Liverpool went top of the Premier League in the 243rd Merseyside Derby as they dispatched Everton 2-0.
Mohamed Salah was the scorer of both goals, a penalty and a tap-in, after a Michael Keane handball and an electric Darwin Nunez counter-attack.
Ashley Young was sent off for two yellow cards, giving the visitors a mountainous task after just 37 minutes.
Liverpool go to the summit of the league table, with their title rivals due to play later on in the afternoon.
Everton sit 16th after nine games, with the teams around them also featuring later.
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Story of the Match
Jurgen Klopp made four changes from the draw with Brighton, Kostas Tsmikas, Diogo Jota, Ibrahima Konate and Ryan Gravenberch replacing Andy Robertson, Nunez, Joel Matip and Harvey Elliott.
There was no changes for their city rivals from the win over Bournemouth, but Idrissa Gueye returned to the bench following his heel issue.
The Blues had the first chance of the contest when Dominic Calvert-Lewin rose above Virgil van Dijk, but he could only head it straight at Alisson around 45 seconds into the contest.
Liverpool then grew into the ascendency, firstly, Salah scuffed a glorious chance, after a sublime pass from Dominick Szoboszlai.
A dangerous delivery across the box from Tsmikas threatened but somehow no one could connect with it to give the hosts the lead.
A blistering counter-attack was stopped from bearing fruit for the Reds by Young, as Diaz was released by Szoboszlai.
However, the veteran was booked soon after for stopping another counter by bringing the Colombian down in the hosts own half.
Another chance for the hosts came when Salah bent a curling effort narrowly over the crossbar after outmuscling Dwight McNeil.
James Tarkowski was booked after 32 minutes, and Everton were reduced to 10 men in the 37th minute when Young received a second booking for bringing down Diaz just outside the penalty area, he could not have any complaints.
He was the first player to be sent off against Liverpool for two yellow cards since Sadio Mane during his Southampton days, in October 2015.
Trent Alexander-Arnold and Szoboszlai had efforts from range fly just over the crossbar before the half-time break as the hosts sought to punish their weakened visitors.
Liverpool find breakthrough in second half
Sean Dyche made two changes during the interval, Keane and Nathan Patterson on for McNeil and Jack Harrison, as the Blues looked to steady the ship after the dismissal.
The first booking for the hosts was Konate, penalising for bringing down Amadou Onana in his own half.
The Reds continued to create, Salah and Gravenberch both seeing shots blocked by Tarkowski, two hugely important interventions from the Blues skipper.
The hosts rang the changes around the hour mark, Nunez and Elliott entering the pitch in the place of Tsmikas and Gravenberch whilst the visitors replaced Calvert-Lewin with Beto.
Konate was lucky to stay on the pitch, his foul on Beto could quite easily have been a second yellow card and seen the Reds reduced to 10 like the visitors.
Jurgen Klopp wasted no time subbing the Frenchman for the experienced Matip, maybe sensing that his side got away with one.
Liverpool had two penalty appeals, the first for a foul on Diaz was denied but the second for a handball by Keane was given after a VAR check in the 75th minute.
The resulting spot kick was dispatched by Salah, who gave the England number one absolutely no chance as he smashed it into the right of the net.
With ten minutes remaining Joe Gomez was brought for Diaz as the hosts sought to protect their lead, whilst Arnaut Danjuma replaced Onana for the Blues.
A chance for the hosts to double the lead came when Szoboszlai’s corner found Jota, but the Portuguese forward could only head straight at Pickford.
With four minutes remaining, Klopp’s side nearly doubled their lead again, this time, Nunez ran at the Everton defence and Jarrad Branthwaite nearly put the ball in his own net.
The visitors made a substitution as they tried to rescue a draw, 19-year-old striker Youssef Chermiti on for Vitaliy Mykolenko.
A stunning strike from range by Elliott nearly sealed the contest as the clock went past 89 minutes, but Pickford was up to task and denied the youngster.
There was nine added minutes, and Jota had another chance to seal the deal, weaving past defenders before hitting the side netting.
The 93rd minute brought a corner for the visitors as Chermiti latched onto a long ball and van Dijk was forced to clear his lines.
Liverpool countered but Salah ran into Abdoulaye Doucoure, who made a brilliant stop to deny the break.
As the Reds pushed forward again, not content with a one goal lead, Szoboszlai dinked an effort well wide of the target in the 95th minute.
The hosts then finally effectively ended the game in the 97th minute as Nunez’s rapid counter found Salah, who made no mistake as he stayed onside.
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Player of the Match
Mohamed Salah
After a rather subdued first half, the Egyptian came into the contest in the second-half.
He had a goal bound effort blocked before smashing the penalty home and clinched the game with a tap-in.
Not his finest game, but two more vital goals to add to his tally and push Liverpool forward in the title race.
