It was the manner of victory at Everton, not only Ross Barkley’s dangerous challenge, that has left its mark on Jordan Henderson. For a Jürgen Klopp team to chase three points until the last is not uncommon but to come through at Goodison Park with a show of resilience, defensive organisation and strength in depth bodes well for what lies ahead in the eyes of the Liverpool captain.
“As long as you win the derby that is the main thing,” Henderson said. “But we are very pleased with how we won – going to Goodison and dominating, especially in the second half, defending solidly as a team, winning the ball back quickly and keeping a clean sheet. That’s important.”
The Liverpool midfielder has heard the doubts aired over the team’s defensive resolve in recent weeks. Ronald Koeman touched on the subject before Monday’s derby when insisting his Everton team could take encouragement from the 20 Premier League goals Liverpool had conceded this season. He forgot to mention that Everton had also conceded 20 before Sadio Mané made it 21 in stoppage time at Goodison Park.
Ultimately, and despite Liverpool not touching the ball once inside the Everton penalty area until the 27th minute, Simon Mignolet was untroubled throughout. Liverpool departed with a second successive clean sheet in the absence of the injured Joël Matip and their first 1-0 win in the Premier League since beating Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on 30 December last year.
Henderson said: “It was a big plus for us. We are very pleased with keeping a clean sheet and also in the last game as well [the 3-0 win at Middlesbrough]. We have looked solid in the last couple of games, which is pleasing.
“It is always a tough game at Goodison, so to play the way we did was pleasing. We gave everything for the 90 minutes and we looked pretty solid defensively. We defended really well as a team. We were pleased with the goal but also pleased with the clean sheet. It was a bit hectic in the first half, a typical derby game, fast and wild, but I felt we dealt with that pretty well and at the end of the first half we started to dominate the ball and we took that into the second half when we were pushing for the winner.”
Liverpool’s rise to second in the Premier League behind Chelsea – who visit Anfield at the end of next month – is as unsurprising to their captain as the resolve they showed against Everton’s initial barrage.
“I said at the start of the season that I had a lot of confidence and belief that we could be high up the table,” the England international said. “I saw no reason, when I looked at the manager and the squad and the way the summer had gone, why we could not challenge for trophies. It isn’t a surprise to me that we are doing well. It could be better. There are games we have lost that we could have drawn, games we have drawn that we should have won. There are also things for us to improve – we know that – but it is pleasing that in the majority of games we have been at a high level.
“I know I always say: ‘Focus on the next game’ but that is the truth. You can’t focus on the final outcome and start talking about what you might achieve when there is so much work to do. We have got to keep looking at the next challenge. If you take your eye off the ball, that is when you encounter problems. That is why we will just focus on the next performance and see where that takes us.”
The introduction from the substitutes’ bench of Daniel Sturridge and Emre Can gave Liverpool added impetus in the defining final stages of the derby. For Henderson, Sturridge’s return from a month out with a calf injury – and at a time when Philippe Coutinho is sidelined and Mané will soon be bound for the Africa Cup of Nations – gives Klopp’s team another lift.
“Daniel has been frustrated that he hasn’t been involved but he has not let it affect him and around the place he has stayed happy and quite chilled,” Henderson said. “You know when he gets fit he is a big plus because he has so much quality. When he comes on and when he plays, you know he is going to produce magic and create goals. I don’t think he struck the shot as clean as he would have liked but the key was the way he got himself an extra half-yard. That is what he is brilliant at, with the close touch and movement. He gets the space, he gets away, the shot is a bit scruffy but we have got a goal because of it.
“We all know the talent he has. Everyone knows what a big player he can be for us. All the big stuff a striker needs to do, he is brilliant at. We just need him to stay as fit as we can. When he is fit, he is one of the best around and he has shown that over the years. It’s only a matter of time before he scores in the Premier League again and hopefully that will be the start of another one of those runs.”
