Everton dented a massive blow to Liverpool’s Premier League title hopes with a 2-0 win in the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park on Wednesday night. Goals from Jarrad Branthwaite and Dominic Calvert-Lewin sealed a memorable deal for the Toffees.
It was a night Everton fans will remember for a long time and Liverpool will want to forget as fast as possible. Jurgen Klopp’s side have dropped points in three of their last four Premier League fixtures, including two defeats in three games. The result at Goodison Park would have left Arsenal and Manchester City ecstatic.
Match Summary
Jarrad Branthwaite gave Everton the lead with a close-range finish past Allison Becker’s legs. Jordan Pickford kept the hosts in the game by making massive saves from Darwin Nunez, Luis Diaz and Andy Robertson.
The Toffees effectively sealed the victory when Dominic Calvert-Lewin rose at the far post and planted a free header from Dwight McNeil’s corner just before the hour mark. In reply, the Reds conjured up some chances but couldn’t beat the inspired Pickford once in the night.
Match Stats
As envisioned, Liverpool enjoyed a foothold in the game with 77% ball possession. They had 51 touches in the opposition in comparison to Everton’s 30. Jurgen Klopp’s men had 23 shots with 7 on target, while Everton had 16 with six on target.
The Reds had 2.43 expected goals compared to the Toffees’ 1.30. (Courtesy: The xG Philosophy)
Liverpool slip up in a three-horse title race
After 34 games, Liverpool have accumulated 74 points and remain three points behind table-toppers Arsenal. Their goal difference is +41 compared to the Gunners +56.
Elsewhere, Manchester City are third on the table with 73 points but have played two games less than Liverpool and Arsenal. Their goal difference is +44, and keeping these stats in mind, one would argue that Everton inflicted potentially irreparable damage to Jurgen Klopp’s side in midweek.
A rare Merseyside derby win for Everton at Goodison Park
It was Everton’s first Merseyside derby win at home since October 17, 2010, with the crowd taunting the travelling Liverpool supporters with “You Lost The League At Goodison Park”. They ended a 12-game winless run against their arch-rivals (Drawn 9 and Lost 3)
Sean Dyche became only the second Everton boss to win the Merseyside derby against Jurgen Klopp’s side after Carlo Ancelotti, whose troops were triumphant 1-0 at Anfield in February 2021 in a behind-closed-doors contest due to COVID. It was the Toffees’ first win at Anfield since 1999.
Sean Dyche’s Everton claim massive three points in relegation dogfight
Barely a week after the 6-0 smashing at the hands of Chelsea, Everton were a transformed unit. Filled with conviction, urgency and energy, they peppered the opposition’s half with long balls and tested them with set-pieces. Both goals resulted from set plays, with Sean Dyche getting his tactics spot on and deserving to fully enjoy the best night with the home fans since his appointment.
The Royal Blues have won three of their last four league games and have climbed to 16th on the table after 34 games. The Merseyside club, who faced points deduction earlier in the campaign for breaching the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR), have amassed 33 points and are seven points above 17th-placed Nottingham Forest. The win over their traditional rivals almost guaranteed safety for Dyche’s side after a difficult season.
Where do Liverpool go from here?
Liverpool have to win their remaining four games to wrap up the campaign, starting with Saturday’s lunch-time kick-off against West Ham United at the London Stadium, to have an outside chance of winning the Premier League title whilst hoping both Arsenal and Man City drop points.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.
