Emotions were running high as Liverpool left Goodison Park for the final time.
There was anger in abundance following the dramatic late twist in which James Tarkowski’s 98th-minute volley salvaged a point for Everton.
Liverpool were convinced Ibrahima Konate had been impeded by Beto in the build-up, but the goal stood after a lengthy VAR check for both offside and a possible foul.
Abdoulaye Doucoure’s goading of the away supporters after the final whistle sparked more wild scenes. Curtis Jones raced to confront him and both sets of players waded in as police and stewards tried to restore some order amid the din.
Having dismissed Doucoure and Jones for second yellow cards, referee Michael Oliver then sent off Liverpool head coach Arne Slot and his assistant Sipke Hulshoff for their ongoing protests regarding the equaliser. What a chaotic, unforgettable final chapter in Goodison’s derby tome.
With Slot and Hulshoff not allowed to conduct media duties under Premier League rules following their red cards, there was no post-match press conference. It was left to captain Virgil van Dijk, who had acted as a peacemaker, to speak publicly about the mayhem.
“It’s not easy to accept,” Van Dijk told TNT Sports. “We all know this is their cup final. You saw how they celebrated the goal. Doucoure wanted to provoke our fans. Curtis didn’t think that was the right thing to do. There was a little tussle.
“We all know this is their cup final.”
Virgil van Dijk reacts to Liverpool’s draw at Goodison Park 🗣
🎙 @JulesBreach | 📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/NMM1fLRNk7
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 12, 2025
“I don’t think the referee had the game under control. I said that to him. It’s a fact. Both teams had to deal with it.”
Liverpool were unhappy with both the amount of added time played beyond the minimum allotted five minutes and the failure to penalise Beto for his challenge on Konate prior to Tarkowski’s strike.
However, the goal went in at 97:08 and the game had been held up for over two minutes during added time due to a collision between Jarrad Branthwaite and Carlos Alcaraz.
Some referees would undoubtedly have given a free kick in Konate’s favour, but it was not an inexplicable mistake. The French defender, who did not appeal for a foul, was brushed off the ball far too easily and needed to be stronger.
A sense of injustice was more understandable regarding some of the other decisions that went against Liverpool, not least the blatant trip on Mohamed Salah by Alcaraz just outside the box earlier in added time, which Oliver somehow missed. Everton’s opening goal came from a free kick which should not have been given after Iliman Ndiaye threw himself to the ground.
Given Everton’s physical approach, it was a strange statistic that 20 of the 29 fouls awarded in the game were committed by Slot’s side.
However, despite being just seconds away from a precious derby triumph, the brutal reality is Liverpool did not really deserve more than a point.
They allowed themselves to get drawn into the kind of contest Everton wanted — frenetic but largely devoid of quality. Liverpool had 63 per cent possession but struggled to create chances and never established any semblance of control in midfield. Just like at Goodison last April, they got bullied at times and were knocked out of their stride.
This was not the kind of stirring response Slot had targeted following Sunday’s FA Cup defeat by Plymouth when he gave the first team the weekend off with one eye on this match. Despite their lowly status and injury woes, the hosts actually won the shot count (10 versus six) and edged it on xG (expected goals) 0.98 versus 0.65.
The defending for Beto’s goal was shoddy as Slot’s side were undone by a simple pass and run in behind. Alexis Mac Allister’s header from Salah’s inviting cross swiftly restored parity, but it was only after Salah fired home his 27th goal of the season with 17 minutes to go that the visitors really quietened Goodison.
Remarkably, it was the 40th time the Egyptian had both scored and assisted in the same top-fight match. He is now just one behind Steven Gerrard’s record of nine Premier League goals in Merseyside derbies and one behind Steve McManaman’s club record of 15 assists in a Premier League season, set in 1995-96.
Liverpool’s lack of threat from other areas was underlined by the fact the ineffective Cody Gakpo, Luis Diaz and Dominik Szoboszlai had a combined xG of just 0.08 between them.
Everton, for their part, had looked deflated and out of ideas in the closing stages prior to Tarkowski’s bolt out of the blue which led to that flurry of red cards.
The impact for Liverpool will linger in terms of Jones’ suspension and likely touchline bans for Slot and Hulshoff, with first-team coach Johnny Heitinga set to be in the spotlight for Sunday’s home match against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
But Slot’s mission now is to ensure this derby blow is relegated to just a footnote come May. This is not the time for anyone to be feeling sorry for themselves.
There is simply too much at stake, with Wednesday’s 2-2 draw the first of five top-flight matches for Liverpool in the space of a potentially season-defining 15 days. Villa Park on Wednesday promises to provide another tricky away trip. Four days later they will walk out at the Etihad to face a wounded Manchester City. The following Wednesday, Newcastle United visit Anfield. With the pressure cranking up, this spell is the true litmus test of their title credentials.
The gleeful chant of ‘We won the league at Goodison Park’ from the away end deep into added time proved to be premature. The final derby across Stanley Park did not belong to Liverpool as this league fixture ended in stalemate for the 10th time in 13 seasons.
WHAT A GOAL. WHAT A MOMENT.
THE SCENES! 😳
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 12, 2025
There is a lot of hard graft still ahead, but Liverpool remain in a position of great strength — seven points clear of Arsenal at the top of the Premier League with 14 games remaining.
Yes, it is tempting to rue those last-gasp equalisers they have conceded at Newcastle and Everton, with four points carelessly squandered.
But a sense of perspective is important. It’s still a healthy lead and the kind of advantage that was beyond anyone’s wildest expectations when this journey under Slot started in August.
Recent history when it comes to run-ins will have left some scars given that twice Liverpool were pipped to the title during Jurgen Klopp’s reign by a solitary point. But the difference this time is they are not being hunted down by a relentless Manchester City. Perfection is neither realistic nor required.
Tarkowski’s goal will have been celebrated as much in north London as it was among the blue half of Merseyside. Arsenal, who can cut the gap to four points if they win at Leicester City on Saturday, will hope it is a sign of things to come.
Liverpool must pick themselves up and prove otherwise. Late derby drama cut deep but it should have no wider implications. They just need to keep their heads better than they did during that crazy finale.
(Top photo: Carl Recine/Getty Images)
