Xabi Alonso will put his friendship with Mikel Arteta to one side when the pair meet in the Merseyside derby.
Reds midfielder determined to get one over his Everton friend
Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso will put his friendship with Everton's Mikel Arteta to one side when the pair meet in the Merseyside derby on Monday.
Both players began their careers with Basque side Real Sociedad in La Liga and have retained their bond to this day.
But Alonso, who will play directly opposite Arteta after declaring himself fit after missing the Stoke draw through injury, knows it will be his job to stop the in-form Everton playmaker.
The 26-year-old has scored three goals in his last two Premier League games going into the derby and Alonso knows how tough a challenge the match promises to be.
"For me to play against Mikel Arteta is special," Alonso told
skysports.com.
"We were in the same Spanish club and we were always friends, but this Monday we are rivals. My mission is to make him feel uncomfortable on the pitch.
Pressure
"Everton always play to their maximum against us. That is the real danger for Monday but we are optimistic.
"The derby always increases the work rate of any player. The games are always full of emotion and with an enormous atmosphere, it is an incredible match.
"We are favourites but in this match anything can happen. It is key to dominate the ball from the first moment and impose our rhythm at Anfield."
Liverpool know that a win on Monday will see them return to the top of the table after being knocked off top spot by rivals Machester United.
But the Spanish international admits that his team-mates do not focus on the clubs around them.
"The squad only think about our club. We are not preoccupied by Manchester United," Alonso added.
"For me it is not a surprise because I always believed that United are better than Chelsea in the race for the title.
"For us it is not an extra pressure to play in the derby after we know that United won. We must avoid the distractions of other clubs."
