A superb and controlled performance by Liverpool in the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park saw the Reds come away with a convincing 4-1 win that gives cause for optimism that Liverpool will maintain a strong title challenge.
A lightening start from the Reds saw them nearly score three times before, on nine minutes, a neat interchange involving Sadio Mané and Andy Robertson on the left resulted in the Scot cutting the ball back to the edge of the Everton area where captain Jordan Henderson was waiting to calmly curl his shot with his left foot into the corner of the goal beyond the hand of the diving Jordan Pickford.
Everton looked incapable of keeping up with Liverpool. They tried to turn the game into a war, but Liverpool rose above this belligerence with their calm possession game.
Thus, when, on 19 minutes, the outstanding Mo Salah latched onto a perfect Henderson pass and ran into the box and knocked the ball high into the side of the net, Everton fans began to leave the ground, not wanting to watch what looked like would turn into a humiliating drubbing.
Yet, rather than Liverpool going on to score a third and fourth before half-time, out of nothing, on 38 minutes, Everton winger Damari Gray found himself one-on-one with Alisson Becker and put the ball between the keeper’s legs to get Everton back into the game.
Still, despite Everton’s goal, there was every reason to believe this was a blip and Everton – other than their plan of turning the game into a scrap rather than a football game – did not have the ability not only to get back into the game from an attacking point of view but also to keep Liverpool’s devastating attacking players quiet.
And, indeed, on 64 minutes, a clearance from an Everton corner got their captain Seamus Coleman into trouble on the halfway line.
Caught in several minds – to control the ball, whack it clear over his head or knock it back to Pickford – the Irishman ended up bobbling the ball into the path of the pressing Mo Salah, who sprinted away passed the hapless left back, in full control of the ball, before clipping it passed the advancing keeper into the corner of the net. A sensational goal.
The rout was completed on 79 minutes when Diogo Jota cleverly turned Allan in the Everton area, then lashed the ball high into the net to make it 4-1.
Jota’s goal gave Jurgen Klopp the chance to make several substations, which we’ve become used to: James Milner on for Henderson, Alex Oxlade Chamberlain replacing Thiago Alcantara and Taki Minamino for Jota.
Joel Matip started ahead of Ibrahim Konate at centre back, alongside Virgil van Dijk, returning to the scene of the crime of Pickford’s outrageous challenge on him in last year’s equivalent fixture that ended the Dutchman’s season with a knee ligament injury.
Despite Liverpool’s outstanding performance and win, they still find themselves only third in the table with Manchester City and Chelsea show no signs of slipping up, beating Aston Villa and Watford away respectively.
Next up for Liverpool is another away game, this time against Wolves, who are having a good season so far under the guidance of Bruno Lage, though in their midweek fixture the Black Country side were frustrated by lowly Burnley, who held out for a 0-0 draw.
