Liverpool raced into a two-goal lead inside an opening 20 minutes which they dominated. Joël Matip and Mohamed Salah missed glaring opportunities from close range inside the opening three minutes, but any reprieve for Everton was short-lived. In the ninth minute, an overlapping Andy Robertson pulled the ball back for Jordan Henderson to stroke home a pinpoint strike beyond Jordan Pickford. Everton had failed to register a shot on goal by the time Salah doubled his team’s lead, as the Egyptian ran in behind Lucas Digne, curling an effort beyond Jordan Pickford.
Everton were swamped but still in the contest, and eventually found a lifeline with their first shot on target. Richarlison fed a ball through the chasm that had opened up between the two Liverpool centre-backs, leaving Demarai Gray to run in on goal and slot it home beyond Alisson. An even opening to the second half brought the Goodison faithful to life, as for the first time in the game, Rafa Benitez’s team matched the intensity of his former club.
As the game reached the hour mark, a nervy feel of a cross-city derby had engulfed the game, with boths teams knowing the game could be won or lost by a moment of magic or a slip up. Unfortunately for Seamus Coleman it was the latter, as the veteran Everton defender miscontrolled a bouncing ball, allowing Salah to steal in and start a frantic dash for goal. The striker had the pace and the composure to slide it beyond Pickford and seal a precious derby victory.
The only question left unanswered was whether Liverpool could shovel more misery onto their city rivals, and Diogo Jota did exactly that as he expertly turned his man and fired in a fourth from an acute angle.
