For at least one night, Liverpool looked like the Reds of old. Mohamed Salah scored in the 36th minute and Cody Gakpo found the back of the net in his Merseyside Derby debut as Liverpool downed Everton 2-0 at Anfield.
First Half
Liverpool won a free kick just outside the box in the 10th minute, but the attempt went right into the Everton wall. The Reds then pulled off a clever bit of play in the 17th minute that led to a Cody Gakpo header, but the attempt was wide The Reds kept the ball in the attacking third of the pitch, but the Toffees did a good job of clearing 5 shots in the first 28 minutes.
Everton rattled the post in the 36th minute and Liverpool turned that misfortune into a counter-attack goal. Darwin Núñez gathered in the ball and sprinted nearly the full length of the pitch and slid the ball to Mohamed Salah and the Egyptian King beat Jordon Pickford who was off of his line, for a 1-0 lead. The Reds also garnered a free kick from Núñez in first-half stoppage time, but the shot was blocked, leaving the Reds in front 1-0 at the half.
Second Half
After Everton won a free kick in the 47th, but after it was blocked, the Reds struck again at lightning speed. Jordan Henderson picked the ball up and made a nice run upfield. He played the ball across to Trent Alexander-Arnold who crossed the ball to Cody Gakpo who was waiting for the near-post tap-in and a 2-0 Liverpool lead.
The shots kept coming from that point for the Reds. Núñez forced Pickford into a save in the 58th minute and also garnered a near-miss in the 62. Salah also forced a save in the 63rd minute. Salah finished his strong night with shots in the 82 and 89th minute respectively as the Reds were able to see out the victory and pick up a big 3 points.
Streaks Snapped.
Today's match marked the first time Liverpool have scored in Premier League play since January 2nd at Brentford. The victory also ended a 4-match winless streak.
Milestones Met
There were plenty of records to go around after the win. Fabinho made his 200th appearance for the Reds. Jürgen Klopp picked up his 250th win as the Liverpool boss and Salah secured his 100th goal involvement (assist or goal) at Anfield.
A Marvelous Merseyside Debut
With his goal in the 49th minute, Cody Gakpo becomes the 6th Liverpool player to score his debut goal for the club in the Merseyside Derby.
Dominating The Pitch
Liverpool certainly deserved the 3 points as they outshot Everton 15-6 and 6-1 on goal. The Reds also controlled possession at a nearly 60 per cent clip.
LFC Globe Verdict
Finally. While this win does not fix all of Liverpool's problems, it does give glimpses of what the team could be for the rest of the season. It also gives fans bragging rights over their nearest rivals. The Reds' luck may also be starting to change.
They were mere inches from going down 1-0 after an Everton shot hit the post, but after it hit the woodwork, Salah rippled the back of the net just 27 seconds later. That sequence not only changed the course of this match but possibly, the entire season.
Man Of The Match & What's Next
Mo Salah gets the nod from me, but it was not an easy choice. Salah had a brilliant game, scoring a goal and forcing Pickford into a pair of saves, but Darwin Núñez nearly matched him. Not only did Núñez assist on Salah's strike, but he also worked his way into solid positions in front of the goal all night.
What's Next
Liverpool look to continue their winning ways, travelling to Newcastle on February 18th Kickoff is set for 17:30 GMT.
Goals
Liverpool
- Mohamed Salah 36'
- Cody Gakpo 49'
Everton
None
Substitutions
Liverpool
- Diogo Jota for Darwin Núñez 70'
- James Milner for Jordan Henderson 80'
- Roberto Firmino for Cody Gakpo 80'
- Harvey Elliott for Mohamed Salah 90+'
- Naby Keita for Stefan Bajcetic 90+'
Everton
- Demarai Gray for Ellis Simms 61'
- Tom Davies for Amadou Onana 78'
- Neal Maupay for Dwight McNeil 78'
