Liverpool maintained their perfect start to the Premier League season and tightened their grip on the Merseyside derby with a 2-1 victory over Everton, opening up a six-point lead at the top of the table.
First-half goals from Ryan Gravenberch and Hugo Ekitike gave the reigning champions a deserved advantage after a dominant opening spell, securing their fifth consecutive league win. But the Reds had to dig deep in the second half as Idrissa Gana Gueye’s strike gave Everton hope and set up a tense finish at Anfield.
Arne Slot’s side had made a habit of leaving it late, with comeback wins in their previous four Premier League outings and a dramatic midweek Champions League victory over Atletico Madrid. This time, however, they did the damage early, with two goals inside the first 30 minutes ensuring Everton’s long wait for a win at Anfield in front of a crowd in the 21st century continued.
Despite opting to leave big-money summer signings Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak on the bench, Slot found the right midfield balance with the return of Alexis Mac Allister, who lined up alongside Dominik Szoboszlai and the impressive Gravenberch.
The Dutch midfielder opened the scoring in the ninth minute, steering home a half-volley after a perfectly weighted cross from Mohamed Salah. Salah nearly doubled the lead moments later with a powerful left-footed strike that whistled just past the post.
Everton came into the derby on a four-match unbeaten run, buoyed by the revitalised form of Jack Grealish, and the Manchester City loanee was central to their best move of the first half, sliding a clever pass into Kieran Dewsbury-Hall, who could only fire wide from a tight angle.
Liverpool responded in style, putting together a flowing team move that ended with Ekitike nutmegging Jordan Pickford to claim his third goal in five league appearances since arriving from Eintracht Frankfurt.
But after the break, the tempo dropped. With less than three days’ rest following their Champions League exploits, Liverpool looked leggy, and Everton began to take control. They were rewarded just before the hour mark when Grealish’s deep cross was recycled into the box and met by Gueye, who lashed home to reduce the deficit.
Slot eventually turned to Wirtz and Isak in an attempt to regain momentum, but the substitutions had little effect. Everton pushed forward in search of an equaliser, but Liverpool managed to hold firm through a nervy finale.
The win also extended a personal hoodoo for Everton boss David Moyes, who has now failed to win in 23 visits to Anfield – the most by any manager in Premier League history without a victory at a single ground.
AFP
