Liverpool v Everton match report: Rooney equalizer leaves Reds deflated

Heading into the first of the Merseyside derbies this campaign, Liverpool saw their 1-0 lead fade into a frustrating tied result. Everton pulled a goal back after Wayne Rooney scored from the spot following a controversial penalty given against Dejan Lovren.

Liverpool fans pulled on their red and white scarves and braved the extreme snowy conditions to watch the Merseyside derby at Anfield unfold. The weather made for a tricky game, but the Reds absolutely dominated the full 90 minutes. Unfortunately they couldn’t bag a score line that represented just how much they had Everton at their mercy.

Six changes were made this afternoon after Jurgen ‘Rotation’ Klopp did his thing. Two of the Fab Four were dropped to the bench, leaving Sadio Mané and Mohamed Salah up front with Dominic Solanke. Andy Robertson also made a starting appearance in the absence of Alberto Moreno.

Utter domination

Liverpool took charge from the first whistle. The Reds weaved through the blue shirts and sent some brilliant crosses pinging into the box. But some great chances went amiss due to the 10-man defence Everton were playing.

If the Toffees had sat any deeper, they’d have been sitting on Jordan Pickford’s shoulders.

Salah was the man to get his side in front after 42 minutes of pure dominance from Liverpool. The Egyptian winger left two of Everton’s defenders in the dust and curled an absolute beauty into the top corner of the net.

Related Story: Liverpool v Everton Player Ratings: Salah and Gomez shine

The match should have been put to bed after a huge chance on the cusp of half time. Mané found himself 1v1 with Pickford with two unmarked teammates to his right. But going for glory himself, the Number 19 sent the shot hurtling wide. A hugely out of character act of selfishness from the key player.

Could he be suffering from the ‘older brother’ syndrome? Last season he was Liverpool’s main man – could Mané be trying to compete with the new golden boy? If so, shame on him.

A draw that feels like a defeat

After watching 90+4 minutes of pure Liverpool control, the 1-1 score line has completed deflated the LFC fanbase. The opposition goal came from an extremely soft penalty given against Lovren on Dominic Calvert-Lewin. There was the slightest of contact in the box and Calvert-Lewin hit the deck like he was made of marshmallow.

The Croatian was furious over the decision, knowing full well it wasn’t enough to be penalised. But penalty or not, Lovren should know better than to use his hands in a challenge. Fans are furious with the recurring errors from the centre-back.

Wayne Rooney took time away from being Everton’s newest right-back and stepped up to the spot. The former Man Utd man went straight down the middle and scored right in front of the away fans. A truly infuriating moment for the better team and their fans.

Although, it was amusing to hear the Toffees chanting about being the ‘greatest team the world has ever seen’. After being gifted a penalty following 77 minutes of Sunday League style football.

One side is celebrating their draw like Christmas has come early, the other is wishing today never happened. The two Merseyside clubs truly are worlds apart.

Taking away the positives

The Liverpool way of any frustrating result is to dig for the positives. In today’s game there isn’t much digging required. All of the lads in red had a great game today, especially Andy Robertson and Joe Gomez. The boys on the far flanks did a stellar job of not just clearing any danger, but getting into dangerous positions too.

Gomez bagged the assist that led to Salah’s strike and some of Robertson’s dribbling and crosses were top class. The Scotsman definitely came onto the pitch with a point to prove today. Hopefully when Moreno returns from injury, Robertson won’t just get elbowed back onto the sidelines. The two both deserve game time this season.

Aside from the foolish penalty, Liverpool’s defence were near enough faultless. Everton couldn’t get anywhere near the goal. Simon Mignolet was just short of setting up a chair and having a cuppa. Ragnar Klavan also did a great job in the middle and deserves the credit he very rarely gets.

Luckily for the Reds, major teams like Arsenal and Chelsea also dropped points this weekend meaning Liverpool stay in fourth place. Their next fixture will be against West Brom where hopefully Klopp will learn from this afternoon’s mistakes.

Next: Liverpool v Everton Player Ratings

The next clash with Everton is at Anfield once more and will take place on 5th January 2018. The FA Cup fixture is Liverpool’s second chance to completely derail their Merseyside opponents. The Toffees had a lucky let off today, but when they face the Fab Four in January, they won’t have anything to sing about.