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Liverpool 2-0 Everton: Match report, player ratings, expert analysis, fan reaction and more

Goals from Mohamed Salah and a first league strike from Dutch star Cody Gakpo were enough to seal all three points for Liverpool on a Merseyside Derby night where no other result would have been deemed acceptable.

On a night where only one result would suffice for both Liverpool and Everton during the 242nd Merseyside Derby, it was Jürgen Klopp’s struggling Premier League giants that once again had the last laugh against their bitter rivals as the Reds ran out 2-0 winners at Anfield in relatively comfortable fashion thanks to goals from Mohamed Salah and a first league strike from Dutch star Cody Gakpo.

Everton was unable to build on their fantastic home result at Goodison Park last time out against table-topping Arsenal under new manager Sean Dyche, once again coming up short against their hated adversaries from just on the other side of Stanley Park.

The Reds seemingly needed no further motivation than a chance to once again get one over their biggest rivals on a night in front of the Kop as Liverpool came out at the races in the opening twenty-five minutes. Though neither side was able to put a shot on frame, Klopp’s men showed plenty of intent in front of home support on the back of what has been a horrendous run of form for the Premier League giants.

Everton so nearly struck first in the 36th minute when James Tarkowski rattled the post after his looping header beat Alisson, but Liverpool instantly broke at pace after Darwin Núñez and Mohamed Salah combined well to break the press before the Reds set off on a four-vs-two break before Salah received the ball back from the Uruguayan before chipping England international Jordan Pickford to send supporters into rapture on what was the Egyptian’s 100th goal involvement at Anfield.

It was the Reds’ first goal in 346-minutes of Premier League action, but certainly was the type of strike that supporters had become so accustomed to over the years under Klopp and both players and fans alike had found new voice while looking to double the advantage before the half-time interval.

Liverpool would begin the second half in the same way they ended the first after January signing Cody Gakpo finally bagged his first Premier League goal since his arrival from Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven when the 23-year-old hitman got ion the end of Trent Alexander-Arnold’s ball across the face of goal before tapping in at the far post to double the Reds’ lead in the 49th minute.

And the Reds nearly broke once again just after the resulting goal kick when youngster Stefan Bajcetić played Salah into space and looked free to test Pickford to his limits but a last-ditch block from Tarkowski expertly blocked the Egyptian’s goal-bound effort.

It would all end by the same scoreline come the final whistle, with Liverpool remaining dominant over Everton in recent years, with the Reds bagging their 16th win in their last thirty-one meetings (16-13-2) against the Toffees while also leapfrogging fellow underachieving Chelsea into 9th in the Premier League table.

Liverpool Player Ratings

  • GK: Alisson – 6.5
  • RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold – 7
  • CB: Joel Matip – 6.5
  • CB: Joe Gomez – 7
  • LB: Andrew Robertson – 7
  • DM: Fabinho – 7
  • CM: Jordan Henderson – 6.5
  • CM: Stefan Bajcetić – 7
  • RW: Mohamed Salah – 8
  • LW: Cody Gakpo – 7.5
  • CF: Darwin Núñez – 7.5
  • Sub: Diogo Jota – 6
  • Sub: Roberto Firmino – 6
  • Sub: James Milner – 6
  • Sub: Harvey Elliot – N/A
  • Sub: Naby Keïta – N/A

Everton Player Ratings

  • GK: Jordan Pickford – 5
  • RB: Seamus Coleman – 6.5
  • CB: Conor Coady – 5
  • CB: James Tarkowski – 7
  • LB: Vitalii Mykolenko – 6.5
  • DM: Idrissa Gueye – 7
  • RM: Dwight McNeil – 6.5
  • CM: Abdoulaye Doucouré – 5.5
  • CM: Amadou Onana – 6
  • LM: Alex Iwobi – 7
  • CF: Ellis Simms – 6
  • Sub: Demarai Gray – 6
  • Sub: Neal Maupay – 6
  • Sub: Tom Davies – 6

Key Performers

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Andrew Thompson

US-based Football writer. German football guru with a wealth of experience in youth development and analysis. Data aficionado. Happily championing the notion that Americans have a knowledgeable voice in the beautiful game.
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