Liverpool 2-0 Everton: Mohamed Salah’s second-half penalty and stoppage-time tap-in seals victory and bragging rights for Jurgen Klopp’s side over determined 10-man rivals… and sends them top!
- Ashley Young was dismissed before half-time break after receiving a second booking for a foul on Luis Diaz
- Everton’s defence looked solid throughout but were undone by a penalty after Diaz’s cross struck Keane’s arm
- Listen to the latest episode of Mail Sport’s podcast ‘It’s All Kicking Off!’
Mohamed Salah’s maintained his remarkable run of goal contributions with a match-winning double as Liverpool eventually broke down 10-man Everton to go top of the Premier League following their lunchtime kick off.
Ashley Young’s dismissal after 37 minutes handed Liverpool the advantage but they only capitalised 15 minutes from the end when Luis Diaz’s cross was blocked by Michael Keane’s hand and Salah rammed home from the spot.
It was the 15th consecutive Premier League match in a row that the Egyptian has either scored or assisted, coming after an emotional week in which he appealed on social media for international aid to help people in Gaza.
He then applied the final blow in injury-time when set up by substitute Darwin Nunez for his second.
Jurgen Klopp, beaten only once in the Merseyside derby in eight years, handed a first Premier League start to Ryan Gravenberch with Kostas Tsimikas deputising for injured left-back Andy Robertson.
Veteran defender Ashley Young recieved a second yellow card for a foul on Luis Diaz in the 37th minute of the game at Anfield
Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate was fortunate not to suffer the same fate after a cynical foul went unpunished by Craig Pawson
Everton manager Sean Dyche was enraged by the decision not to award Konate a second booking with the score at 0-0
Your browser does not support iframes.
PLAYER RATINGS AND MATCH FACTS
Liverpool (4-3-3): Allison 6: Alexander-Arnold 7, Konate 6.5 (Matip 67 6), van Dijk 6, Tsimikas 5.5 (Nunez 62 7); Szoboszlai 7, Mac Allister 6.5, Gravenberch 6 (Elliott 62 7); Salah 8, Jota 6.5, Diaz 7.5 (Gomez 81)
Subs unused: Kelleher (Gk), Quansah, Endo, Scanlon, McConnell
Goal: Salah pen 75, 90
Booked: Konate
Everton (4-2-3-1): Pickford 6.5: Young 5.5, Tarkowski 6, Branthwaite 7, Mykolenko 6.5 (Chermiti 88); Garner 6, Onana 7 (Danjuma 80); Harrison 6 (Keane 45 5.5), Doucoure 6, McNeil 6 (Patterson 45 5.5); Calvert-Lewin 6 (Beto 61 6)
Subs unused: Virginia (Gk), Patterson, Keane, Godfrey, Gueye, Beto, Dobbin
Booked: TarkowskiSent off: Young
Referee: Craig Pawson 6
Despite the upper tier of the Anfield stand being closed, there was still a derby buzz matched by the pace of the game.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed at Allison inside the first minute while Liverpool swarmed forward at every opportunity, Mo Salah uncharacteristically mis-kicking in the box.
The to-and-fro was best summed up by Liverpool almost scoring from an Everton corner. Ibrahima Konate cleared and the Reds roared up the other end within seconds with Young making a vital block to deny Diaz.
Their individual battle was key. Young was booked for fouling the Colombian early on and that had consequences after 37 minutes.
The veteran lunged in to tackle his winger just outside the box. There was no malice in the challenge but he was late, caught the man instead of the ball and referee Craig Pawson showed him a second yellow.
Young chirped away at the decision as he trudged off having become at 38 years, 104 days the third-oldest player to be sent off in the Premier League, behind Stuart Pearce and Phil Jagielka.
It was also the 23rd red card shown in the Merseyside derby during the Premier League era – a record f of any fixture.
Liverpool hadn’t created much by half-time. Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose Range was damaged by Storm Babet last week, put a free-kick into the wall. Salah’s curler was wide and Alexander-Arnold’s fizzed a cross into the six-yard box that none of his team-mates could reach.
Dyche responded at the interval by sending on defenders Michael Keane and Nathan Patterson for wingers Harrison and McNeil, turning Everton into a 5-3-1.
Keane and Jarrad Branthwaite gave each other a defenders’ high-five when they charged down shots in the same attack.
Luis Diaz’s quick feet and cross proved vital for the home side as Michael Keane was penalised for handball in the latter stages
Craig Pawson was instructed to review the incident on the pitchside monitor before finally awarding a penalty for Liverpool
Mohamed Salah decisively dispatched his penalty to give Liverpool the lead against a stubborn Everton side down to ten
Liverpool’s talisman added a second deep into stoppage time as the vistors attempted to grab a late equaliser at Anfield
Onana’s desperation to keep pace with Diaz saw him fall head-first over the advertising in the Kop.
Jurgen Klopp sent on Darwin Nunez and Harvey Elliott after an hour and the pressure became too hot for Everton to handle.
They were lucky to escape without conceding a penalty when Nathan Patterson slid into Diaz but the winger got his revenge when his cross was blocked by Keane’s outstretched arm and VAR gave the penalty.
Dominik Szoboszlai had initially taken the ball but it was Salah who eventually took responsibility, after 75 minutes – emphatically sending Pickford the wrong way for his 200th league goal.
There were groans from The Kop when nine minutes of injury-time was signalled but they needn’t have worried. Instead of a shock leveller, Liverpool extended their lead. Substitutes Elliott and Nunez combined to set up Salah who easily found the net with a first-time finish from 12 yards.
IT’S ALL KICKING OFF!
It’s All Kicking Off is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football.
It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube, Apple Music and Spotify.
Your browser does not support iframes.
Source: Read Full Article
