If Everton could have won any of their last home matches in this final season at Goodison Park, then it would have been this one. They missed out on victory in the 120th and ultimate Merseyside derby here but this will still be remembered.
It was a quintessential derby, the emotion flowing more than the action did at times, and there was a dramatic twist in the plot right at the death.
Liverpool seemed as though they would take the bragging rights, edging the win count in this particular Goodison league fixture 42-41, after Mohamed Salah had scored his 22nd Premier League goal of the season with a little over 15 minutes left to play.
Yet, Everton would finish on a high and got the point their battling performance deserved. Substitute Tim Iroegbunum flicking on Vitalii Mykolenko’s cross that James Tarkowski slammed home on the volley in the eighth minute of stoppage time sent the stadium into a frenzy. It was some way for the central defender to cap appearance No.100 and for Everton to pull down the curtain.
It did boil over at the end when Abdoulaye Doucoure celebrated wildly in front of the Liverpool supporters, and Curtis Jones took umbrage. The almost ritualistic derby red cards came out and both were dismissed, as was Arne Slot, who protested towards the referee about the awarding of the dramatic equaliser.
There had been a wait for the goal to be awarded; VAR needed to judge the offsides and a possible foul, but Everton would not be denied. David Moyes had spoken of the gulf that has been reestablished between these two rivals recently but the home side matched their visitors here.
Alexis Mac Allister had cancelled out Beto’s opener, and Liverpool will, reluctantly, take a draw from this troublesome fixture that has now ended with a share of the spoils in ten of the last 13 meetings at Goodison Park.
The result extended Liverpool’s lead at the top of the table to seven points and this was one of those assignments to tick off without too much collateral damage at the venue where they lost 2-0 last term and their title challenge came unstuck.
Story of the game
Had Storm Darragh not intervened, Moyes would have watched the last Goodison Park derby (originally billed for December 7) at home. Instead, he found himself in the thick of it; taking charge of his 23rd, having won just three of the 22 during his first spell at the club.
Goodison Road was a see of blue as the team buses arrived; flare smoke hung in the air, as did the supporters’ songs. The noise would rarely drop throughout the evening.
Facing Liverpool now, as opposed to two months ago, meant Everton brought greater confidence after three successive league wins, whilst the visitors turned up under a rare dark cloud after the FA Cup exit at Plymouth Argyle that Slot described as “unacceptable”.
The Liverpool head coach said his much-changed side had been below the standards required on Sunday and reverted back to his first-choice XI here, but with Trent Alexander-Arnold back on the bench following a two-game absence.
With the old ground packed to the rafters and in full cry, Everton started with intent and tried to get in behind their visitors. Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate had to be alert to early danger but Liverpool were caught cold in the 11th minute.
It was a soft free kick that Everton were awarded when Iliman Ndiaye went down under minimal contact from Mac Allister. Jarrad Branthwaite slid the free kick through to Beto, who ran off Konate and was kept onside by Conor Bradley.
The Everton forward remained calm enough to let the ball roll across to his right foot and slot it beneath Alisson. An almighty roar would follow, but so too did Liverpool’s response.
It was a neat move by the away team with Mac Allister involved in the build-up as the ball was worked out to the right flank where Salah was positioned. The Argentinian midfielder was picked out perfectly having darted into the Everton area and flicked a header beyond Jordan Pickford.
A difficult few minutes for Moyes got worse when Ndiaye injured himself kicking the ground before the ball and had to be substituted. The attacker making his way off in tears didn’t bode well.
It had been busy for referee Michael Oliver with tackles flying in — Bradley and Luis Diaz involved more than most — and five yellow cards dished out before half time. The half ended with Dominik Szoboszlai having a shot parried by Pickford and Tarkoswki sliding in to deny Diaz the rebound.
There was more about Everton straight after the break. Moyes had his head in his hands following Doucoure’s header wide from Idrissa Gueye’s clipped cross. Jack Harrison, Ndiaye’s replacement, also missed the target when he cut a shot beyond the far post, but Liverpool were under the cosh.
Appeals for a Konate handball in his own area were waved away, as was Szoboszlai’s embarrassing fall in the opposite box, and Branthwaite put the ball past Alisson from a corner, but the linesman’s flag went up.
Salah had barely been involved in the second half but was in the right place at the right time when Everton failed to clear Diaz’s cross. Tarkowski blocked once, but substitute Jones was quickly onto it, and his shot struck Branthwaite and fell for Salah, who took a touch before firing in his eighth derby goal.
The home crowd were deflated, it was Liverpool chants that filled the air, but Everton were not to be denied.
The eighth minute of stoppage time had been entered when Everton threw forward all they had at a corner. It was only half cleared, and when Iroegbunum flicked on Mykolenko’s cross from the right, Tarkowski met it with a thump of his right boot and with it came parity and a remarkable ending that nobody will forget.
