InterviewAlisson Becker explains how Liverpool can secure Merseyside derby win
Alisson Becker detailed the requirement of Liverpool playing the game, not the occasion, in Saturday's Merseyside derby with Everton.
The Reds took maximum points from both of the encounters with their local rivals last season, winning 4-1 away from home before April's 2-0 victory at Anfield.
They did so, Alisson recalled, by merely focusing on the task at hand across the 90 minutes of action, rather than being sucked in by the surroundings of such a high-profile showdown.
Previewing the trip to Goodison Park, the No.1 told Liverpoolfc.com: "You want to be part of a derby, you want to be part of the games where the atmospheres are always high from the supporters.
"But as football players, we are professionals, we have to keep our focus on what we need to do and the things that we need to do.
"We have to prepare the game as good as we can and then try to perform everything that we trained for, and then we will be close to achieve our goals."
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That said, the Merseyside derby is a spectacle Alisson looks forward to and has enjoyed playing his part in since arriving to the Premier League in 2018.
The Brazilian is set to rack up his seventh appearance in a fixture with Everton, as he targets a fourth victory.
"Big players always want to play these kind of games," the goalkeeper said. "The competition that the supporters have, they play together with you on the pitch. It looks like they are going on the pitch to play together.
"The atmosphere that they create for us is always amazing when we are playing at home or when we are playing away.
"Everton are not in their best moment in the last seasons but when the derby arrives, the levels, the teams go to the same place. Obviously it's about who has more desire.
"We have to keep our minds clear to do what we need to do on the pitch, to use our skills, to use our best performance to get the three points. And not get away with the emotions that you get from a derby, but be smart, playing a good game and trying to win."
Saturday's 12.30pm BST kick-off will be Liverpool's third outing in the last seven days.
As the fixtures keep on coming, Alisson stressed the importance of he and his teammates continuing to adopt their trusted game-by-game mantra.
He finished: "In the Premier League every game is important for us.
"We know that every game has the same value at the end of the season. Every victory has three points, no matter if it's a derby or not.
"We will fight for every game that we have in front of us to get the three points, to achieve our targets.
"We are really excited about this season and about the things we can achieve. But we have to focus on the moment, we have to focus on the next challenge that we have in front of us, thinking game by game, step by step.
"Then we are going to see what happens at the end of the season."