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LONDON. — Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard heads into the Merseyside derby against Everton admitting there will be a “huge hole” in his career if he retires without winning the English Premier League soccer title. Gerrard has enjoyed a magnificent career with Liverpool and is already regarded as one of the club’s all-time greats after almost single-handedly inspiring their 2005 Champions League final win over AC Milan.
The England midfielder cherishes the memory of his heroics that epic night in Istanbul and also a year later in the FA Cup final victory against West Ham.
But he knows the absence of a Premier League winners medal from his glittering CV is a major blemish.
After a surprisingly strong start to the season lifted Liverpool to second place, two points behind leaders Arsenal going into this weekend, Gerrard finds himself in with a chance of finally mounting a serious title challenge
And, speaking before today’s clash with hated city rivals Everton at Goodison Park, Gerrard made it clear he won’t give up fighting for the crown.
“There’d be a hole missing in my career (without a title win) but I don’t think I’d spend the rest of my life being irritated or annoyed or frustrated,” Gerrard told ESPNFC.
“Since I broke into this team at 18 years of age I’ve tried to win the title but it hasn’t happened.
“I’ve got a couple more chances and I’ll continue to fight for it.”
The 221st Merseyside derby will be Everton manager Roberto Martinez’s first taste of one of English football’s most frenetic fixtures and he knows the key to taking the bragging rights is stopping Liverpool strikers Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge.
“They have had a very good start to the season and are very influential,” he said.
“They have got a real goalscoring threat. But as a team, you are always used to coping with threats of the opposition.
“Not long ago we had a very good team full of individuals here — Spurs — and we dealt with them really well.”
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers, meanwhile, goes in search of his first win in a Merseyside derby against Everton confident his players are better equipped for the challenge than before.
After two draws in Rodgers’ first experiences of the derby atmosphere last season, the Reds hope to give the boss a maiden victory in today’s meeting at Goodison Park.
Liverpool are just two points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal, while Everton are three points adrift of their hated neighbours in sixth.
With so much at stake, Rodgers expects the 221st Merseyside derby to be as frenzied as ever and believes his team are now more battle-hardened and capable of thriving in such a testing situation.
“It’s a really hostile environment to go and play in,” Rodgers said.
“Goodison is a really good venue for football and it’s a ground that will test your character.
“But that’s something we will look forward to because, if there’s one thing that we’ve improved in the time that I’ve been here, is there’s resilience in the team.
“We will lose games but our ability to bounce back and to be resolute is improving all the time. So it will be a good ground to go and play in. And it will be great for us to go and play our football.
“Every game away from home is a test of character. But, of course, when it’s a derby game and the rivalry and the history of this game is there, it will always test you.”
Everton boast an impressive home record, having not lost at Goodison Park since December 2012, and caught the eye in victories over Chelsea and Newcastle this season.
And Rodgers, who will check on the fitness of striker Sturridge (thigh) but should have captain Gerrard (hip) available, believes their city rivals will be among those teams who are a threat to his side’s ambitions to break into the top four.
“They’ll be up there challenging this season, but their recent history shows you that,” Rodgers added.
“They looked like they were maybe going to be in line for the top four last season but then dropped off a wee bit. They still finished in the top six.
“Both teams have made a very good start to this season and they are one of our rivals. But it’s no surprise, Everton have been up there for the last few years.
“They’ve been very competitive and been up and around that level for a few years. Roberto (Martinez) has come in and he’ll do an excellent job there.”
If Liverpool slip up at Goodison in today’s early game, Arsenal will have a chance to move further clear with a win over Southampton at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsene Wenger’s team should be boosted by the return to fitness of former Southampton winger Theo Walcott after two months out following abdominal surgery.
“Of course you miss a player like Theo Walcott,” Wenger said. “Strikers who get behind the defenders have a very important quality and Theo has that quality.
“He can always give you a different option in the game and that is of course vital.”
Third-placed Saints will travel to north London looking to maintain their impressive run and boss Mauricio Pochettino insists his side have no reason to fear the Gunners.
“We believe that we can play a very good game and we can get a very positive result in this game — we always believe that,” Pochettino said.
Chelsea, four points behind Arsenal in fourth place, can’t afford another slip when they make the short trip across London to face West Ham at Upton Park.
Jose Mourinho’s men have failed to win their last two league matches, losing to Newcastle and drawing with West Bromwich Albion, while West Ham are also in need of the points after a run of four games without a win left them above the relegation zone only on goal difference.
Tomorrow, champions Manchester United face Cardiff in south Wales for the first time since 1974.
United went into the international break boosted by a 1-0 win over Arsenal which revived their flagging title defence, but they still have little margin for error in the race to catch the leaders.
Manchester City take on Tottenham in one of the weekend’s most eye-catching fixtures between a pair of title contenders both struggling to live up to that billing.
City slumped to a shock defeat at Sunderland in their last match and are six points adrift of Arsenal, while Tottenham are only one point and one place better off after a 1-0 home loss against Newcastle.
Fixtures
Today (5pm unless stated): Arsenal v Southampton, Everton v Liverpool (2:45pm), Fulham v Swansea, Hull v Crystal Palace, Newcastle v Norwich, Stoke v Sunderland, West Ham v Chelsea
Tomorrow: Cardiff v Manchester United (6pm), Manchester City v Tottenham (3:30pm)
Monday: West Brom v Aston Villa (10pm)
English Premier League table
P W D L F A Pts
Arsenal 11 8 1 2 22 10 25
Liverpool 11 7 2 2 21 10 23
Southampton 11 6 4 1 15 5 22
Chelsea 11 6 3 2 18 10 21
Manchester United 11 6 2 3 18 13 20
Everton 11 5 5 1 14 10 20
Tottenham 11 6 2 3 9 6 20
Manchester City 11 6 1 4 28 12 19
Newcastle 11 5 2 4 15 16 17
West Brom 11 3 5 3 12 12 14
Aston Villa 11 4 2 5 11 12 14
Hull 11 4 2 5 9 14 14
Swansea 11 3 3 5 15 15 12
Cardiff 11 3 3 5 9 15 12
Norwich 11 3 2 6 9 21 11
West Ham 11 2 4 5 9 11 10
Stoke 11 2 4 5 10 14 10
Fulham 11 3 1 7 10 19 10
Sunderland 11 2 1 8 8 22 7
Crystal Palace 11 1 1 9 6 21 4
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