21st October, 2023
Mo Salah scored two goals on Saturday afternoon to give Liverpool victory over a very organized Everton at Anfield.
Despite that Everton got a red card in the first half, it took a penalty for Liverpool to take the lead in the second half.
The Egyptian’s 75th-minute penalty in front of the Kop put Liverpool ahead in a tight encounter and he followed up deep into added time to ensure the Reds returned to winning ways in the Premier League at the first chance after the international break.
Everton played the whole of the second half and more a man down, with Ashley Young sent off for two bookable offences before half-time.
First half
It was Everton who had the game’s first sight of goal, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s header easily held by Alisson Becker inside two minutes.
Luis Diaz looked set to give Liverpool the lead on 12 minutes, but was denied by a last-ditch challenge from Young, a head-to-head contest that would continue throughout the first half.
Young was booked for a foul on the Colombian early on, and that cost him eight minutes before half-time when he was shown a second yellow card after bringing Diaz down just outside the box.
The Reds, though, were unable to find a breakthrough before the interval, despite dominating in terms of possession, shots and corners.
Mac Allister, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Szoboszlai all tried their luck from long range, but to no avail as the interval arrived with the score still goalless.
Second half
After the break Liverpool continued to push for an incisive moment, but found it difficult to create clear-cut chances against the Blues’ 10 men.
Klopp sent on Harvey Elliott and Nunez for Tsimikas and Gravenberch as he looked to find a way through, and the hosts’ pressure eventually told when Everton substitute Michael Keane handled Diaz’s cross with 15 minutes remaining.
Salah stepped up to beat Jordan Pickford emphatically from the spot, for what was the 200th league goal of his career overall.
Pickford made a fine save to tip an Elliott strike from outside the box onto the crossbar and Jota was wide at the near post during nine minutes of additional time.
But Salah put the seal on derby day with his and the Reds’ second goal, finishing clinically from Nunez’s pass after a breakaway in the seventh minute of stoppage time.