- Liverpool played host to Everton in the Premier League at Anfield on Monday night
- Everton headed into the match after a big win over Everton while Liverpool still sitting on 10th
- Goals from Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah sealed the win for the home side to move the a position up
Liverpool defeated Everton 2-0 in the Merseyside derby as Cody Gakpo scored his first goal for Liverpool and the Premier League on Monday night.
Liverpool’s hopes of securing a top-four finish had been rocked by a run of four top-flight games without a win, but they got their first Premier League victory of 2023 on Monday.
Salah rounded off a blistering counter-attack 13 seconds after James Tarkowski had struck the post with his 18th goal of the season, having failed to find the back of the net in his previous five matches, late in the first half.
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah celebrates after scoring the opener for Liverpool against Everton in the Merseyside derby in the Premier League. | PHOTO: Football365 |
Gakpo got off the mark early in the second half as Liverpool moved up a spot to ninth and kept their neighbours in the relegation zone by consigning boss Sean Dyche to a first defeat, with substitute appearances for the fit-again Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino also providing boosts for Jurgen Klopp.
Netherlands forward Gakpo spurned a good chance to open the scoring when he headed wide from close range early in a frantic start.
Tarkowski came agonisingly close to scoring a second goal in as many games after his winner against Arsenal when he rose to meet Alex Iwobi’s corner with a header that struck the post, and Liverpool were in front moments later.
Everton were badly caught out on the break as Darwin Nunez darted forward and picked out Salah, who tucked into an empty net with Jordan Pickford in no man’s land nine minutes before the break.
The Toffees were once again caught on the break four minutes into the second half, when Conor Cody failed to deal with Trent Alexander-Arnold’s dangerous cross and Gakpo opened his account with a tap-in.
Nunez was denied by Pickford from a tight angle and bent an effort just wide after being set up by Gakpo as Everton continued to be opened up all too easily.
Ellis Simms was withdrawn after being handed a start with Dominic Calvert-Lewin unfit, before Jota and Firmino were given great ovations when they came off the bench, and Tom Davies’ glaring miss with a header from close range summed up Everton’s day.
Relief for Liverpool
After such a poor start to 2023, Liverpool could ill afford to slip up again and this was much more like it from Klopp’s side.
They moved nine points behind fourth-placed Newcastle United and can cut that gap to six by beating the Magpies next weekend. The return from injury of Jota and Firmino were also big positives, while Virgil van Dijk was back on the bench.
Everton missed the chance to move out of the bottom three after beating leaders Arsenal in Dyche’s first match in charge.
Gakpo is up and running
Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo celebrates after scoring the second for Liverpool against Everton in the Merseyside derby in the Premier League. | PHOTO: Guardian |
There had been no dream start to his Liverpool career for Gakpo, but he deserved his first Reds goal in his seventh match for the club.
He also created two chances in a lively display, which was timely given Jota’s return.
Winger Mohamed Salah had not scored a Premier League goal since Boxing Day and had failed to find the back of the net in five games in all competitions.
He marked a landmark top-flight appearance for the Reds by taking his tally of league goal involvements at Anfield to 100, with 71 goals and 29 assists in his 104th match at the home of the Reds. Only Alan Shearer at Ewood Park (74 games) and Thierry Henry at Highbury (92 games) have done so in fewer games at a specific ground.
Liverpool travels to Newcastle United on Saturday, when Everton takes on fellow strugglers Leeds United at Goodison Park.
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