Liverpool never really got up to speed in the Merseyside derby and were forced to go down 2-0, a result which means that their Premier League title hopes are now essentially dead.
SUMMATION:
Liverpool looked set to make a nightmare start to the 244th Merseyside derby as Calvert-Lewin was brought down by Alisson and referee Andy Madley pointed to the penalty spot – but a VAR check showed an offside would be ruled in the build-up to the situation, allowing the Reds to breathe out.
A few minutes later, Liverpool were about to take the lead when Trent Alexander-Arnold chipped a ball in behind the blue backline to Mohamed Salah who played it towards the far post, but a defender in blue got in to clear the ball just in front of the goal line.
Everton created some from set pieces in the opening stages and Alisson was forced to show his quality to ensure the game remained goalless. Precise situations were the theme of the match during the first 20 minutes and for the home team it was apparently a desired development.
It was precisely a set piece and a tangled one that would lead to a 1-0 goal for Everton. A failed clearance allowed Everton to lift the ball into the penalty area again and after some pinball Jarrad Branthwaite was able to make it 1-0 to the home team.
After falling behind, Liverpool at least got some attacking momentum going and in the 35th minute the ball passed like a string to Darwin Nunez who was given a free to Jordan Pickford, but the finish went straight at the keeper for the home crowd to celebrate.
Another fine attack forced another fine save from Pickford minutes before the half-time break. The feeling was that Everton’s lead was a fragile one, but at the same time the home team had got the game where they wanted through many and sometimes long breaks.
Liverpool couldn’t get a hole in Everton before the end of the first half so when Madley blew the whistle for the half-time break they wandered out to the dressing room down.
Everton were happy to drop into a defensive, low-lying block with pretty much the whole team, which they were able to do without feeling any sort of stress thanks to the first-half lead. The fact that the home team dropped so much allowed Liverpool to dominate possession in the attacking half, but finding ways through the blue wall remained a challenge.
Liverpool had had the ball in their possession throughout the opening of the second half, but a set piece would have given Everton the chance to extend their lead. The first corner of the half reached Calvert-Lewin who was able to head in 2-0.
In the 63rd minute, Klopp made a triple substitution: Harvey Elliott, Wataru Endo and Jarell Quansah replaced Jones, Szoboszlai and Konaté.
Liverpool managed to establish some offensive pressure after the substitutions and Luis Diaz came very close to equalizing after just under 70 minutes when he cut in from the left and curled a shot towards the far post – but the ball hit the post!
The Reds chased goals but it didn’t get much better with the substitutions. Sean Dyche’s Everton were secure in their lead and shut down the visitors’ attempts to find a reduction goal.
With five minutes of regular time remaining, Klopp tried to boost his team by making two more substitutions: Joe Gomez and Kostas Tsimikas came off the bench in place of Alexander-Arnold and Robertson.
However, the changes did not have the desired effect. Everton were able to hold on to the lead without too much trouble and when the final whistle sounded it felt like Liverpool’s title chase in the league was over.
MATCH FACTS:
Premier League
Everton – Liverpool 2-0 (1-0)
The goals: 1-0: (27) Branthwaite, 2-0: (58) Calvert-Lewin (McNeil)
Domare: Andy Madley
Shots: 16-23
Shots on goal: 6-7
Ball possession: 23%-77%
Fittings: 221-711
Matching accuracy: 64%-88%
Fouls: 6-13
Yellow cards: 0-3
Offsides: 4-1
Corners: 4-13
WRITER’S PLAYER RATING:
Alisson 2.5, Alexander-Arnold 2 (ut 84), Konaté 2 (ut 63), Van Dijk 2.5, Robertson 2 (ut 84) Mac Allister 2, Szoboszlai 1.5 (ut 63), Jones 1.5 (ut 63), Salah 1, Diaz 1.5, Nunez 1.5, Elliott 1.5 (in 63), Endo 1.5 (in 63), Quansah 2 (in 63), Gomez – (in 84), Tsimikas – (in 84)
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