Liverpool won their opening three league games, but they received a rude shock when Aston Villa fired seven goals past them at Villa Park ahead of the international break.
The defeat brought back question marks over Liverpool’s defence and the form of Virgil van Dijk, who even looked shaky at the back with the Netherlands during international duty.
Beckford admits that Everton could face a more determined Liverpool side who will be desperate to bounce back, but believes the Aston Villa result will still play on their minds.
He insists that ahead of the derby the Reds are under a lot more pressure than normal and will be facing an Everton side who are at the top of the league table after winning their opening four games.
Beckford told The Athletic: “Is the 7-2 a good thing for us? Of course, it’s a good thing.
“Yes, they are the champions and will be looking to bounce back with their usual high intensity and a much better performance than at Aston Villa.
“They won’t be happy with that, obviously, because that game spun the heads of the football community.
“The derby won’t be the same by any stretch of the imagination but it’s still good that they lost so badly because they’re under an awful lot of pressure now.
“We are going into the game top of the league, unbeaten with four wins out of four — which position would you rather be in?”
Everton have not won a derby against Liverpool since winning at Goodison Park in October 2010.
