“Not acceptable,” Slot says of Liverpool’s derby response.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot described the defeat at Plymouth Argyle as “not acceptable” and stressed that his team must rebound ahead of their Merseyside derby clash with Everton on Wednesday at 19:30 GMT.

A significantly altered Reds lineup suffered a surprising 1-0 loss to Plymouth—currently at the bottom of the Championship—in an FA Cup upset on Sunday.

Now, with the Premier League derby against Everton on the horizon, Liverpool are aiming to extend their lead at the top of the table to nine points in what will be the final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park.

“We beat Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup third round, but to lose against Plymouth is, of course, unacceptable. Both the team and our fans are disappointed by that result,” Slot said.

He added, “We need to show a different side on Wednesday because our performance, not just the result, was far below Liverpool’s standards.”

This match will be Slot’s first derby as the Reds’ manager and the last at Goodison Park, as Everton are set to move to their new stadium next season.

The originally scheduled game on 7 December was canceled due to Storm Darragh over safety concerns. Although Everton were defeated by Bournemouth in the FA Cup on Saturday, they have won their last three league matches under manager David Moyes, who replaced Sean Dyche in January.

Slot expects a “fantastic atmosphere” but urged his players to “keep a cool head, but not cool legs” when handling the occasion.

“It is not the first time these players have competed in high-intensity atmospheres,” Slot noted, adding that right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold might be available after recovering from injury.

“I hope they can focus on what they need to do. It’s not only about tactics—you also have to manage the emotions. I observed in the Plymouth game that the aggressive tackles were partly a result of the charged atmosphere in the stadium. We have to be prepared for that.”