After a match of total Liverpool dominate and a wonderful goal, Everton somehow found a way to equalise and leave Anfield with a point. Here are the best and worst players from the Merseyside Derby.
Best: Dominic Calvert-Lewin
In the first half, Calvert-Lewin was playing as one of two Everton strikers with Oumar Niasse, and the partnership didn’t really work. At half-time Sam Allardyce replace Niasse with Aaron Lennon and switched to 4-2-3-1 with Calvert-Lewin alone up-front.
Suddenly the youngster was transformed into a rampaging force who chased and pressed everything. He won 5/13 aerial duels and pressed and harried Dejan Lovren enough that he won Everton’s equalising penalty.
Worst: Sadio Mané
In terms of general play, Mané had a decent game. Liverpool dominated things, and Mané was good. But they only scored once and thus Everton could equalise. But the only reason Liverpool scored once instead of turning that 1-0 into a hammering is Mané chose to shoot poorly at goal rather than pass to either of his two team-mates who were wide open for a tap-in.
Best: Joe Gomez
If you had told Liverpool fans that stalwart right-back was going to miss half the season with injury they’d have panicked. But in reality it’s not been a bother and that’s in part because of Joe Gomez. Liverpool’s young defender was excellent against Everton, offering width and cover in both attack and defence.
Worst: Cuco Martina
Martina was constantly targeted by Liverpool, because they knew he was weak. Moments before Mohamed Salah skinned Idrissa Gueye and shot perfectly to put Liverpool ahead, he chased down and out-muscled Martina in the most humiliating way imaginable. If Martina had been able to hold his own, Liverpool may have continued to struggle with breaking Everton down.
Best: Mohamed Salah
Liverpool’s Egyptian forward is fast emerging as the Reds’ best player. He’s on the verge of cracking 20 goals in all competitions in December and repeatedly he stands tall and delivers goals for his side when they need them most. Like his masterpiece against Everton in the derby where he overpowered Cuco Martina then danced away from Idrissa Gueye and left Ashley Williams hopeless as he slammed the ball home. It was a masterpiece of a goal and Jurgen Klopp’s decision to take him off was part of led to Everton’s equaliser.
Worst: Dejan Lovren
The other part was Lovren. Alright Dominic Calvert-Lewin did well to press him, to hurry him up and force him to make a decision, but that decision? That wasn’t even a 50/50 or an attempted tackle that was mistimed, or a header with a leading elbow. That was a calculated and utterly meaningless push which, sure, was a soft penalty but was always going to be be a penalty. Everton were flapping around, gasping for air; and Lovren just pulled them clean out of the water. What a buffoon.
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