everton away, which is different from any away game I have experienced before. But for me, playing against Newcastle away last season felt very similar to playing against Everton. This is not the first time we have participated in this type of game, and for the new signings, this is not their first time playing in an environment full of fierce confrontation, tension and a lot of fighting."

“Of course we have to focus on the derby, but we also have to focus on what we need to do to win the game, which is to maintain intensity and win duels, while playing well both in possession and without the ball and maintaining a high intensity. It’s another difficult game because they have a lot of quality players.”

In addition, Slote also said, "I'm not sure what the opponent will do, whether there will be as many long passes as last season. But I have also seen them organize attacks from the back court many times this season, and they have done it very well. This may also be related to the fact that they have introduced players who can play long balls and pass and control, so we have to be prepared. Of course, players like Van Dijk and Salah will also tell the new players what they may encounter."

"This isn't the first time for these players to play in front of a packed stadium or in this type of match. For Wirtz, he's played in a lot of big matches in his career, and the same goes for the other players. This match is special, but it's not that far off from the big matches they've played in the past."