Liverpool Grind Out Vital Win Over Everton in Heated Anfield Derby

In a pulsating Merseyside derby that had more chaos than cohesion, Liverpool edged Everton 1-0 at Anfield, a result that keeps Arne Slot’s men on course for the Premier League title. It wasn’t pretty. In fact, as Dave Hendrick bluntly summarised on Post Match Raw, “Derbies are rarely a good game to watch…they’re horrible, grindy, nasty games.” But make no mistake — these were three massive points.

Midfield Malaise and Momentum Killers

The first half was a sluggish affair, typified by a Liverpool midfield that couldn’t shift gears. Hendrick was searing in his criticism: “The midfield just ruined the momentum…two, three, four, sometimes five touches and then a sterile pass.” He lamented the lack of urgency, calling out the recurring sideways and backwards passes that suffocated the tempo.

Hari Sethi echoed the sentiment, pointing to the absence of the “instructions on the pass” that players like Thiago and Steven Gerrard once delivered with aplomb. “There was a real lack of that in the first half… quite inconvenient passes killing moves, killing momentum,” he said.

Mo Salah was notably stifled. As Hendrick observed, “We weren’t getting the ball to Salah in stride…he was having to get the ball to feet, stand Mykolenko up, and then try and run him.” Against a packed Everton block, Liverpool were reduced to hope over strategy.

Gravenberch Unlocks the Door, Jota Seals It

Things changed after the break. Slot’s side looked more assertive and, crucially, more direct. The goal came in the 56th minute, and the build-up finally showed purpose. “The goal comes from us moving them around and trying to pass the ball centrally,” Hendrick noted, highlighting the increased intent.

It was Ryan Gravenberch’s ball in — sharper than anything he produced in the first half — that sparked the move. Luis Díaz’s clever flick found Diogo Jota, who sat down the defender with a dummy and finished emphatically. “A really nicely finished goal… Jota scored this goal a few times,” said Hendrick. It was redemption for a forward criticised pre-match for his lack of form but praised here for intelligent movement and a decisive finish.

Referee Catastrophe Overshadows Rivalry

Much of the post-match analysis was dominated by the officials. Sam Barrott’s performance was labelled “a strong contender for the worst refereeing performance this league has ever seen” by Hendrick, while Sethi didn’t hold back either, calling the non-red card for Tarkowski’s wild lunge “an outrageous ...