Whatever David Moyes achieves in his second spell as Everton manager he has allowed the club to leave Goodison Park with this defiant, pride-filled, spiky draw in the last ever Merseyside derby on this grand old stadium. Just as he would want it.
And with it have Everton also blown the Premier League title race open? That may be a stretch – at present – as it as a result that extended Liverpool’s advantage over Arsenal to seven points with 14 games to go.
It could have been more. But just when Everton appeared down and out, just when it appeared the bragging rights for this stadium would forever belong to Liverpool and Mohamed Salah, they struck back. And what a dramatic goal it was with captain James Tarkowski crashing in a volley at the back post to spark a pitch invasion deep into added time.
There was further drama with a long VAR check for a potential offside and then another for a possible foul but the goal was eventually given and emotions over-ran. At the final whistle a fight broke out between Everton’s Abdoulaye Doucouré and Liverpool substitute Curtis Jones and both were sent off by referee Michael Oliver. Liverpool manager Arne Slot also saw red as he marched on to remonstrate with Oliver.
It was, like the game, utterly chaotic. For Everton this was about pride. For Liverpool it was about the point but they will leave bitterly disappointed as the 120th derby at this ground appeared to belong to them after Salah claimed yet another goal and yet another assist in this brilliant campaign for him. It is a remarkable 46 goal involvements, scoring 27 times, for the Egyptian king.
The draw meant it also remains 41 wins each here.
“There are places I’ll remember 1892 – 2025’ read a banner at the Gwladys Street End and Everton will remember this meeting in which they once again showed their new-found belief under Moyes.
When the theme from Z-Cars struck up, after the siren call, and kick off came, the response was stirring. Everton scored. The stadium, well, this tight, evocative ground that has been Everton’s proud home since 1892, with the club having previously played at Anfield before leaving over a rent dispute, it erupted.
As did Liverpool who were furious at the award of a free-kick and furious that it was taken quickly. Slot led the touchline protests, captain Virgil van Dijk did so on the pitch.
In truth Liverpool switched off. Had Everton’s new set-piece coach Charlie Adam noticed something?
Jarrod Branthwaite picked out the run of Beto, Ibrahima Konaté did not react, Conor Bradley played the striker onside and the Portuguese calmly slipped his shot under Alisson.
And the lead? It lasted less than five minutes and it was like a pin pricking that royal blue balloon as Salah crossed and Alexis Mac Allister – who had conceded the free-kick – superbly angled a header that left Jordan Pickford flat-footed. Did the goalkeeper misjudge it?
Liverpool were level and it was an emphatic response. Nevertheless quite how Everton allowed Mac Allister, the smallest player in the Liverpool team, to win that cross will have bewildered Moyes.
To add further injury to Everton if this fixture had been played on its original date in December, before Storm Darragh intervened, Mac Allister would have been suspended. That will have hurt while the watching England assistant coach Anthony Barry may not have been impressed by Branthwaite’s role. Or, indeed, Pickford’s.
And then was yet another setback when Everton lost Ilian Ndiaye, probably their best player this season, who was unable to carry on after kicking the turf as he attempted a pass.
He was substituted in tears while Everton were perhaps fortunate when Idrissa Gueye, already booked, escaped after pulling back Cody Gakpo. Slot certainly thought so and if Gakpo had gone down rather than played on then Gueye would have gone.
The gap between the two teams is probably as big as it’s been for a long time, Moyes had said prior to the game. But the occasion can be a leveller and it was bitty, scrapping, broken up by fouls and free-kicks even if it was Liverpool who were providing the threat to score again and they went close on half-time with Pickford spilling Dominik Szoboszlai’s shot and Tarkowski just doing enough to prevent Luis Díaz turning in the rebound. There were 16 fouls in the first-half, the most in a league game between these sides in 17 years, and that summed it up and there more as the game resumed and, again, the blood was up with the home fans demanding a red card for Bradley, again already booked, after he brought down Doucouré.
It appeared Oliver was keen to avoid a sending off in the Premier League fixture that has seen more dismissals than any other. Not that he was able to maintain that.
Even so Slot sent Trent Alexander-Arnold to warm up – having named a Liverpool side that, for the first time in the Premier League, did not have an Englishman in it. Before the right-back came on, inevitably replacing Bradley, some football broke out with Everton finally creating another chance, and it as a good one, with Doucouré picked out by Gueye only to head wastefully wide.
It signalled a shift in momentum. Everton were pushing. They demanded a penalty when the ball struck Konate’s hand as he ran back with Beto, they had the ball in the net again through Branthwaite but that was rightly ruled out for offside and Doucouré was again at fault as he side-footed over.
How Everton paid for that. In Liverpool’s next attack they claimed the lead with Jones sharp to intervene in the area. His shot was headed out by Branthwaite but Salah was quick to poke it into the net. Was that it? It looked like it until Tarkowski’s glorious intervention.
10:09 PM GMT
Virgil van Dijk* speaks to TNT Sports
It was intense. It was always going to be intense. A lot of battles. Very disappointed to lose it in the last second of the game... or over extra-time.
It is what it is. Not easy to accept it but we take it and go on.
It feels a little bit like a loss. It was over extra-time. The referee had a big part in the game. Certain challenges were given as fouls and similar ones didn’t.
It wa s a very good strike but it was very disappointing.
They are very direct. They fight for every ball. We know its their cup final.
It’s a big boost for them but a blow for us.
They celebrated their goal and they have every right to. But Doucouré wanted to provoke our fans and Curtis thought that wasn’t the right thing to do. I
The ref didn’t have the game under control in my opinion and I said that to him. Both teams had to deal with it. It is what it is, I guess we take the point and move on.
* Having been sent off Arne Slot will not be interviewed
09:57 PM GMT
David Moyes speaks to TNT Sports
Probably mental sums it up. A brilliant finish for us to end the last Merseyside derby [here]. We worked hard, we kept at it but didn’t have the quality to get a good finish away... but Tarky did. I think after his game last weekend he’ll be happy he scored a great goal and one that will be remembered in history.
It was great at the end, the night was maybe made for something to happened. It was a wee bit of a throwback, scrappy. We had to make it that way because Liverpool are an incredible team.
Both Beto and Doucouré did a great job against two good centre-halves. The point for us is more importantly a point closer to staying a Premier League club.
This has never been an easy ground to come and play but it’s a great ground with the crowd behind you. They’re beginning to get a growing bond with the spectators and the players, the crowd was fantastic.
I’m disappointed with Doucs, we need him. We have to be careful about what we do. Discipline is never easy.
I was thrilled with getting a point. We’re not ready to compete with Liverpool on the levels they are. Maybe on one-off nights like this. But when we get to the new stadium...
09:50 PM GMT
Here are the VAR lines from the equaliser
…but Arne Slot and Liverpool’s complaint was that Beto shoved Konaté in the build-up, which he did.
09:46 PM GMT
Jones tried to stop Doucouré gloating in front of Liverpool fans
09:44 PM GMT
Referee’s verdict
That was really stupid of Doucouré to go to the away team fans and celebrate in that fashion. Curtis Jones over reacted and both finished with red cards. Both clubs will be charged for failing to control their players. I guess that Manager Arne Slot expressed something to Referee Oliver and was shown a red card. Amazing end to a terrific and passionate game.
09:40 PM GMT
Mayhem
Mayhem at the end. The football Gods obviously decided there would be no limp end to Merseyside derbies in this stadium. Fans on the pitch, stewards calming players down, Jones and Doucouré sent off… Liverpool have thrown away two points in the last minute at St James’ Park and now Goodison. In the grand scheme of things, a seven point lead in the title race is fine, but it could be so much better.
As for Everton, there is delirium that their home was granted such a memorable derby farewell.
09:39 PM GMT
James Tarkowski speaks to Jules Breach
Early on I got a chance and I panicked a bit. Late on I just decided to get in the box, it dropped, I just let it go and see what happens. Amazing to score and what an amazing night. I just saw the ball going wide and thought ‘last minute, why not’. It managed to fall to me and let it rip. It would have been typical had it been disallowed. Just listen to that. I’m proud of my team tonight. We stuck at it. They didn’t create much. It was a tough game, we worked hard and restricted them to a minimum number of shots. Disappointed with the way the goals go in but we’ve started to score a few goals now, thankfully we got two tonight.
09:36 PM GMT
Full time: Everton 2 Liverpool 2
All kicked off. Doucouré and Jones are both sent off for clashing after the final whistle when Doucouré taunted the Liverpool fans and Jones shoved him.
Slot has been sent off for protesting that, too.
09:32 PM GMT
GOAL!
Liverpool 2 Everton 2 (Tarkowski) Smashes in a right-foot volley from 10 yards after a clever knock on from Iroegbunum. Some fans ran on to the pitch and had to leave for the VAR delay.
09:31 PM GMT
Onside but checking for a foul
Beto on Konaté.
09:30 PM GMT
VAR check for offside
He absolutely thundered the volley in. But was the knockdown from an offside position?
09:28 PM GMT
GOAL!?
Everton 2 Liverpool 2 (Tarkowski) Checking for offside.
09:28 PM GMT
90+6 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 2
Liverpool fans are giving it You’ll Never Walk Alone while Everton fans try to drown it out with boos.
09:25 PM GMT
90+4 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 2
Alcaraz and Brantwaite collide, knocking heads. Chest hit chest and then head struck face. They’ve been given the OK.
09:25 PM GMT
90+3 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 2
Iroegbunum, encouraged to shoot after a neat one-two with Doucouré, smashes a shot into the crowd from 25 yards with blue shirts ahead of him.
Keane has sat back down.
09:23 PM GMT
90+2 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 2
Everton snatch at a cross and lose the initiative for a lack of patience.
09:22 PM GMT
90 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 2
Five minutes of stoppage time are signalled. Iroegbunum dribbles past two but then runs into Van Dijk. Liverpool counter and Salah goes off on a solo raid upfield which is ended by a foul from Branthwaite that isn’t given.
09:21 PM GMT
88 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 2
Everton are going to send Keane on as a Hail Mary centre-forward in a minute.
09:20 PM GMT
86 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 2
Young → Garner
And for Liverpool:
Jota → Diaz.
Jota is straight into the fray and sets up a shot for Salah who wraps his left instep around the ball in the D and Pickford soars to slap it over.
09:18 PM GMT
84 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 2
That’s better from Everton. Doucouré wins the ball on the left 30 yards from goal and feeds Beto who takes on the shot though Alcaraz is better placed, further ahead and screaming for it. The big centre-forward gets it on target but scuffs it and Alisson can simply flop on to it and smother the ball.
09:15 PM GMT
82 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 2
The goal has killed the home crowd and killed Everton’s spirit. They could argue that they don’t deserve to lose but they’ll need to find the fight of the first 70 minutes to claw something back. They look flat now.
09:12 PM GMT
80 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 2
Velvety flick with the outside of his left foot by Salah puts the ball in Alexander-Arnold’s stride and he slides a diagonal pass 35 yards towards the D and Branthwaite, who has been excellent and should now start for England, glides ahead of Nunez to nick it away.
09:10 PM GMT
78 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 2
All you can hear now is ‘Allez! Allez! Allez!’ and the odd Evertonian expletive.
09:08 PM GMT
76 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 2
A 22nd league goal of the season for Salah. Lethal.
Moyes rolls the dice.
Iroegbunum → Gueye
Alcaraz → Lindstrom.
Salah: one assist, one goal. That’s the difference right now. If Liverpool grind this out, file it under the many reasons why the Egyptian is likely to be player of the year. Huge 20 minutes to go influencing this title race.
09:04 PM GMT
GOAL!
Everton 1 Liverpool 2 (Salah) He has barely touched the ball this half but was Jonny on the Spot when Díaz’s cross from the left was blocked by a sliding Tarkowski. O’Brien was on his heels and Jones nipped in to pounce on the ball and fire a shot across goal that Branthwaite blocked... straight to Salah who buried it from eight yards.
09:04 PM GMT
72 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1
Docouré blazes over from the free-kick after Tarkowski’s header works the opening. Harrison was brought down by Mac Allister to set it up.
09:02 PM GMT
70 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1
Nunez → Gakpo
Tsimikas → Robertson.
Liverpool are under the cosh because of Everton’s physicality and concede another free-kick that prompts Slot to go full Rumpelstiltskin on the sidelines.
09:00 PM GMT
69 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1
Branthwaite stabs the ball past Alisson into the goal from a corner but he was offside, clearly so when winning the second ball to set up the chance to knock it past the keeper.
08:58 PM GMT
68 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1
Brave and well-timed header from Van Dijk to beat Beto to Harrison’s cross. Everton corner.
08:57 PM GMT
66 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1
Mykolenko steps across Szoboszlai who claims for a penalty right by the line on the right of the bobut he went down like a bag of hammers after the slightests brush. ‘That’s embarrassing,’ says Rio Ferdinand.
08:55 PM GMT
64 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1
Yellow card for Jones for sliding in on Lindstrom, one leg in front like a lance with studs showing.
For 65 minutes this has been exactly the derby Everton wanted. And Arsenal!
08:54 PM GMT
62 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1
The ball hits Konaté‘s hand as it bounces up when he was running back into his own box challenging Beto. The crowd wants a penalty but it was accidental and VAR agrees with Oliver.
08:52 PM GMT
60 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1
Couple of lovely touches and feints as Díaz dribbles across field and beats Gueye, Garner and Harrison but then he overruns the ball and catches Doucouré.
Alexander-Arnold → Bradley
Jones → Gravenberch.
Gravenberch looks quizzical.
08:50 PM GMT
58 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1
Bradley is about to be hooked after flirting with a second yellow for another ‘tactical’ foul, obstructing Doucouré. Slot summons Alexander-Arnold immediately and tells him to get stripped. Don’t think it deserved a booking but the home crowd did, singing ‘You’re not fit to referee.’
08:48 PM GMT
56 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1
Beto latches on to the ball after Doucouré distracts Van Dijk and the Liverpool captain lets the ball bounce. Beto pounces and runs infield, tacking across the 18 yard line until he spots Harrison and passes it. Harrison opens his body and tries to pick out the bottom left corner with a precise shot with his instep as Alisson scrambled to cover but it dribbles past the post and out for a goal-kick.
08:45 PM GMT
54 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1
Big chance for Doucouré after Gueye puts it on a plate for him with a cross stood up between penalty spot and right post. A bit of a floater of a cross so Doucouré tried to put some force on it rather than deflect it but in doing so bulleted it wide.
08:43 PM GMT
52 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1
After the stoppage for treatment Liverpool give the ball back to Everton then win it back and start probing 40 yards from goal. Salah whips a diagonal into the box and Branthwaite hacks it out for what he hoped would be a throw-in but it screws and spins behind for a corner instead having hit the corner flag post. Branthwaite clears the corner with a monster of a defensive header.
08:40 PM GMT
49 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1
Mac Allister throws out a hand to hold Garner at bay and catches him in the eye.
08:39 PM GMT
47 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1
The half-time consensus was that it’s in Liverpool’s best interests to kill the pace, slow the game down, puncture Everton’s aggression with possession. For Everton it’s... carry on. Beto gives Konaté a shove as the centre-half went up to win a header. Free-kick.
08:37 PM GMT
46 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1
Harrison stretchs his legs with a raid up the left after the restart and Konaté zooms over to give Bradley a necessary helping hand.
08:25 PM GMT
Half-time verdict
Check the date. Yes, it is 2025 not 1975. It’s a throwback derby, although most of them are at Goodison. Both sides will do well to get to the end with 11 men, Liverpool’s full-backs and Idrissa Gueye most vulnerable having been cautioned. Van Dijk is playing the game at his pace and effectively dictating the tempo. But there is no connection between the Liverpool attackers who keep passing backwards while Van Dijk is looking forwards. Moyes will be thrilled his side have been so competitive and will fancy causing more issues from set-pieces in the second half. Feels like next goal the winner where I am sitting.
08:22 PM GMT
Half-time: Everton 1 Liverpool 1
Hectic, frantic, enjoyable. Lots of needle in the challenges. A full-blooded derby so far.
08:21 PM GMT
45+5 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1
Pickford turns Szoboszlai’s 20-yard shot from the right of the D with his palm to the keeper’s right and Tarkowski, proper;y alert, dashes back and slides to get between the ball and Diaz and hook it away to help his keeper out.
08:20 PM GMT
45+4 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1
For the third time Díaz bumps Branthwaite while the centre-half was going up for a header. Moyes shakes his head and raises three fingers.
08:18 PM GMT
45+3 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1
Now Doucouré is booked for a foul on Bradley who embellishes it a bit. The full-back kicked the underside of Doucouré‘s boot and smacked his metatarsals into the studs.
08:17 PM GMT
45+1 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1
Bradley is booked for steaming into Mykolenko a second or too after the left-back had successfully shepherded the ball out for a goal-kick.
08:16 PM GMT
45 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1
Fibe minutes of stoppage time are signalled for the VAR check and Ndiaye’s injury/
08:16 PM GMT
44 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1
Menacing cross on the run from Mykolenko who had made it to the byline but Liverpool work it clear and then Oliver plays advantage when Gueye was grabbing Gakpo’s arm, suggesting that it deserved another booking and hence a red card for Gueye.
08:14 PM GMT
42 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1
Garner passes out to Harrison who storms down the left until Mykolenko hares down the outside to occupy Bradley. So Harrison cuts inside on to his right and stands up a cross to the penalty spot for Beto who can only flick it on tamely rather than divert it with the meat of his brow.
08:12 PM GMT
40 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1
Finally the volume drops as Van Dijk hangs on to the ball and then clips a long diagonal out to Salah who volleys a pass to the underlapping Bradley. Mykolenko, though, had tracked the run and his tackle conveniently sailed to Pickford.
08:10 PM GMT
38 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1
Having watched Jack Harrison many times for Leeds from 2018-23, I can report he is far better as a left winger than an inverted right winger. Here Moyes is using him on the left and he’s doing OK so far.
08:08 PM GMT
35 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1
Branthwaite plays another good pass up the inside left, Beto nods it on and Mac Allister brings down Garner who had taken the knockdown in his stride. Lindstrom is booked for miming the award of a yellow card. They mess up the cross from the free-kick again and Gueye is booked for stopping Liverpool’s counter with a Fernadinho special.
08:05 PM GMT
32 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1
Lindstrom gets away with grabbing Díaz round the waist and throwing him over. Beto, who has been putting it about, crashes into Van Dijk long after he laid the ball off, conceding a free-kick and enraging Van Dijk. Rio Ferdinand says David Moyes would have said something like ‘I don’t want Van Dijk’s hair nice and gelled. I want it down round his eyes.’ It’s part of their strategy to rattle him.
08:02 PM GMT
30 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1
O’Brien tries to thunder a clearance upfield but it hits Diaz and balloons out to Liverpool’s right but they cannot exploit the fortunate bounce of the ball.
The quality of both goals apart, there’s not been much else on show so far because of the frenetic pace and lack of space.
08:00 PM GMT
28 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1
Liverpool are trying to take some of the heat out of the frantic start with Van Dijk walking forward after a length spell off short passing across the back four.
07:58 PM GMT
26 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1
Bradley fouls Harrison as he was straining to get to a too short pass down the left. Lindstrom pulls rank to take it and hits the first Liverpool sentry, to Everton groans. Liverpool race upfield to try to counter but Doucouré wins the ball and Robertson first fouls him then boots the ball away to earn himself a booking.
07:55 PM GMT
23 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1
Ndiaye is weeping. holding his shirt to his eyes as he tries to put weight on his right leg. He is being consoled by Doucouré and Gueye. He should be carried off but limps instead. Poor lad.
Harrison → Ndiaye.
Groans galore as the Everton physio signals Ndiaye will have to be subbed. He’s probably been Everton’s player of the season.
07:52 PM GMT
21 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1
Ndiaye is hurt and needs treatment after a nudge from Szoboszlai when in full flight makes him kick the ground with his foot and seemingly jar his knee.
07:50 PM GMT
18 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1
A breathless few minutes but Everton’s loss of concentration after doing something well was a hallmark of Dyche’s side too. Hard to eradicate. May take a pre-season.
Anyone getting 4-4 vibes?
07:46 PM GMT
GOAL!
Everton 1 Liverpool 1 (Mac Allister) Terrific header, improvising to head it with the part of the crown just above his left ear to flick it into the right of goal from Salah’s inswinging cross. Great run from Mac Allister to peel off Beto having won the ball in midfield and get into the box to get on the end of that.
07:43 PM GMT
GOAL!
Everton 1 Liverpool 0 (Beto) Yes, he was onside. .Branthwaite takes a quick free-kick on halfway by the left touchline and catches Liverpool napping. He splits the centre-backs with his pass and Beto, lurking on Konaté‘s shoulder, blindsides the centre-half and pounces on to the pass and then threads his shot between the diving Alisson’s left arm and knee. It shouldn’t have been a free-kick in the first place. No wonder Slot and Van Dijk are fuming.
After watching last season’s derby, Slot’s message was ‘do not give away silly free-kicks’. It is deja vu for his players falling into the same trap. Beto has his flaws, but finishing one-on-one with the keeper isn’t one. Goodison is rocking.
07:41 PM GMT
GOAL!?
Everton 1 Liverpool 0 (Beto) There will be a VAR check.
07:40 PM GMT
11 min: Everton 0 Liverpool 0
Gueye sprays a 50-yard crossfield pass out to the right by Lindstrom who rides a Robertson foul to whip over a cross that slams into the side-netting.
07:39 PM GMT
9 min: Everton 0 Liverpool 0
The crowd are making a pleasing racket, howling with pleasure when Salah was bodychecked, raising the rafters for throw-ins. Díaz links with Gakpo down the Liverpool left but Beto came back to help O’Brien and his tenacity and control earns his side a lustily cheered throw-in.
07:37 PM GMT
7 min: Everton 0 Liverpool 0
Doucouré knocks the ball forward early with his head for Beto to chase but he was slow off the mark and Robertson came in from the left on the cover.
07:36 PM GMT
4 min: Everton 0 Liverpool 0
Everton corner on the right after Lindstrom’s cross failed to pick out Beto or the onrushing Doucouré. Konaté heads it behind and Szoboszlai deals with the corner.
07:33 PM GMT
2 min: Everton 0 Liverpool 0
Tarkowski pumps the ball long, too long and it skips through to Alisson and Liverpool start to build slowly. Tarkowski had time and space but just lumped it.
07:32 PM GMT
1 min: Everton 0 Liverpool 0
Everton kick off, attacking from right to left so will have the Gwladys behind them in the first half. They lose the ball quickly and Liverpool come down the right with Salah, Bradley and Gravenberch combining and Everton not getting a tackle in but they are flagged offside when the pass is chipped towards the box.
07:27 PM GMT
The teams are out
No kit colour clashes here.
A banner in the Liverpool end depicting famous derby matchwinners at Goodison with the slogan ‘thanks for the memories’ was just removed by stewards. Not very neighbourly! The Gwladys Street, meanwhile, is a blue tapestry.
07:26 PM GMT
Interesting stat
Liverpool have named a starting XI for a top-flight match without a single English player in it for the first time in their history ❌???????????????????????????? pic.twitter.com/kOnjDtQ9u7
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 12, 2025
07:25 PM GMT
Nearly time
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07:20 PM GMT
Blasts from the past
After counting down the top five Everton derby goals, Goodison’s big screen is now replaying highlights of last season’s 2-0 victory just as the Liverpool side leave the pitch. Slot might have been tempted to allow his players to stay for a few minutes if it provides extra motivation to avoid a repeat.
07:14 PM GMT
Look who’s on the front of Everton’s matchday programme
It’s the man who scored the second goal in David Moyes’ last victory in the derby back in 2010 and also the current Arsenal manager:
07:13 PM GMT
David Moyes speaks to TNT Sports
We know it is a great night for everybody connected to Everton, because it is the last Merseyside derby at this stadium,” Moyes adds. “I am looking at it like another game and trying to get another three points for the team.”
“Anybody who has come here will tell you the evening games are always special. The close proximity to the pitch, the small tunnel. The crowd won’t disappoint and we have to make sure we give them something to shout about.”
“Trying to make chances against Liverpool is never easy. When we do get the opportunities we need to be clean, take them when they come around, and put them under pressure ourselves too.
07:02 PM GMT
Nice story this – he’s back
06:52 PM GMT
It’s a pyro mad city
06:41 PM GMT
A pre-match statistical smorgasbord snorter
By Ben Marsden
Everton haven’t won consecutive Merseyside derbies since 1985.
Liverpool’s last away league defeat came at Goodison Park – a 2-0 loss last season.
Last season’s win was Everton’s first home derby win since October 2010.
No other Premier League fixture has produced more red cards (23).
Only Liverpool and Nottingham Forest have more clean sheets in the league than Everton this season.
Liverpool have lost three of their last ten matches in all competitions - as many defeats as they had in their previous 36 games.
Mohamed Salah has 21 goal contributions in 12 away games this season – no player has ever contributed to more goals away from home in a single season.
David Moyes’ side are looking for four consecutive league victories for the first time since December 2023.
Everton have scored just 23 times this season, with Ipswich and Southampton the only two sides to score less.
David Moyes’ Merseyside derby record is W3, D7, L12.
06:38 PM GMT
Your teams in black and white
Everton Pickford; O’Brien, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Garner, Gueye; Lindstrøm, Doucouré, Ndiaye; Beto.
Substitutes Virginia, Begovic, Keane, Harrison, Young, Alcaraz, Iroegbunam, Sherif, Heath.
Liverpool Alisson; Bradley, Konaté, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo; Díaz.
Substitutes Kelleher,Tsimikas, Alexander-Arnold, Quansah, Endo, Nunez, Jones, Elliott, Jota.
Referee Michael Oliver (Ashington)
06:34 PM GMT
Victory for Liverpool
Would put them nine points clear with 14 to play.
06:32 PM GMT
Ins and outs
Luis Diaz is the only survivor from Liverpool’s embarrassment at Plymouth. Overall, eight of those who started last April’s 2-0 Goodison defeat will get their chance to make amends in Slot’s line-up. Everton will miss Dominic Calvert-Lewin, but Iliman Ndiaye is their big attacking threat and David Moyes will hope new signing Carlos Alcaraz will have an impact from the bench.
06:23 PM GMT
Everton team news
06:21 PM GMT
Liverpool team news
Bradley starts, Trent Alexander-Arnold on the bench.
06:20 PM GMT
Carragher meets Big Dunc: Team bus left me at Anfield while I waited to have it out with Ince
As a player, man-marking Duncan Ferguson was my Merseyside derby rite of passage. Three decades on, it is the Everton idol’s devoted fans who are still shadowing his every move.
We are less than five minutes into this interview and Duncan has already granted multiple photograph requests. “That lady just said she still has a picture of me on her bedroom wall celebrating a goal with my top off,” he says with a laugh.
“Tell them to give you a job back at the club, Duncan!” comes the shout from the latest admirer.
These are superstar levels of hero worship. I am not exaggerating when saying there is no one in my city – especially representing the blue half – who more embodies the club they represented.
05:46 PM GMT
Slot: ‘Cool head not legs’
The final countdown is underway at Goodison Park and tonight it unleashes its last Merseyside derby roar.
David Moyes and Arne Slot have granted due deference to the fact the emotional setting can have a significant influence on the outcome, Everton hosting Liverpool one more time before relocating to their new £500 million home.
Evidence from recent derbies shows that the respective league positions of the neighbours is irrelevant, Liverpool looking to tighten their grip at the Premier League summit while Everton aspire to consolidate a position of safety.
Despite the obvious superiority of Liverpool during the Jürgen Klopp era, Slot’s predecessor won just two of his nine Goodison fixtures, the last visit his most harrowing as it effectively terminated fading title dreams last season.
Slot re-watched that game to get a few pointers of what is in store, but videos will barely scratch the surface of the noise levels, especially during an evening derby.
“[Keep] a cool head but not cool legs,” was Slot’s advice on how to deal with an intimidating atmosphere..
“You have to run just as much, be just as intense in tackles. That is where it starts and nine of 10 times after 10 or 15 minutes a game settles down a bit and then you can start to think even more about playing football. But last season, in the first 10 minutes there were 10 free-kicks in favour of Everton and you know what they did with it, they brought them in every single time and I think that led to their first goal.
“You have to be mentally really strong as an away team to resist all that.”
For Moyes, there has been so much focus on the Goodison factor he issued a timely reminder that it is for his players to match the ferocity of their crowd.
“Let’s not kid ourselves. There is a gulf between the teams in quality at the moment and obviously that is shown in the league position as well,” said Moyes.
“That’s where you have to find a way to bridge the gap on the night.
“It’s just a game, another game, but I will tell the players about what it means to the supporters. Yet if I have to tell them that, you would be questioning where they are in their footballing world. Especially when we are talking about the last one at Goodison. It is a big thing. Everyone here is aware of trying to finish at Goodison in a great place. All the staff around the place are trying to make the last few games here special.”
05:35 PM GMT
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Liverpool have been flying high this season, but Everton fans will be looking to give Goodison Park a fairytale send off and knock their neighbours down a notch. Back your selections for the game with these best betting sites.
05:28 PM GMT
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05:25 PM GMT
Preview: The last time
Good evening and welcome to live coverage of the final league derby between Everton and Liverpool at Goodison Park. There is no writer more susceptible to indulging themselves with a trip down memory lane than this one but I will spare you today as Chris Bascombe beat me to it with this fab piece, featuring Ian Rush, Gary McAllister, Wayne Clarke and Tony Cottee, on the history of this great fixture. Fill your boots.
So I will restrict myself to the basics: last season Everton broke a run stretching back 14 years of no home win in a derby meaning Sean Dyche could put a feather in his cap (not that the worm-eater would ever deign to wear something as fey as a head covering) that eluded Roberto Martínez, Ronnie Koeman, Sam Allardyce, Marco Silva, Carlo Ancelotti, Rafa Benitez and Frank Lampard. Jarrad Branthwaite and Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored the goals in the 2-0 victory which, with two games to go, stamped on Liverpool’s remaining title hopes. Everton bombarded their visitors with free-kicks and corners on that night in April and, even under the second coming of David Moyes with their sharper build-up play and mercifully more thrilling approach, they are sure to be direct again.
It has brought him a hat-trick of successive victories in the league – over Spurs, Brighton and Leicester – but Bournemouth gave them a bit of a chasing in the first half of their FA Cup fourth-round defeat though nothing as mortifying as Liverpool’s exit at the hands of the Championship’s bottom dwellers, Plymouth Argyle. That was a properly Devonian smack in the face for their team of too many irregulars but that’s what can happen when you make 10 changes against a well-motivated opponent with a charismatic new manager enjoying a bounce.
They will be back to full-strength today with the possible exception of Conor Bradley starting instead of Trent Alexander-Arnold who has had only one training session since his thigh strain. It is far graver for Everton, who have seven ruled out medium- or long-term – Youssef Chermiti, Seamus Coleman, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Dwight McNeil, Armando Broja, Nathan Patterson and Orel Mangala (who has gone back to Lyon following surgery) – but may have Vitalii Mykolenko back after his heel/calf injury.
