Arsene Wenger believes that Liverpool fans create a huge atmosphere during home games, particularly in the Champions League, but says Everton's Goodison Park was even "more aggressive" than Anfield.
Everton's men's team has now played its last game at the famous stadium, with both the Reds and the Blues having won 41 editions of the Merseyside derby. Liverpool scored more goals at the ground, though, netting 149 to Everton's 143, and came out on top during the Premier League era.
"Everton's ground is a lot more aggressive than Liverpool's," Wenger said in 2011. "It's one of the noisiest I've been to. It has a great atmosphere."
There was only one moment in the whole of his first season when Arne Slot lost his composure. And that came in the final match that Liverpool will play at Goodison Park, when James Tarkowski scored a late equalizer.
"What happened was that, during the stoppage time, there was a lot that happened and the emotions got the better of me," Slot said. "I would have loved to do it differently if I could go back. I hope to do it differently the next time as well."
Ultimately, though, that goal worked out quite well for Liverpool. The two dropped points there led to the Reds being able to win the Premier League title at Anfield by beating Spurs, rather than when they were at home watching Arsenal.
Arne Slot, manager of Liverpool, is shown a red card by referee Michael Oliver at the end of the Premier League match between Everton FC and Liverpool FC at Goodison Park. Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images
Arne Slot, manager of Liverpool, is shown a red card by referee Michael Oliver at the end of the Premier League match between Everton FC and Liverpool FC at Goodison Park. Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images
"There were a lot of things that were hard to take in that extra time," Slot told The Athletic. "I am usually quite calm. But the whole situation meant it was not a place to be calm in.
"Their fans were very loud with it being the last derby at their stadium. In extra time, too, many things happened that were not OK. But we’re all human beings, we all make mistakes.
"We’re talking about the foul on Mo, we’re talking about the foul on Ibou (Konate), we’re talking about the fourth official who tells me there are only 60 seconds to play after there was an injury for them where he then gave the ball to them when we had the ball.
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"That meant they could put another long ball in. They scored after 80 seconds. I could feel that the referee was waiting for the moment when we would kick the ball away.
"But after 60 seconds, he should have blown the whistle. That was a bit too much, even for me! It felt at that moment in time like we had dropped two very important points.
"Looking back at it now, we have to thank Michael Oliver because that late goal meant we could win the title in our stadium."
Liverpool.com: Goodison Park was ferocious at its best, and it will be interesting to see what happens next year when Everton is playing at the Hill Dickinson stadium. It will be tough to replicate the same kind of intensity, even in big games.