Liverpool 2-1 Everton: Arne Slot’s side keep their defensive guard up to make it five wins out of five
By the end it was Everton attempting to lay siege to the Liverpool penalty area. Jack Grealish’s dangerous ball in from the left half space zoomed dangerously towards the six-yard box, but Anfield was relieved when it sailed beyond the far post, the impressive Milos Kerkez doing his best to shield it from his man.
Shortly before the final whistle Virgil van Dijk panicked under the pressure and sent an awful back pass, forcing Alisson to slide and kick it out for a throw, and prevent the corner kick.
Then the whistle went and the home side were relieved, their habit of throwing away two goals leads having been painstakingly kept under control for the visit of their local rivals.
It was Liverpool who started with a siege of the Everton 18-yard box. Within the first ten minutes, their firm control over proceedings saw them amass 75 per cent possession. An early goal was almost inevitable.
It arrived in the 11th minute, when Everton failed to pick up Ryan Gravenberch’s late run into the box. He breezed his way towards Mohamed Salah’s floated pass from the right and with one touch hooked it across Jordan Pickford into the far corner.
Everton continued to do schoolboy stuff, allowing Liverpool to work dangerous areas of the pitch, plot intricate triangles, and before long they were landed a second blow. A brilliant passing move from the home side led to Gravenberch slipping a through ball to Hugo Ekitike. James Tarkowski tried to slide in but Ekitike’s defiant first touch brought the ball nicely under control, before his second sent it through Pickford’s legs.
Everton unsurprisingly suffered from a lack of quality in the midfield and forward areas. Example: a pass through to Beto from the right and he could have made something of it, but he was too slow, making it far too comfortable for Ibrahima Konate to clear.
There was also a second pass floated into him in the box but he jumped in a bizarre manner, his limbs flailing wildly as the ball bounced off him.
There was some quality on the wings, particularly with Grealish who showed his level. At one point he dummied past Gravenberch and slipped a pass through to Kiernan Dewbsury-Hall, who had made a good run, but the former Chelsea man’s one-time effort sailed wide of Alisson’s near post.
In the second half Everton started brightly and halved the lead just before the hour, when Grealish sent in a tantalising cross that Iliman Ndiaye cushioned into Idrissa Gueye, who sent it flying beyond Alisson.
Liverpool had their moments. A Konate header from a corner drew a gasp from the crowd, but Grealish had intervened with his body. A Szoboszlai freekick similar to his belter against Arsenal looked dangerous, but then sailed innocuously over the bar.
As the clock ran out it was David Moyes’ side who were pressing, trying to get their rivals to surrender a two goal lead for the third time this season, but the red side of Merseyside remained solid.
