This Liverpool Star was ‘at the Heart of Everything’ Against Everton | OneFootball

Liverpool 2 – 1 Everton – Premier League Postmortem

With Liverpool looking to extend their lead at the top of the table, this historic Merseyside Derby held huge significance as the first game of the fifth week. The Toffees arrived at Anfield looking much more organised and effective under David Moyes, while Arne Slot’s champions carried the weight of expectation in front of a fervent home crowd. It proved a tale of two halves, with Liverpool’s early dominance tested by a resurgent Everton after the break.

The Starting Eleven

Liverpool XI

• GK – Alisson Becker

• RB – Conor Bradley

• CB – Ibrahima Konaté

• CB – Virgil van Dijk (c)

• LB – Milos Kerkez

• CM – Alexis Mac Allister

• CM – Ryan Gravenberch

• CM – Dominik Szoboszlai

• RW – Mohamed Salah

• CF – Hugo Ekitike

• LW – Cody Gakpo

Substitutes

• Curtis Jones → Alexis Mac Allister (61’)

• Florian Wirtz → Cody Gakpo (61’)

• Alexander Isak → Hugo Ekitike (67’)

Goals

• Liverpool 1 – 0 Everton – Ryan Gravenberch (Mohamed Salah) – 10’

• Liverpool 2 – 0 Everton – Hugo Ekitike (Ryan Gravenberch) – 29’

• Liverpool 2 – 1 Everton – Idrissa Gana Gueye (Iliman Ndiaye) – 58’

Match Statistics

• Possession – Liverpool 57% | Everton 43%

• XG – Liverpool 0.94 | Everton 0.60

• Total Shots – Liverpool 11 | Everton 9

• Fouls – Liverpool 11 | Everton 10

• Corners – Liverpool 5 | Everton 4

• Saves – Liverpool 1 | Everton 1

First Half

An expectant Anfield crowd were given exactly what they craved in the early stages, as Liverpool pressed high and pinned Everton deep into their own half. The breakthrough came within ten minutes when Mohamed Salah’s clever ball split the lines, allowing Ryan Gravenberch to stride forward and arrow a superb strike past Jordan Pickford.

The Reds doubled their advantage before the half-hour mark, taking the early lead. Gravenberch, again at the heart of everything, threaded a measured pass into the path of Hugo Ekitike, who showed composure beyond his years to slot home Liverpool’s second. The champions were cruising, with van Dijk and Konaté controlling the defensive line and Szoboszlai snapping into tackles to deny Everton a foothold.

Everton gradually found more rhythm as the half wore on, with Jack Grealish and Iliman Ndiaye threatening from the flanks. But Liverpool’s control ensured they went into the break with a deserved two-goal cushion. Second Half

The second half was a very different contest from that which had been portrayed itself before the break. Everton emerged with renewed belief and were rewarded just before the hour mark when Grealish crossed deep to the opposite flank where Ndiaye found space and nodded square for Idrissa Gana Gueye, who rifled home to halve the deficit. The goal lifted the visitors, who began to press Liverpool’s young full-backs harder, forcing Bradley and Kerkez into defensive retreats.

Arne Slot turned to his bench, introducing Curtis Jones and Florian Wirtz to steady midfield control, while Alexander Isak made his Anfield league debut a few minutes later. The adjustments brought slightly more balance, even as Everton probed for an equaliser. Van Dijk’s leadership and Konaté’s resilience were essential, while Alisson calmly dealt with the few shots that broke through.

Liverpool saw out the game with composure, though the second-half dip in intensity will no doubt concern Slot, particularly with fixtures arriving thick and fast.

Final Thoughts

This was a derby that showcased Liverpool’s strengths and their lingering weaknesses. Gravenberch was again the standout, scoring one and assisting another in a display of confidence and quality. Ekitike marked the occasion with a vital goal, while van Dijk and Konaté provided the steel needed to repel Everton’s late push. Cody Gakpo again offered very little and you wonder if a positional shift could force the Dutchman onto the bench, allowing Florian Wirtz onto the inside flank and the preferred midfield three to continue.

For the third straight game, the Reds were forced to manage a second-half storm after racing into an early lead. Slot will know the importance of controlling matches for longer periods, but equally, he will take pride in the way his side continues to find a way to win. The champions stay top, derby bragging rights intact, with momentum carrying them forward into the weeks ahead.

Steven Smith’s Score Prediction:

Liverpool 2 – 1 Everton