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Final score: Liverpool 2-1 Everton
Goal scorers: James Milner 35' (Liverpool), Gylfi Sigurdsson 67' (Everton), Virgil van Dijk 84' (Liverpool)
When Liverpool and Everton lock horns, sparks are bound to fly and that was the case when the two sides squared up at Anfield for the FA Cup 3rd round tie. It was Liverpool who opened the proceedings in the 35th minute when James Milner calmly converted the penalty that was awarded after Mason Holgate was adjudged to have fouled Adam Lallana into the box.
The Reds had the opportunity to improve on their lead but missed the opportunities that came their way and when Gylfi Sigurdsson struck home from the edge of the box, it appeared as if we were going to have a replay.
However, Liverpool’s newest recruit Virgil Van Dijk had other ideas as he rose highest in the 84th minute to head home Liverpool’s winner.
Here are the 5 key talking points from the game between the Reds and Toffees.
#5 Virgil van Dijk begins his Liverpool career with a bang
Van Dijk had been the centre of attention through the opening stages of the game as he made his first ever start for the Reds. After failing to deal appropriately with Bolasie early in the game the Dutchman steadily improved as the game got on and was a leader at the rear end of the pitch.
There was a sense of calmness that existed around the Liverpool defence with Van Dijk at its heart and it was all going well until Everton made things interesting after they equalised with a brilliant counter-attack. That brought the pressure that so often is associated with games at home and Liverpool and Van Dijk were on the lookout for a winner.
However, the costliest defender in the game was not entirely done and after missing an easy opportunity to double his side’s lead midway through the second half, the Dutch international made amends by rising the highest to head home help his side eke out an important win and begin his Liverpool career with a bang.
The fact that he scored he marked his first appearance with the winning goal against Liverpool’s bitter rivals Everton at the Kop end must have made the moment even sweeter for the former Southampton man.
Even the best of players can feel the pressure to perform on their debut and the pressure to do so must have been even higher on Van Dijk, given the kind of money that Liverpool splashed to acquire his services and the Dutch international must be relieved after having helped his side beat their cross-town rivals with the winning goal.
#4 Liverpool continue unbeaten run but need to find fluidity in midfield
Ever since they lost to Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley in late October, the Reds have been on an upward march and continued their streak with another vital win over their cross-town rivals Everton.
Jurgen Klopp’s men were largely dominant through the night across all the areas of the pitch and save for some odd personal mistakes, put in a performance that would make the German proud.
However, bigger concerns await the club in the days to come as they look destined to lose their star midfielder Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona and if this match was any indication, the midfield is not fluid enough to ably support their attacking resources, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain being the only exception.
Yes, Milner did find the back of the net in the game from the penalty spot from a penalty that Lallana earned but both he and Lallana were largely responsible for the tempo of the game slowing down on occasions when there were spaces to explore in the Everton half.
The duo lacked any type of creative spark and had to rely on the likes of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Andrew Robertson to infuse some life into the side’s attack.
While the lack of regular game time might together be cited as the primary reason the midfielders looked out of sync with each other, their inability to pull the right strings together might cost the side severely in the long run.
#3 Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is developing into a fine player at Anfield
When Liverpool bought Oxlade-Chamberlain, even the Arsenal fans agreed that he possessed the talent to make further progress in his career, although rather bitterly at times.
It has been 4 months since the English international moved to Liverpool, and after taking a few weeks to settle down, it finally looks like he is becoming the player that Klopp envisioned when he signed him.
The midfielder was impressive yet again in a match that can severely test even the best in the business, especially with emotions running high and was perhaps Liverpool’s best player on the pitch alongside Robertson.
While he was not the tidiest with his passing, completing only 70% of the passes he attempted, he was by far the most enterprising of the Liverpool players.
The former Southampton and Arsenal man was industrious as ever and offered no respite to an Everton midfield that looked bereft of ideas more often than not. He was constantly seen pressing forward in a bid to regain possession and did well to win 3 tackles and effect 2 crucial interceptions.
He created a total of 4 goal scoring opportunities through the game and was constantly probing and poking the visitor’s defence and midfield with his movement on and off the ball. His efforts in the middle of the park were duly rewarded when Van Dijk converted the corner he delivered and this performance is bound to have helped his growing confidence.
#2 Yannick Bolasie’s return should bolster Everton’s season
If there was one Everton player who looked the likeliest to cause the Liverpool defence any kind of issues, it was Yannick Bolasie. The Congolese star returned from injury only recently against West Bromwich Albion and the game against Liverpool was a testament to his abilities.
Bolasie was a constant threat to the Liverpool defence with his movement on and off the ball down the right flank, and while Robertson might have been able to deal with him appropriately more often than not, his pace and physicality on the ball meant that Everton did not lack the bite in the final third unlike the last meeting between the 2 sides in the Premier League.
It was Bolasie who started the move that eventually led to Everton’s equaliser as he was strong and picked the right pass to ensure that Everton had the numerical advantage going forward in the move and was by far Everton’s most enterprising man on the evening.
This Everton side has come under criticism for its lack of pace and attacking firepower but that might change with the return of Bolasie and Sam Allardyce would be delighted to see him hit top gear so early into this season.
The former Crystal Palace man will be critical to Everton’s progress in the remainder of the season to come, and will need to continue with his good showing to help his side’s cause.
#1 The Toffees can take a lot of heart from their performance
Football is truly a funny game. It was not long ago that Everton were completely outplayed by Liverpool in the Premier League, yet managed to take a point away from the game.
The story was very different on Friday as Everton were actually much better in the latest Merseyside derby and did not allow the Reds to entirely dominate the proceedings, yet failed to take anything away from the game.
The loss against Liverpool means that Everton have now failed to win in their last 5 games and while that is a concern that needs immediate addressing, there are also positives to take away.
The Toffees can take a lot of heart from their performance against Liverpool and despite being on the losing side, are on the right track to recovery and look a better side than they did a few weeks ago.
The side looked fluid in possession, showed creativity in bits and pieces and definitely threatened the hosts’ goal more often than they did a few weeks ago, which signifies an improvement in their campaign.
The Toffees have been knocked out of all the cup competitions that they have participated in, and while that might dismay many of their fans, it also provides Allardyce and his men to concentrate on the all-important Premier League and make an improvement in their league position.
