Everton 2-2 Liverpool Player Ratings: Spoils shared in the last ever Merseyside derby at Goodison Park

The final Merseyside Derby at Goodison Park, ended in a draw thanks to goals from Beto and Tarkowski for the hosts, MacAllister and Salah for the visitors. The result has put Liverpool seven points clear away from Arsenal while Everton are 15th, level on points with Tottenham Hotspur.

It was a historic night for the Toffees and they took the lead early on as they were awarded a free-kick in the middle of the park. With Liverpool focused on marking the opposition players flooding the back post, Branthwaite slotted a through-ball in behind, and Beto ran onto it to slot beyond Alisson, opening the scoring for the Toffees. Just minutes later, Liverpool found an equalizer.

Salah’s superb cross found Mac Allister in the box unmarked, and he flicked his header into the far corner to level the game. Since then, it’s been a feisty affair, with some hearty challenges flying in and a good degree of the dark arts. It was not surprising that five yellow cards were out in the game within 45 minutes.

Everton continued to press effectively, which caused problems for Liverpool. While substitutions were made to bring in fresh legs, it looked like Everton were able to get away with a point. But, it all changed as Jones was found by Nunez inside the box and he fired at goal, but Branthwaite made a superb block with his head. It falls straight to Salah, and the Egyptian forward slams it home to put his side in front.

The goal completely changed things, as Everton were deflated by it and struggled to trouble the visitors. When everyone thought the game was all set to be done, Mykolenko launches a cross into the box, and it’s flicked on by Iroegbunam. It falls to the feet of Tarkowski, and he thumps a thunderous volley into the top corner, sealing the draw for the Toffees.

Here are Everton vs Liverpool player ratings.

Everton Player Ratings vs Liverpool

Goalkeeper

Pickford: 6/10 – His reflexes to save goals were excellent but his distribution looked off tonight.

Defenders

Mykolenko: 5.5/10 – The fullback was having problems keeping up with the tricky wingers of the visitors.

Tarkowski: 7.5/10 – He looked strong defensively but struggled in the aerial duels, but all is forgotten for that final goal.

Branthwaite: 7.5/10 – The best defender in this backline, he showed leadership throughout and almost got himself on the scoresheet.

O’Brien: 6/10 – He maintained a steady defensive presence but often failed to clear the ball properly.

Midfielders

Garner: 6/10 – A resilient performance in winning duels and connecting the backline to the attackers.

Gueye: 5.5/10 – His cynical fouls and early challenges undermined the good work he did in the match.

Doucoure: 6.5/10 – Despite minor defensive lapses, the midfielder did well to stay in sync with other attackers.

Forwards

Lindstrom: 5.5/10 – The wide attacker failed to create a positive impact and a booking for dissent hampered his ability to get into challenges.

Ndiaye: 5/10 – He wasn’t able to continue after picking up an injury and got subbed off early in the first half itself.

Beto: 7.5/10 – One of the best games for him in an Everton shirt, as he set the tone right with the opening goal and did not shy away from engaging in a physical battle with the centrebacks of Liverpool.

Substitutes

Harrison: 6/10

Alcaraz – 6/10

Iroegbunam – 6.5/10

Young: NA

Manager

David Moyes: 7/10 – An unfortunate result in a historic match as his side did everything to stay in the game. His substitutions had a positive impact too but sadly it was not enough.

Liverpool Player Ratings vs Everton

Goalkeeper

Alisson: 7/10 – A commanding display, making crucial saves and keeping the backline organized.

Defenders

Bradley: 6/10 – The full-back got booked for a yellow card in the first half and was perhaps lucky there not to get another one. The manager made a substitution in caution.

Van Dijk: 6.5/10 – His usual dominance of the match was often getting replaced by the frustrations of the derby and thus was involved in some defensive lapses.

Konate: 6/10 – Mistimed tackles and error in judgment made him ineffective tonight.

Robertson: 5/10 – The full-back had a pretty ordinary game overall and was rightfully substituted for Tsimikas.

Midfielders

MacAllister: 7.5/10 – A well-timed header to equalize the match pulled his team back into the game.

Szoboszlai: 5.5/10 – The theatrics spent on the ground took more notice than the performance he put on the pitch.

Gravenberch: 5/10 – An off-game for him tonight, as he failed to create an impact like he usually does with his incisive passing.

Forwards

Salah: 9/10 – The Egyptian King showed his class again. Despite getting limited chances to attack, he ended up with a goal and an assist.

Gakpo: 6/10 – Despite some flashes of display, he struggled to impose himself to cause trouble to the opposition.

L. Diaz: 5.5/10 – The winger was asked to play as a striker tonight and he struggled to create a positive impact.

Substitutes

Jones – 5.5/10

Alexander Arnold – 6.5/10

Tsimikas – 5/10

D. Nunez – 5/10

Jota: NA

Manager

Arne Slot: 6.5/10 – A tough pill to swallow but a game like this, considering the narrative surrounding the match, is to be expected. His substitutions and tactical tweaks looked positive but a dagger so late took away two points away from them.