Goodison Park has lowered the curtain on its hosting of the Merseyside derby for the final time with drama aplenty and a sickening late equaliser.
Everton 2-2 Liverpool
Premier League (24) | Goodison Park
February 12, 2025
Goals: Beto 11′, Tarkowski 90+7′; Mac Allister 16′, Salah 73′
Alisson – 8 (out of 10)
Started the match having his beautiful mane of hair buffeted by the cacophony of the Goodison stand behind him.
Was millimetres away from getting something onto the ball to prevent the opener, and made his disapproval known to the back line after getting caught on the snooze.
Clawed a dangerous Mykolenko cross out of the air on the cusp of half-time to steady the ship and was there when Liverpool needed him most in the second.
Composure personified, always so understated. Couldn’t have done anything about the late goal.
Conor Bradley – 6
Tried to suck all sentiment out of the occasion but his first derby was an eye-opener for the talented youngster.
Got whisked into the cauldron of emotion and collected his yellow early doors. A big let off early in the second half after a tussle with Doucoure and it was no surprised to see Slot hooking him off.
Had spells where he was a major concern for the hosts, setting about marauding up and down the flank like he was trying to spark the turf ablaze.
His constant pressing and final-third inside runs caused all kinds of headache, given the opening pockets of space they presented for Salah.
Ibrahima Konate – 7
Early roars ringing around the old wooden ground served as Popeye’s spinach for Ibou, who locked in quickly and was thirsty for battle.
Was unfortunate to see his body check on Beto fail to prevent the big target-man breaking through for the puzzling opener, but recovered quickly thereafter.
Virgil van Dijk – 6
Turned up, patrolled, put his shoulder into everything and everyone… but didn’t quite look comfortable.
It’s rare to see, especially when the opposing pretender is Beto, but Van Dijk was ever sp slightly ruffled by the atmosphere and the relentless nibbling of the desperate hosts.
Will know he can do much better and will bounce back with a vengeance.
Andy Robertson – 6
Stayed disciplined, did what was asked of him but was targeted by the pace of Lindstrom and it worked.
Failed to grab the derby by the horns, which he has done on many occasions before. Picked up a booking which served to numb his willingness to press high and challenge for the 50-50s.
Predictably withdrawn in the latter stages.
Ryan Gravenberch – 6
Liverpool’s Pablo Picasso paints best when afforded a roomy canvas and inspired conditions around him.
So, when Goodison served up a farmyard slog-fest from the first whistle, it was always going to be a tough one for him.
That’s not to say the former Ajax golden boy can’t cut it in the rough and tumble of these games, far from it, but the knotty nature and scarce offerings of space meant Gravenberch’s influence waned.
Withdrawn on the hour mark.
Alexis Mac Allister – 8 (Man of the Match)
He just loves big games and he’s just very, very good at football.
I’ll continue to preach it to anyone who will listen until I’m blue in the face, Mac Allister is one of the best signings Liverpool have made in recent memory.
This was a derby of the gritty vintage, nothing pretty to see here, but Mac Allister’s South American spirit shone through.
He received passes quickly and delicately, moving the ball through the channels as Everton looked to strangle the fleeting signings of life from any building passage of play.
Dominik Szoboszlai – 7
Brought those quite ridiculous fitness levels to the party, and it’s always a pleasure to watch him galloping around like an Emporio Armani model hooked up to nitrous oxide.
Found that ever golden in-the-hole space behind the Everton midfield and the defensive line, and caused the panic alarm to sound in various interludes.
The 44th minute was special – one to revisit in the highlights – as he took up that exact Steven Gerrard position from 2001. You know the one, Gerrard takes a touch, rolls it out of his feet and obliterates the top corner from a rather ridiculous angle.
Szobo took the same effort on, left the hands of Pickford blistered and very nearly saw a rebound tap-in served on a plate for Diaz.
Struggled a tad in the second half, but kept putting in the hard yards. Ruffled feathers big time when appealing for a penalty and likely got into the heads of the Everton defenders more than he ever intended to.
Mohamed Salah – 8
Quiet first half, but obviously provided an assist with a sumptuous cross which, given the circumstances and the speed at which play was moving, probably only 5 percent of elite footballers could pull off.
Knocked on the door in the second and then – when the superhero moment called – he donned the cape.
It would’ve been very fitting for the Egyptian King, arguably Liverpool’s greatest player of the modern era, to have the final and definitive say on the last every derby hosted upon this old turf.
Cody Gakpo – 6
Lacked his usual dangerous presence for the most part, but constantly looked to cook up direct runs and incisive passes.
Luis Diaz – 6
Appeared to still be struggling with a bit of a Plymouth hangover.
The frustration from his 90 minutes of being unable to needle into Championship opposition seemed to leak into this one, and he looked a forlorn and frustrated figure on numerous occasions.
Improved in the second half but didn’t enjoy himself this evening. Subbed late on.
Substitutes
Trent Alexander-Arnold (on for Bradley, 60′) – 7 – Likely wasn’t expected to play here, but stepped up professionally on a whim as soon as Slot realised that Bradley was walking across a minefield. Tucked inside well and frightened his marker with deft touches.
Curtis Jones (on for Gravenberch, 60′) – 7 – Lively, determined and entered the match at a vital time. Was active and threatening in the box and engineered Salah’s goal with his attempt. Lost his head at the end to see red after the final whistle, but quite understandable.
Kostas Tsimikas (on for Robertson, 69′) – 6 – A needed substitute as Robertson also had a possible red card breathing down his neck. Struggled to get up to the pace, but grafted away.
Darwin Nunez (on for Gakpo, 69′) – 7 – In a fiery derby like this you wouldn’t be surprised to see Mr Chaos coming on and getting sent straight off…but Nunez was measured here, contributed with great runs and generally unnerved probably everyone. A solid sub selection.
Diogo Jota (on for Diaz, 89′) – 7 – Wanted to come on and run with the ball immediately, which was perfect given the frenetic nature and tired, heavy legs. Was a major nuisance in his limited time on the field.
Subs not used: Kelleher, Quansah, Endo, Elliott, Jota
Arne Slot – 8
Getting sent off after the final whistle says it all about this one. Whatever he said to the referee, he was likely correct.
Perhaps the most active and anguished on the touchline as he has been for a long time. Knew this was so much more than a Merseyside derby, it was a chance to scream intent in this title challenge.
The time to move is now, as January turns to February and the cold months continue to serve up on horrible fixture after another.
Reassessed methodically and introduced the subs perfectly when the yellow cards were swishing through the air, though the late goal is an absolute sickener that will keep him up all night.
