With the first Merseyside derby of the current season just a few days away, Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has been talking about the game and the Blues fine recent run of form.
Everton are on a good run at the moment and after six straight home wins and a creditable draw at high-flying Chelsea, probably couldn’t go into this first derby of 2018-19 in better shape.
The only negative during this spell being a 2-1 reverse at Manchester United.
And after an early season blighted with injury problems, the Blues also have a virtually full strength squad to pick from.
Everton have been playing some excellent football in some of these games, although last weekend’s workmanlike 1-0 defeat of Cardiff City was not amongst them.
On top of that Liverpool are coming off the back of a defeat in Paris against PSG that has left their Champions League hopes hanging by a thread.
However given all that the Toffees have a truly terrible recent record against their neighbours, especially at Anfield where they haven’t won since September 1999.
So there is little basis for any excessive sense of overconfidence heading into this match.
But Blues stopper Pickford has been explaining why Everton fans might have reason for cautious optimism about Sunday’s game.
Speaking to evertonfc.com, the England keeper says that the team have already developed a great mentality despite the fact there are so many new faces at Finch Farm.
"“As a group of lads, we have got a great squad mentality, a fairly new side and we have all come together really well.“The new signings are flying really and they will go into the derby not knowing what to expect. That will be a positive for us and we have the experienced lads to help the new ones if needs be”More from Prince Rupert's TowerEverton 0 Arsenal 1: Blues fall to third home defeatFurther chaos in Everton takeover as other lenders not keen on 777 PartnersEverton need repeat of Arsenal win to kick-start their season on SundayMore madness at Everton as Moshiri now agrees to sell club to 777 PartnersEverton takeover talk cools after UK govt doubts and further questions"
And the Sunderland-born player knows all about the pressure of local derbies and how much they mean to the fans.
"“When I was growing up with Sunderland v Newcastle, getting one over on them quite a lot – its quality.”“I think on Sunday, there is an Arsenal v Tottenham game as well so there are derbies everywhere. But Liverpool against Everton has to be up there as one of the best.”"
At the moment Everton couldn’t really be in better shape to take on their local rivals so let’s hope they can finally shake off the Anfield curse and get a valuable three points against the reds.