Jurgen Klopp’s final Merseyside derby as Liverpool coach turned into a nightmare. The Reds’ Premier League title hopes took a massive hit as Everton secured a crucial 2-0 victory at Goodison Park.
No one saw this result coming. Despite Liverpool’s recent struggles, they were still expected to overcome an Everton side that had conceded six goals to Chelsea and could have conceded six against Arsenal just days ago.
Sean Dyche must be over the moon with how this week has turned out. Not only did Chelsea defeat relegation rivals Nottingham Forest, but their win against Liverpool also earned them three unexpected points.
The hosts took the lead after 30 minutes when Jarrad Branthwaite capitalized on a rebound inside the penalty area. Despite a VAR check for a possible offside in the build-up, the goal stood.
Darwin Nunez, who has had a season filled with missed chances, squandered another opportunity just five minutes after Everton’s opener. His shot from inside the penalty area was too weak to trouble the goalkeeper.
Liverpool came close to equalizing in the dying moments of the first half. Luis Diaz created space and curled a shot towards the bottom right corner, but Pickford made a crucial save to deny them.
Klopp will not look back fondly on his final Merseyside derby. His team didn’t resemble a typical Klopp side for most of the match. While they weren’t favorites to win the title at the start of the season, their late-season collapse has been surprising.
Everton had a chance to extend their lead through Dwight McNeil, but his long-range effort struck the underside of the crossbar with a slight touch from Alisson Becker.
However, Everton eventually doubled their advantage with a powerful header from Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The English forward outjumped Liverpool’s defenders, leaving Alisson with no chance.
Liverpool now find themselves trailing Arsenal by points with only four matches remaining. Manchester City, sitting four points behind Arsenal but with two games in hand, are also in the title race.
It’s a devastating blow for Liverpool, who will leave Goodison Park knowing that their title hopes have taken a severe hit. The pressure is now on them to bounce back in their remaining fixtures.
