Liverpool can feel it now. They can sense it. They can almost see it. The Premier League title, only the second in 35 long years, and the first they can properly – post-Covid – celebrate with their fans is in sight.
And those fans played their part here. In that old saying, one so associated with Liverpool as they attack, they almost sucked the ball into the net at the Kop end for the only goal. Such was their desire to win this inevitably fiercely-contested, inevitably controversial Merseyside derby against Everton.
As expected no quarter was given and that tone was set with a violent tackle by James Tarkowski with the Everton captain somehow escaping dismissal early in the first half in a meeting that is so often pocked by sendings-off.
There were four the last time these two sides met, in that tumultuous 2-2 draw at Goodison Park in February, when Tarkowski scored the late – and again controversial – equaliser including one for Liverpool head coach Arne Slot. There should have been another, here, with Tarkowski’s ugly lunge at Alexis Mac Allister.
It was full of force and malice and the centre-half knew exactly what he was doing. He had both feet off the ground and he made sure he hit Mac Allister. And hit him hard.
Some might argue it was full-blooded, he won the ball and it is what we want in a contact sport. Nonsense. The still image of Tarkowski’s face said it all. Deemed reckless? That was ridiculous.
After the briefest of VAR checks – just 10 seconds – the on-field decision of only a caution was upheld. The VAR? That was Paul Tierney, a referee who has hardly endeared himself to Liverpool over the years.
Unsurprisingly, the managers differed in their opinions even if there was a qualification from David Moyes that – after looking at it again – it probably was a red.
Tarkowski remained on the pitch and so there was the second, significant controversy involving him. It surrounded the goal with Everton vehemently arguing that Luis Diaz was offside.
The scorer was Diogo Jota and it came after the kind of wave after wave of attack, quickly recycling the ball, that has been Liverpool’s hallmark at home over the decades. The momentum felt unstoppable and so it proved.
"The Reds BURST through on derby night!" ????️
Diogo Jota opens the scoring in the Merseyside derby in front of the Kop! ???? pic.twitter.com/r2B3xRAfaa
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 2, 2025
But the goal and why it was given deserves analysis. Replays showed that Diaz was, indeed, too far forward when an attempt was made by Ryan Gravenberch to play the ball through to him inside the Everton penalty area.
Tarkowski cut it out, Diaz was close to him, ran around to cleverly backheel into Jota’s path and he slalomed through to beat Pickford for his first goal in 11 appearances. It was all the more timely and all the more necessary as this was a game in which Mohamed Salah had strangely little impact and did not take the one opportunity – a header – that came his way.
The law? The question is: was Diaz “interfering with an opponent”? Well, he did not stop Tarkowski playing the ball, he did not obstruct his line of vision, he did not challenge him. But did he impact on Tarkowski’s ability to intercept? The argument from Everton was their player would not have tried to intervene unless Diaz was there. Otherwise he would have let the ball go.
While admitting Liverpool were the better team, Moyes was adamant it should have been ruled out. Slot? It was his turn for a qualification as he argued the rule had been properly applied – before adding that it was a rule he did not like because it allows attackers to loiter behind defenders who are pushing up as he makes his team press (something Everton do not do).
The win re-established Liverpool’s advantage over Arsenal at the top to 12 points. With only eight games to go – including Arsenal coming to this stadium in mid-May when it might already be over – it appears, and surely is, an unassailable lead. Especially for a team that has lost just one league game all season.
The last title was won in the 2019-20 campaign which finished behind-closed-doors and when the supporters could not really play their part and this one when, rather than if, they get over-the-line will be celebrated even more.
This fixture, with its timing and its motivated opponent, had added significance because Liverpool have looked to be tiring of late with their exit from the Champions League followed by losing the Carabao Cup final before the international break which had cast a seed – small but undeniable – of doubt where previously they had appeared almost relentless and assured.
Slot had warned his squad they had been out-fought by Newcastle United and it was a timely warning. They would not be out-fought this time. This would, as ever, be a battle and the relief flooded around at the final whistle.
“We shall not be moved,” sang those Liverpool fans before a chorus of “we’re going to win the league”. And it felt big. Very big. “Massive,” Jota said. And it was as they inflicted Everton’s first loss in 10.
Maybe things could have been different had Beto taken his chance when it was goalless. The striker was giving Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté a difficult time and there looked like a moment of panic from the usually unflappable Liverpool captain when he produced an airshot. Beto capitalised and ran clear only for his shot to strike the post. He had to score but did not. It felt like another big moment.
Such was their dominance, their intent, their speed that Liverpool deserved to win. If their belief was faltering, a little, they have it back and with it the title will be theirs. Anfield sensed it and sensed the importance of almost forcing this win.
10:44 PM BST
Arne Slot speaks to Sky Sports
A very good manager has brought them back to life and they are a very, very difficult team to play against. The number of shots they blocked it’s incredible. Every ball they play goes long. The number of long throw-ins... it’s so tough.
Our boys showed immense character today. We created much more than in the away game and in the end we scored a good goal and kept a clean sheet.
I like much more what I saw than the away game. Lucho [Diaz] was 15-20 times one-on-one with their full-back. In the away game it was Virgil to Ibou [Konate], Ibou to Virgil. They hardly ever concede a goal, they hardly ever concede a chance because they bring so many bodies back to defend their 18-yard box. They have so many players who are good at blocking shots and it’s no use putting a high cross in because their centre-backs are [massive].
[Tarkowski red card?] Alexis is used to it because he’s from South America but no, it was so obvious I don’t need to comment. I would prefer to talk about Diogo’s goal or how well Curtis Jones played at full-back.
According to the rules it was a goal and a great one. There can be no question marks about that. The rules tell us that it was a clear goal. I would be frustrated if I conceded it but frustrated with the rule not the goal because it was correctly applied by the referee.
We are chasing down the best possible season we can have and Everton showed how difficult it is to win a game in the Premier League. We have eight more difficult challenges but as long as the players and the fans in the home games give as much as they gave today, we are in a very good position.
10:23 PM BST
David Moyes speaks to Sky Sports
I think we were closer to them tonight and in the two games we’ve played against them than I expected when I came into the club. We’ve given them a really good game. Tonight was really tight and [they’ve won] by an offside goal. The player behind Tarkowski interfered with him clearing it and it’s a very easy decision to give. I can’t think of any reason why it wasn’t given offside.
[You had a decision go your way in the first half with Tarkowski?] My first thought was that it was a brilliant tackle for a derby game, the kind you would have seen a few years ago but I understand it’s different now with followthroughs. We might have been lucky, yes but don’t be putting that with the goal. The goal was a different incident which won Liverpool the game in the end.
We had a few chances but we’re not kidding ourselves on, Liverpool deserve to be top of the league. But we made some good chances and were desperate to get something out of the game. It’s the first defeat in 10 games. Liverpool were better but we tried to close the gap between their levels and ours and I thought we did that for long spells tonight.
[It was a messy game. Why was that?] Liverpool have had to think about Everton tonight and maybe in the future they will have to think about Everton more. At the moment they’re the best team in the league but we stuck at it tonight and I thought we were unlucky not to get something out of it.
10:14 PM BST
How the top of the table looks now
10:14 PM BST
Diogo Jota, man of the match, speaks to Sky Sports
Hopefully this gives us a bit of momentum. I want this game to start a good run for me that could be helpful for the team. The only way is to start winning games.
10:13 PM BST
A quick word with Virgil van Dijk
[Why was it so difficult for you out there?] We play against Everton, they make it very difficult for you. They’re always tough. They have a certain way of playing and you have to deal with it. But we kept a clean sheet and scored a great goal. It’s always going to be tough. They’re very direct, second ball fight and they hit you on the break and try to punish you.
[Should Tarkowski have been sent off?] It is what it is. The referee and VAR have to make decisions and we have to live with it.
We have to keep going, keep the same focus, the same mentality. Everyone wants to be in our position.
10:01 PM BST
Hard grind
‘We’re going to win the league,’ sings a joyous Kop. They sound like they believe it, but they were made to work for that win. They need 13 more points to guarantee title.
09:59 PM BST
Full time: Liverpool 1 Everton 0
Liverpool restore their lead at the top over Arsenal to 12 points with eight to play. Wasn’t much of a spectacle. Everton were dogged and canny on the break. No shots on target, though. They lack class but not purpose or belief. Liverpool were patient and finally got the goal they deserved. It may have been different entirely if the ref and VAR had done their jobs and sent Tarkowski off.
09:57 PM BST
90+7 min: Liverpool 1 Everton 0
Nunez cuts in from the left and leathers a right-foot shot into the Kop. And that will do.
09:56 PM BST
90+6 min: Liverpool 1 Everton 0
Foul on the keeper gives Kelleher and Liverpool a free-kick from Young’s cross.
09:55 PM BST
90+4 min: Liverpool 1 Everton 0
Everton corner earned by Ndiaye and Pickford goes up.
09:54 PM BST
90+3 min: Liverpool 1 Everton 0
Young floats a very tempting ball into the box from the right. Jones hooks it away facing his own goal back upfield almost insouciantly despite the tension.
09:53 PM BST
90+1 min: Liverpool 1 Everton 0
Six minutes of stoppage time are signalled which irks Everton assistant Billy McKinlay. Pickford was wasting time at 0-0 long before Nunez rolled back on to the pitch but it seems a bit rich that Pickford time should be added on to try to find an equaliser.
Gakpo → Diaz
Endo → Salah.
09:50 PM BST
90 min: Liverpool 1 Everton 0
Liverpool defend a long throw with Van Dijk’s header and then the implementation of the offside trap.
Expect a lot of injury time here. Both sides will be thinking of what happened in the 98th minute at Goodison.
09:49 PM BST
88 min: Liverpool 1 Everton 0
Pickford wipes out Nunez in the box, kicking him across the knee as he tried to clear the ball. Would have been a penalty but the referee had already blown his whistle for Iroegbunum’s foul on Szoboszlai. kicking him hard on the heel after the ball had gone.
Oddly the referee books Nunez for rolling back on to the pitch and holding up play.
09:46 PM BST
85 min: Liverpool 1 Everton 0
Liverpool move the ball quickly down the right between Salah, Jones, Szoboszlai and Mac Allister until Jones shoot ... straight into Gueye.
Chermiti → Doucoure
09:43 PM BST
81 min: Liverpool 1 Everton 0
Nunez links with Diaz on the right and plays the Colombian into space. He tacks across the 18-yard line to hammer a low shot into some Everton shins. There’s a cry of ‘handball!’ as it ricochets back but there was nothing untoward.
09:40 PM BST
79 min: Liverpool 1 Everton 0
Rolling back the years, Young is playing on the right wing. Salah slides a pass inside Mykolenko for Szoboszlai to race round the outside of the full-back and then flash a cross through the box that Branthwaite hacks away.
09:38 PM BST
77 min: Liverpool 1 Everton 0
Moyes shakes things up:
Iroegbunum → Garner
Young → Alcaraz
Broja → Beto.
09:35 PM BST
74 min: Liverpool 1 Everton 0
Van Dijk fells Tarkowski in the Everton box and the corner earned by Robertson’s vicious cross comes to naught. Everton free-kick.
Nunez → Jota.
09:33 PM BST
72 min: Liverpool 1 Everton 0
Everton fans demand a penalty from the corner as Mac Allister hangs on to Tarkowski at the back post, shoving and grappling, not looking at the ball.
09:31 PM BST
70 min: Liverpool 1 Everton 0
Konate sloppily concedes a corner on the left that Kelleher claws out for another on the right.
His team is now in complete control, but Slot will be desperate for the cushion of the second. If Everton can keep it at 1-0 this stadium will be on edge until the end.
09:29 PM BST
69 min: Liverpool 1 Everton 0
First change:
Ndiaye → Harrison.
09:28 PM BST
67 min: Liverpool 1 Everton 0
Mac Allister takes his and Liverpool’s 10th corner of the game. Mykolenko heads it away. The delivery has been poor tonight. Too flat this half, too floaty in the first.
09:27 PM BST
65 min: Liverpool 1 Everton 0
Salah runs at Mykolenko, tries to diddle him with a touch of swazz, and the Ukraine full-back sticks out a leg calmly to knock the ball behind for a corner.
09:25 PM BST
63 min: Liverpool 1 Everton 0
Jota is booked for dissent after arguing with the linesman for not giving him a free-kick when fouled, as he saw it, by Branthwaite. Foolishly he then goes over to said lino and applauds him and flashes the old Macca thumbs aloft sign. Sracsm can get you red-carded in a derby. Just ask Arne Slot.
09:21 PM BST
60 min: Liverpool 1 Everton 0
Liverpool have had most of the attacking momentum and now finally found the precision to pierce Everton’s well-drilled and tenacious defenders.
09:17 PM BST
GOAL!
Liverpool 1 Everton 0 (Jota) Scrap that Nunez advice! Half a minute after Mykolenko blocks Salah’s goalbound shot. Liverpool recycle it to the left. Gravenberch drives forward and plays it to Diaz, who was offside but Tarkowski intercepted it and then Diaz ran back round the other side to flick it to Jota who slalomed in from the left of the D towards the spot and fired a shot past Pickford from 12 yards.
09:16 PM BST
56 min: Liverpool 0 Everton 0
Everton break at pace with Harrison travelling 60 yards and two blue shirts for support. But he dithers in possession and decides too late not to shoot. He looks for Beto who hadn’t made the dart to the right of the penalty spot that he anticipated and Kelleher picks it up. Moyes again turns to his staff and expresses his bafflement and frustration.
Pressure growing at the Kop end, but most of the shots are still from distance. Branthwaite is showing why is so highly-rated. Slot looks like he will be bringing on the subs soon.
09:14 PM BST
53 min: Liverpool 0 Everton 0
Closer from Liverpool, Gravenberch shooting by cutting his laces across the ball from 20 yards and sending it swerving and dipping towards the right of goal. Pickford dives and bats it away and Branthwaite makes a superb, brave diving header to stop Salah pouncing.
09:11 PM BST
51 min: Liverpool 0 Everton 0
Smart save from Pickford when Jota played a one-two with Szoboszlai to creep in behind on the right. But he was offside in any case as he failed to bend his run to receive the return pass.
09:10 PM BST
49 min: Liverpool 0 Everton 0
Liverpool spend a couple of minutes camped 35 yards from the Everton goal, probing away until Robertson tries to inject some urgency with a lofted ball that heads straight down Pickford’s throat.
09:08 PM BST
47 min: Liverpool 0 Everton 0
Konate drives a diagonal up to Jota to the left of the D and Tarkowski flicks it behind for a corner. Tarkowski heads the corner behind for another and wins the header from Mac Allister’s carbon copy from the left.
09:05 PM BST
46 min: Liverpool 0 Everton 0
No changes. I wonder if Nunez might be more of a handful than Jota out there.
08:57 PM BST
Duncan Ferguson on the Tarkowski yellow
No argument, straight red. Could have been a leg-breaker. Straight red all day.
08:54 PM BST
Half-time verdict: Liverpool 0 Everton 0
David Moyes will be thrilled his side has done exactly what they set out to do, Liverpool’s frustration – and nerves – growing as the half progressed. Liverpool’s defenders were treating Beto like he was Didier Drogba by the end of the half, the direct route yielding fruit. There were definite shades of Liverpool v Chelsea, 2014, in that opening 45 minutes – the last time the red half of this city chucked away a title race advantage. Everton are playing like they have nothing to lose.
08:53 PM BST
Half-time: Liverpool 0 Everton 0
Although Liverpool will argue that Everton should be down to 10 men which would have put a different complexion on the half, they haven’t been as sharp all round as they were before Christmas. They have the greater quality and patience ought to pay off if they can furnish Salah, their best finisher, with some of the chances they have made for Diaz and Jota. But Everton have shaken them and Van Dijk is rarely rattled. But he doesn’t like playing Beto at all.
08:50 PM BST
45+4 min: Liverpool 0 Everton 0
Everton float the free-kick into the box and Alacaraz makes a mess of his header having surged ahead of his marker.
08:49 PM BST
45+3 min: Liverpool 0 Everton 0
Another Beto break upfield. He’s effective even if the ball is never quite under complete control. Very much a seat of the pants player. They win a a free-kick for a Jota foul.
08:48 PM BST
45+1 min: Liverpool 0 Everton 0
The first of four minutes of stoppage time begin with a Liverpool corner that Pickford punches away. Everton break and drive a deep cross, right to left, for Alacraz who can’t connect properly, knocking it tamely down but it sits up nicely for Kelleher. Beto, though, thinks it’s game for a high volley and boots the keeper in the chest as he caught it. Fair to go for it, I think.
08:45 PM BST
44 min: Liverpool 0 Everton 0
Pickford catches Gravenberch’s shot via a looping deflection of Trakowski’s heel. Good move by Liverpool involving slick passing by Jones and Salah down the right and Szoboszlai joining in.
08:44 PM BST
41 min: Liverpool 0 Everton 0
Liverpool defend the corner stoutly through Konate and break down the right. Salah bends in an inswinging cross with his left that Branthwaite riskily lets bounce rather than jeopardising his own goal with a flick. O’Brien knocks it away. But back come Liverpool and Harrison’s defensive diligence at the back post from a right-wing cross thwarts Diaz.
08:41 PM BST
39 min: Liverpool 0 Everton 0
Apologies: it’s Garner and not O’Brien with the trebuchet throw and he has another one that he sticks into the box like a Barnes-Wallis bomb, earning his side a corner as he goes head-to-head with Robertson, locking horns as they tussled to win it back as it came back out to the right.
08:38 PM BST
37 min: Liverpool 0 Everton 0
Another promising Everton counter, this one instigated by Garner, is ruined by a misplaced pass, this time Doucoure’s to Harrison on the right which invites Van Dijk to muscle him away from goal and off the ball.
Shades of Demba Ba as Beto ran through after a mistake by the Liverpool captain. Huge let off for the home side. For all Liverpool’s possession, Everton had the clearest chance. The Kop are urging their players to move the ball quicker, but Everton’s defence is resolute so far.
08:36 PM BST
35 min: Liverpool 0 Everton 0
David Moyes’ hands go to his head as Beto drives through the centre. He loses the aerial duel on halfway but the Liverpool header falls to Doucoure who chips it diagonally back up to Beto. Van Dijk closes him down 30 yards out but Beto’s control knocks the ball into the Liverpool captain. It rebounds back to him and he’s now one-on-one 25 yards out as Kelleher scrambles out to meet him so he wraps his right instep around the shot, beats the keeper and crashes it into the left post about 3ft up.
08:33 PM BST
32 min: Liverpool 0 Everton 0
There are nine blue shirts and Pickford in green in the Everton box and Liverpool try to unpick the lock with Gravenberch to Robertson and round the corner to Diaz. His shot from the left with his right is blocked. And Everton break.
08:31 PM BST
30 min: Liverpool 0 Everton 0
Everton have had plenty of opportunities to break but Beto cannot make the ball stick and bring runners into it.
Liverpool knew they would have to be low block busters this evening. Moyes will be delighted Pickford is yet to make a save despite his side having to resist most pressure. But he needs his forwards to provide more respite than they have managed so far.
08:30 PM BST
28 min: Liverpool 0 Everton 0
Beto is booked. I think, largely, for dissent. Liverpool take the free-kick quickly and send Diaz down the left. O’Brien runs shoulder-to-shoulder and leans heavily on him, upending him. Liverpool want a free-kick but he awards the goal-kick to Everton instead, triggering jeers and the odd cry of ‘You don’t know what you’re doing’.
08:28 PM BST
26 min: Liverpool 0 Everton 0
Slick move between Van Dijk and Robertson slides Jota in behind Harrison. The Portugal striker tries to cut it back for Mac Allister but it hits an Everton player and rebounds back to him so he puts his laces through a right-foot shot from a tightish angle and it wobbles like a drunk wasp away from the right post.
08:26 PM BST
24 min: Liverpool 0 Everton 0
Liverpool corner on the left that Pickford flaps at but manages to slap away with an outstretched left hand. Everton break with Alcaraz and Van Dijk wraps an arm round his waist to stop him bombing off. Should have been a yellow but the referee is erring on the side of permissiveness tonight.
08:22 PM BST
21 min: Liverpool 0 Everton 0
Everton are doing OK on the break and causing Liverpool discomfort down the flanks and when the ball is chipped over the top.
08:21 PM BST
VAR check for a Beto goal
He only failed to beat the offside trap by a matter of milimetres before running through and ultimately beating Kelleher with a near-post shot.
08:20 PM BST
What do you make of the Tarkowski foul?
????️ "That's a potential leg breaker"
Gary Neville believes James Tarkowski was 'very lucky' to escape red for this challenge on Alexis Mac Allister ???? pic.twitter.com/Di28mHouq2
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 2, 2025
08:18 PM BST
18 min: Liverpool 0 Everton 0
Harrison, left-footed but playing on the right when all his best work for Leeds came on the left, plods down the right flank and thumps a low cross into Robertson’s shins and out for a throw.
O’Brien launches a monster of a Delap throw over Van Dijk and Liverpool anxiously watch as it bounces through to the back pots to Alcaraz who meets it on the half-volley and thuds his shot into Gravenberch.
08:16 PM BST
15 min: Liverpool 0 Everton 0
Those who had 11 minutes in the ‘golden reducer tackle’ competition can now collect their winnings after Tarkowski’s challenge on Mac Allister. Slot can’t believe VAR has cleared it.
08:14 PM BST
14 min: Liverpool 0 Everton 0
Sky’s refereeing expert Mike Dean says it should have been a red card on review. Slot is seething. Mac Allister seems to be OK. Free-kick, 19 yards out, left of centre. Szoboszlai bends it towards the top right but it won’t bend back in in time and whistles past the angle of post and bar.
08:12 PM BST
12 min: Liverpool 0 Everton 0
Very heavy sliding tackle by Tarkowski on Mac Allister. He wins the ball but in his followthrough his right boot lances studs first into Mac Allister’s shin. Looked reckless to me. But VAR takes a look and sticks with the referee’s yellow card.
It came moments after Jota had rolled him in the D and turned to scuff a shot that EVerton scrambled back out of the box.
08:10 PM BST
10 min: Liverpool 0 Everton 0
Twice Jota gives the ball away when receiving it back to goal around the 18-yard line. Liverpool come back on to the attack and sweep it from side to side but cannot penetrate the 18-yard line.
08:08 PM BST
8 min: Liverpool 0 Everton 0
Mykolenko’s sliding tackle stops Jones but not for long as he hooks the ball back to a red shirt but when Jones receives it back his chip into the box for Salah is overhit and Branthwaite mops up.
Fair to say Everton will be adopting a long ball strategy tonight based on their early attempts to go back to front quickly.
08:06 PM BST
6 min: Liverpool 0 Everton 0
Diaz cushions a Gravenberch diagonal on his thigh and lays it off to allow him to run into the box with the ball in bis stride but he lands awkwardly and his ankle buckles.
He seems to be OK if a wee but ginger about it when he resumes.
08:05 PM BST
4 min: Liverpool 0 Everton 0
Kelleher opts for safety first when Beto has a chance to run through past Liverpool’s high line. He kicks it out for a throw but Van Dijk tells him he had more time that he thought and could have easily passed it to his captain. Nothing comes of the throw.
08:03 PM BST
3 min: Liverpool 0 Everton 0
Mac Allister swings in the corner from the left but Konate’s run is a fraction too early and he has to crane his neck back to reach it six yards out and hence the contact is poor and he can only balloon it over.
08:02 PM BST
1 min: Liverpool 0 Everton 0
Everton launch it up the right from the kick-off. Van Dijk heads it away as Beto tried to get there and Liverpool attack up the right then switch to the left for Diaz to beat O’Brien and skitter up the byline, before hitting the deck. Big shout for a penalty but the flag goes up for a corner, the ball having gone out off O’Brien’s toe as Diaz ran up the whitewash.
07:58 PM BST
The teams emerge from the tunnel
Led out by Virgil van Dijk and James Trakowski. Both sides in their home kits. Time for that song from Carousel.
07:44 PM BST
A brief word from Arne Slot
Yes Curtis will be at right-back. We are missing three – Trent, Conor and Joe. Alisson is not ready to lay. We follow the protocol as a club and we have to tick all the boxes. Yesterday we could not tick the last box but we are lucky to have Caoimhin Kelleher.
We are looking forward to it. It might not be the ideal opponent [nine games unbeaten] but we are looking forward to a home evening game at Anfield. Nine games to go and we take them one at a time.
07:32 PM BST
David Moyes speaks to Sky Sports
We’ve been on a decent run in the moment, ready to go again [with an unchanged team]. We would all love to get great results at Anfield but they’ve been hard coming. We want to get back to real consistency. The players are showing that at the moment. We want to get back to competing with Liverpool [at the top], not this season, but in the future.
Everybody who comes here has to play well to get a result. We have to make it as hard as we can. Liverpool are top of the league for a reason.
We have to try and show it again [as we did in the February game]. It’s much harder at Anfield but if we play as well as we did [at Goodison] we give ourselves every opportunity.
07:27 PM BST
In Sky’s Anfield studio tonight
Are Jamie Carragher and Duncan Ferguson, who met earlier this year for The Telegraph.
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.
"I paid £40 for that tattoo... it doesn't look like that now!"
Big Duncan Ferguson on his Everton ink and scoring in the Merseyside derby ???? pic.twitter.com/MxnOhzdCqi
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 2, 2025
07:24 PM BST
Wouldn’t be Liverpool without a pyro
07:10 PM BST
Jones to play at right-back
Aside from the inclusion of Curtis Jones – he is expected to play right-back – Slot has gone with the same side that started Wembley. It is an obvious statement of his enduring belief in his preferred starting XI, especially as he admitted pre-match he should have made changes against Newcastle in the cup final defeat.
Alisson’s continued absence after suffering concussion during the international break is a concern, but Kelleher is making his 19th appearance of the season so has been effectively sharing number one duties anyway.
Evertonians, meanwhile, will be delighted to see Iliman Ndiaye back in the squad. He was probably the club’s player of the season prior to his recent injury absence.
07:08 PM BST
Moyes: More blood and thunder
No football match stirs emotions more than a blood and thunder derby match, and Everton manager David Moyes hopes for more of the same at Anfield as he warned against the ‘sanitisation’ of the modern game.
The Goodison derby ended in furious chaos following James Tarkowski’s injury-time equaliser in February’s 2-2 draw, with four red cards shown after the final whistle, including to Liverpool manager Arne Slot.
There was no quarter given, the fixture a ‘throwback’ to derbies of the 1970s, 80s and 90s when there were more tackles than passing sequences.
On the night, that suited Everton, and Moyes agrees that – in moderation – such occasions bring a welcome variety to the Premier League.
“I think there were so many people who enjoyed the game in many ways,” said Moyes.
“Liverpool supporters might have not enjoyed the end, but I think generally there was a real sort of competitive game to it. We’ve got to watch that we don’t sanitise the game too much and everything’s stopping and starting, and we’re not getting any flow to the game. It was good to see that type of game. We probably needed to make it tough for Liverpool, so we’ll now get another chance to do it again.”
Everton have enjoyed success against Liverpool in the bearpit atmosphere of Goodison Park. Transferring that to Anfield has proven trickier.
“Absolutely. Anfield is a different version of it,” says Moyes.
“It’s always been difficult for any team to go there and put that type of game on Liverpool. So we’ll need to be clever and do the right things – try to make the right decisions at the right moments.
“Our form’s been good. We’ve had to show consistency. But now we have to see if we can keep it going against the bigger teams and that will give me an idea for next year as well; where we are and can the players we have here compete against some of the top sides? “They’ve certainly shown that they’re capable against a lot of the teams we have played up to now.
“The players here have done really well in getting the results – maybe beating some of the teams who we hope we might have done and challenging some of the teams and getting the odd result that people never expected. This will be a testing period for us. We will be underdogs in all these games. But from my point of view, there’s a real challenge to see if we can find a way to play against them.”
07:04 PM BST
Your teams in black and white
Liverpool Kelleher; Jones, Konaté, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Diaz; Jota.
Substitutes Jaros, Endo, Nunez, Chiesa, Gakpo, Elliott, Tsimikas, McConnell, Quansah.
Everton Pickford; O’Brien, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Gueye, Garner; Harrison, Doucoure, Alcaraz: Beto.
Substitutes Virginia, Patterson, Keane, Ndiaye, Chermiti, Young, Broja, Coleman, Iroegbunam.
Referee Sam Barrott (West Yorkshire)
06:56 PM BST
Dirk Kuyt interview
Thank God there was no VAR for my flying tackle on Phil Neville
Jimmy Case on Geoff Nulty. Steven Gerrard on Gary Naysmith. Jordan Pickford on Virgil van Dijk. The Merseyside derby is no stranger to memorable challenges, but Dirk Kuyt’s flying tackle on Phil Neville in 2007 might just take top spot.
Tempers were running high after a controversial penalty to Liverpool, which Kuyt slotted past Everton’s Tim Howard in the 54th minute, and things were taken up a notch by the Dutchman 10 minutes later.
As Neville went to clear a loose ball, Kuyt careered towards him, leaping into the air with both legs outstretched in a fashion more reminiscent of a scissor kick than a tackle.
06:50 PM BST
Everton team news
Mykolenko fit, Ndiaye returns but is on the bench:
06:46 PM BST
Liverpool team news
Alisson out: No orthodox right-back in the XI
06:46 PM BST
Turning on Trent?
Hostility to one of their own choosing, or so we think, to go to Real Madrid seems to be ramping up. We do not know how many people are behind this but it is co-ordinated, if only by a few.
06:12 PM BST
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06:11 PM BST
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06:07 PM BST
Preview: Pump up the volume
Good evening and welcome to live coverage of the 212th league Merseyside Derby which begins with Liverpool top of the table by none points and aiming to stretch that back to a plumper 12-point cushion over Arsenal by winning their game in hand. For Everton, victory tonight would take them up to 13th, jumping ahead of both Tottenham and Manchester United but it has been a graveyard for David Moyes who has yet to win there in 23 years. Having said that, as pointed out at yesterday’s press conference, Sir Bobby Robson never won there either so it’s not too much of a stigma. Jesse Marsch won on his only visit there and no one sane is comparing him with those two.
In fact Carlo Ancelotti is the only Everton manager this century to head back across Stanley Park with three points in the bag during the 2020-21 Covid season when his side won 2-0 with goals from Richardson and Gylfi Sigurdsson to butter the reigning champions’ slide to sixth following their fourth successive defeat. They would, of course, recover, to make it back up to third. Moyes did begin his first, 11-year spell at Goodison with 0-0 draws at Anfield and finished it in 2013 with another.
Arne Slot, frustrated with some questionable, he would use a stronger adjective, refereeing decisions during February’s 2-2 away draw, got himself sent off for the sanctionable offence of sarcasm at the final whistle. He says he hopes he would act differently after serving a two-match ban but cannot guarantee it. It’s not Michael Oliver in the middle tonight but young Samuel Barrott who had the whistle for Liverpool’s 1-0 defeat by Plymouth in the Cup but, more happily, also their victories over Southampton and Spurs.
Those defeats by PSG in the Champions League and Newcastle in the League Cup final rankle and Slot has called on Anfield to match Goodison’s passion as a raucous bearpit. “We know what Anfield can be like and what a huge difference it can make, it is inevitable that we would want it to be like this all the time,” he said, urging his fans to pump up the volume.
He should have Alisson, who took a blow to the head on international duty but has had 10 days of recovery, and Ryan Gravenberch, who left the Dutch camp, available. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez are the only players definitely sidelined, we are told, but Conor Bradley will have a late test. Everton have Iliman Ndiaye and Dwight McNeil ‘back on the grass’ but unlikely to be ready even for the bench but Moyes has higher hopes for Vitaliy Mykolenko. Dominic Calvert-Lewin is ‘behind the others’ and may not emerge until next month.
