On Saturday, Everton ended their Anfield hoodoo thanks to goals from Richarlison and Sigurðsson in what was a convincing display by the visitors and a worrying one by their hosts, but what impact will this have on the rest of the season for both clubs?
Liverpool have now lost four straight home games at Anfield, equalling their worst ever record, and despite having injuries, the manner of their defeat to their local rivals will have been of great concern to their fans.
1884: First team to win at Anfield.2021: Last team to win at Anfield.We've not been fond of our first ground of late, but we made ourselves at home again last night.Until next time. 👋 pic.twitter.com/pANDS6dmfx— Everton (@Everton) February 21, 2021
1884: First team to win at Anfield.2021: Last team to win at Anfield.We've not been fond of our first ground of late, but we made ourselves at home again last night.Until next time. 👋 pic.twitter.com/pANDS6dmfx
Liverpool didn’t look as motivated as Everton on the night and were dissected early on by a precise through ball from James Rodriguez that set Richarlison up with a one-on-one which the Brazilian despatched clinically.
Liverpool had chances to equalise but were reduced to shots from outside of the area which Pickford dealt with expertly. Everton could have double their advantage before earning the second-half penalty that clinched a famous victory late on.
Another poor defensive display and a lack of creativity in the final third cost Liverpool on Saturday and what’s worse is the club are now making defeats into habits. Time will tell, but the club’s defensive signing during the January transfer window now look desperate.
Ben Davies is yet to play and therefore can’t be judged but Kabak looks out of his depth, just as he has done in the Bundesliga with Schalke.
Everton now sit level on points with Liverpool and have a game in hand, but manager Carlo Ancelotti is getting carried away. The Toffees have been poor at home and fantastic on the road, something the Italian is desperate to correct.
Talk of a challenge for the Champions League places has been brushed off, with the Italian suggesting that his side are aiming to qualify for the Europa League.
Everton probably aren’t ready for the Champions League just yet and still have a few players, some who even played during the win against Liverpool, that need to be moved on in the summer as the club continues its slow transformation under Farhad Moshiri.
This latest derby game only goes to show the direction Everton are heading in right now, albeit, slower than the fans would like and highlight how fast Liverpool’s fall from grace has been. The Premier League champions dominated the division last season but were lucky with injuries, while this season the injuries to keep players have show just how little depth their squad has at this moment in time.
Neither of these teams are the finished article but Everton have more positivity around them this season, wile the atmosphere across the park seems gloomy to say the least. Qualifying for the Champions League is a priority for Klopp but even that task sounds much easier said than done right now with Chelsea, West Ham and Leicester all outperforming Liverpool.
The title is out of Liverpool’s reach and the fact that Man Utd are performing well only adds insult to injury. Everton fans might have started to believe that they could finish above Liverpool this season, but the majority will be happy to see their side return to European action.
If Everton can add some much-needed quality and pace to their side in the summer and if Liverpool fail to make the top 4 this season, then we could see the balance of power shift to the blue half of Merseyside.