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Social media has been hilariously reacting to Liverpool's shock 2-0 loss to Merseyside rivals Everton which has all but ended their title dreams. The Reds' hopes of ending Jurgen Klopp's nine-year reign with the Premier League title were dashed on Wednesday (April 24).
Sean Dyche's Toffees stunned their cross-city rivals with a famous home victory at Goodison Park. The title challengers rued several missed opportunities but the relegation battlers were resolute in defense.
Mohamed Salah went close to opening the scoring in the 10th minute but Ben Godfrey came to the rescue. The English defender heroically cleared the Egyptian star's effort off the line with Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz looking to pounce.
The brilliant Jarrad Branthwaite opened the scoring in the 27th minute. Liverpool just couldn't clear their lines and Branthwaite had two bites of the cherry to put his side in front. It was a shock to the system for Klopp's men.
Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford produced two fine saves to deny Nunez in the 35th minute and Diaz nine minutes later. Klopp's troops wore faces of frustration as they headed in at halftime 1-0 down.
Their night went from bad to worse in the 58th minute when Dominic Calvert-Lewin doubled the Toffees' advantage. Dwight McNeil sent an asking corner into the box and the English frontman powered home a bullet of a header.
Klopp wore a sly grin as his side headed towards their fourth league defeat of the season. His men tried getting themselves back into the game and Diaz hit the post with a fierce effort in the 69th minute.
A goal wouldn't arrive and Everton held on for a memorable victory, their first against their rivals since October 2010. It looks to have ended Klopp's dream of winning the title as he departs Anfield.
Rival fans have mocked Klopp and the Reds for seemingly squandering the title.
A Manchester United fan dubbed them 'Carabao Cup champions':
"Klopp’s farewell tour: Quadruple- Man United 4-3 Liverpool / Treble- Liverpool 0-3 Atalanta / Double- Everton 2-0 Liverpool.Carabao cup champions."
Another fan alluded to the Reds blowing their title hopes against their rivals:
"Losing your title to Dyche ball some farewell tour this."
An Arsenal fan asked an interesting question:
"So did Liverpool bottle the league? Or that only applies when it’s Arsenal."
Here are more hysterical memes from the Reds' capitulation at Goodison Park:
Virgil van Dijk reflects on Liverpool's loss to Everton by asking whether his teammates gave everything
Virgil van Dijk was devasted by how Liverpool almost certainly crashed out of the Premier League title race. The Reds captain asked whether his teammates had given their utmost in the Merseyside derby (via Anfield Edition):
"Everyone has to look in the mirror at their performances. If they really gave everything, if they really want to win the league. We have to do much better against a side that’s fighting relegation."
Klopp's men were flying high several weeks ago in the title race but have collapsed. Tonight's loss was their second in three Premier League games. They sit second, three points behind leaders Arsenal while third-placed Manchester City have two games in hand.
