The 246th Merseyside derby was as much of a cathartic release for Liverpool as another step closer to a 20th league title. Arne Slot’s side cleansed themselves of recent torment against Everton and two deflating cup defeats with a hard-fought but deserved victory courtesy of Diogo Jota’s fine individual goal. A maximum of 13 points is all that is required from the remaining eight games of the season to put the Premier League trophy on display at Anfield once again.
There was a determination to seize control of the derby from the start by Liverpool and, unlike the previous two encounters at Goodison Park, a composure in possession that enabled them to do so. The painful Champions League exit and deserved Carabao Cup final defeat that preceded the international break, plus of course memories of their last run-in with Everton 49 days ago, may also have fuelled the hunger and intensity of a team closing in on the Premier League title.
Liverpool 1-0 Everton: Premier League – live reaction
That said, Liverpool rarely extended Jordan Pickford in the first half and it was Everton, with Beto giving both Ibrahima Konaté and Virgil van Dijk an uncomfortable evening, who created the clearer opportunities on the break.
A fixture that finished with a multitude of flashpoints last time around soon offered up another. James Tarkowski was fortunate in the extreme not to be sent off with 11 minutes gone and to leave the team he rescued with a 98th-minute equaliser at Goodison seriously in the hole at Anfield. Jota had just created Liverpool’s first opening, spinning away from Tarkowski and having a shot blocked by Jarrad Branthwaite. The loose ball spun between the Everton captain and Alexis Mac Allister. Tarkowski got there first but, having cleared out the ball, he followed through to catch the Liverpool midfielder with a dangerously high foot. The referee, Sam Barrott, showed only a yellow card to the central defender for a reckless foul. The video assistant referee – Jürgen Klopp’s old friend Paul Tierney – surprisingly went with the referee’s initial call. Slot could only shake his head in disbelief on the sidelines while Mac Allister made a point of showing Barrott the stud marks in his shin.
For all their dominance of the ball and numerous set-pieces, Liverpool created few clearcut openings before the interval. Mohamed Salah had the best, from a Luis Díaz cross to the back post, but placed a header straight at the Everton goalkeeper. The visitors fashioned the better first half openings against a Liverpool central defence that was unusually vulnerable to quick, direct balls in behind.
James Tarkowski flies into a challenge on Alexis Mac Allister, but escapes with a yellow card. Photograph: Liverpool FC/Getty Images
Beto proved a tireless, unorthodox thorn in the side of Van Dijk and Konaté. Everton’s lone centre-forward had the ball in the Liverpool net when Van Dijk failed to deal with Tarkowski’s searching pass out of defence. Beto raced through to convert between the legs of Caoimhín Kelleher but was just offside. Kelleher again started in goal for Liverpool as Alisson was absent due to concussion protocols, having sustained a head injury while on international duty with Brazil.
Beto found himself clean through on goal for a second time when Van Dijk swiped at an Abdoulaye Doucouré pass and missed his attempted clearance. This time the striker was onside but, having beaten the advancing Kelleher, his powerful finish struck the base of a post and cannoned clear. It was a huge let-off for Liverpool, as was the final action of the first half when James Garner’s free-kick picked out the unmarked Carlos Alcaraz in front of Kelleher’s goal. The on-loan midfielder miscued his header badly wide.
Everton’s misses, as Moyes would have known and feared, proved costly. Liverpool started the second half with renewed intent and aggression. Ryan Gravenberch began to exert more influence in central midfield and the pressure was mounting, the Kop expectant, before Jota finally produced an end product. Pickford parried from the Netherlands international and Branthwaite did well to clear with a diving header with Salah primed to pounce. But the visitors remained encamped on the back foot.
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Moments later Gravenberch directed a pass towards an offside Díaz. Tarkowski intercepted and Díaz, back in an onside position, teed up Jota with a cute backheel on the edge of the penalty area. The Portugal international swept past Idrissa Gueye into the box and away from Tarkowski before completing his run with a characteristically cool, measured shot beyond Pickford.
Everton’s appeals for an offside against Díaz in the buildup were in vain. Their attempts to turn the tide of the derby or at least challenge Liverpool’s authority proved similarly fruitless. Moyes made five late changes in an attempt to salvage a point but Liverpool held firm and could have extended their lead through Díaz. Darwin Núñez, a replacement for Jota, was fouled inside the Everton area by Pickford in the closing minutes but play had already been halted for a foul by Tim Iroegbunam on Dominik Szoboszlai. That, however, was the only late pain that Liverpool suffered in this derby.
