Liverpool shimmer and shine in the Merseyside derby

Klopp masterminded an important victory in the derby

In the buildup to the Merseyside derby, Joel Robles, the Everton goalkeeper, had exuded the confidence of the Everton side in an interview. In fact, the keeper’s emphasis on Everton’s “need to kill” Liverpool off was repeated almost 9 times. 

However, by the end of the game, the result and performance proved to be just the opposite. The team in Blue had once again been thwarted away from home, and for some supporters, the false dawn of a strong Everton performance at Anfield was another case of wishful thinking.

In hindsight, the keeper must have wondered if his words might have inspired his opponents more than his team-mates as they were drubbed 3-1 on a sparkling Saturday afternoon. Liverpool were without the English duo of Jordan Henderson and Adam Lallana but that didn’t stop them from controlling the game with ease.

Mane quick off the block

Klopp had stated before the game, that there was not even an iota of pressure on him in what was considered the most important derby. But, which derby isn’t important? The charm of the derby is the local flavour and the bragging rights that come along it. Generations of footballers who have passed through the hallowed gates of Anfield and Goodison Park can vouch for the atmosphere of the Merseyside derby. 

Often regarded as a “friendly derby”, the Merseyside derby has been anything but friendly given the number of cards that have been dished out over the years. Everton’s Ronald Koeman knew that if there ever was a chance of beating Liverpool at Anfield, this was the best chance as his team looked to make the most of their momentum count. But their “momentum” was interrupted due to the international break and Everton clearly had teething problems settling into the derby on Saturday. 

The game which started off at a very leisurely pace took off in the 7th minute when Sadio Mane accelerated from the midfield. In the process, he shook of Tom Davies and an inward run from Coutinho suddenly opened a vast chasm of space for the Senegalese to run into.

Mane got Liverpool off to a brilliant start

The scorer of the winner in the reverse fixture was quick to get his shot off in this match as well and before Robles could even anticipate, the ball was past him and into the net. Liverpool had taken the lead with their first significant attack in the game, and in a way, the game’s first meaningful chance.

For all the talk about Everton’s upturn in form in the past few weeks, they seemed to freeze at Anfield. Lukaku, who has been a threat in the recent weeks and has a stupendous goal scoring record, was shut out of the game. In fact, the Belgian’s contribution to the game was mostly from the flanks as he found space difficult to come by in the middle.

Liverpool had started with Lucas in midfield in the absence of Lallana, and in this instance, the Brazilian seemed to be the best choice for the deep-lying role. Alongside, Emre Can, the duo successfully dismantled the core of Everton midfield. Ross Barkley who was at the heart of Everton midfield was caught on the ball quite a few times. 

His frustrations seemed to get the better of him as lunged into a tackle which left Dejan Lovren worse off. The Englishman on this occasion was guilty of losing the ball after another incident of poor control on the ball.

But the Toffees were given a glimmer of hope, when Everton debutant, Matthew Pennington was on hand to smash in an equaliser after Ashley Williams flicked the ball into the area from an Everton corner. Liverpool has conceded an alarming number of goals this season from set-pieces and Everton focussed on getting free-kicks and set pieces in and around the Liverpool box rather than taking a shot at the goal. 

Coutinho returns to his dazzling self

Coutinho put in an excellent performance against Everton

Ever since his return from his injury, Coutinho has been looking to play himself into form. The Brazilian chose a perfect occasion to burst into form as he dazzled on Saturday evening. The Brazilian showed quick feet, dragged defenders out of position before capping the move off with a stupendous goal. 

His involvement in all the three Liverpool goals was a testament to his rapidly improving form. The Brazilian’s brilliant footwork was applauded by the Anfield crowd, which also had ‘James Bond’ Daniel Craig amongst them.

But on Saturday afternoon, it was the Brazilian in the No. 10 shirt that was given the license to thrill whenever he was given the ball. Anfield was on the edge of their seats every time Coutinho received the ball as he looked to make things happen. Be it a drop of the shoulder or a quick step over, he was a threat throughout.  

His goal to pull Liverpool ahead was a combination of swift movement and quick feet which earned him the space to get his shot off. And Coutinho being Coutinho did no mistake in curling the ball beyond the reach of Robles.

The club must have been pretty pleased with themselves after the performance of the Brazilian duo of Firminho and Coutinho after having hired a private jet earlier in the week to facilitate the duo’s return from international duty.

Lukaku had a poor game and did not exert his influence on his team

If Liverpool were rejuvenated by Coutinho, then Everton were deflated by Lukaku. The Belgian has an envious record of scoring against the top four sides this season but against Liverpool, he was kept quiet and his influence was inconsequential in the context of the game. 

Everton did put in a better performance in the second half but the moment they lost possession near the touchline in the 60th minute, Liverpool poured forward. Coutinho was at the heart of it once again and he duly slipped in a ball for Origi to run onto. The Belgian composed himself before scoring and ensuring that the game was settled with half an hour of play remaining. 

The only sore point for Klopp was the injury sustained by Mane after the Senegalese buckled under a Leighton Baines tackle. And Klopp confirmed the worst fears of Liverpool supporters as he stated, “I've met Mane in the dressing room. It doesn't look too good”.  

Liverpool will hope that with eight games remaining in the season, this is not a premature end to the season for the Senegalese as he is a vital player in their charge for a fourth place finish.