Premier League 2019-20: Liverpool 5-2 Everton – 4 Talking points from the Merseyside derby
There were no fewer than seven goals scored in the 234th edition of the Merseyside derby, with Liverpool running out comfortable 5-2 winners in front of a packed Anfield.
Both sides have experienced contrasting fortunes so far. While Liverpool have been the standard-bearers for the rest of the league to follow, Everton have been one of the more disappointing teams of the campaign to this point,
Given the difference in their form, it was widely expected that Liverpool would pick up all three points and they wasted little time to get going, as Divock Origi put them 1-0 up inside the first six minutes after coolly slotting home after a brilliant Sadio Mane pass found him at the edge of the box.
Ten minutes later, the hosts went two up and the scorer was none other than Xherdan Shaqiri - making his first league start of the season - who put Liverpool comfortably ahead.
Clean sheets have been difficult to come by for the Reds, who are yet to keep one this term at Anfield and just four minutes after going 2-0 up, they saw their lead reduced when Micheal Keane pulled one back for Everton.
Divock Origi grabbed his brace with an excellent finish from a Dejan Lovren diagonal and Mane put the home side 4-1 up soon after. Richarlison then scored for the third straight game with a well-taken header in the third minute of first-half stoppage time.
It seemed the players had exhausted their energy tanks with the high tempo first half and the second half was nowhere near matching the thrills and excitement from the first 45 minutes.
Some profligate finishing from both sides suggested the game would not see a goal in the second half but Gini Wjnaldum was on hand to make sure Liverpool scored five against their local rivals for the first time since 1982.
The win would have been pleasing for Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool fans, especially in light of the fact that their recent home games have all been nerve-wracking close encounters.
In this piece, we shall be highlighting four talking points from the enthralling encounter.
#4 Liverpool send a statement of intent
It's been 30 years since Liverpool last won the league and for all of their continental prowess since then, this drought is a blip on their record and a constant source of jibes from rival fans.
There have been near-misses, none more so than last season that saw the Merseysiders lose out on the league title by just a solitary point and given how close they came, Jurgen Klopp promised that it would be more of the same this season.
So far, they have fulfilled their end of the bargain but rather surprisingly, Manchester City have fallen off the pace and have not matched the illustrious stands set by Liverpool.
The Mancunians' 4-1 victory over Burnley on Tuesday temporarily reduced the points gap to eight and while still significant, Klopp would have been eager to return to the status quo by picking all three points against Everton.
That proved to be exactly the case, with the win propelling The Reds back to an 11-point advantage over City and eight over Leicester City.
The win means that Liverpool still remain the only unbeaten side in the league this season, while it also stretched their unbeaten run to 32 games, a club record.
It also marked Jurgen Klopp's 100th Premier League victory, with the feat achieved in just 159 matches. Only Jose Mourinho (142) achieved it faster and with this form, Liverpool have sent a statement of their intent to end their league title drought.
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