Liverpool break down 10-man Everton’s resistance with Mohamed Salah double

The records will read another routine derby win for Liverpool, their 99th in total and 14th in the past 24 Premier League encounters at Anfield, plus another defining contribution from Mohamed Salah. It was anything but routine as Jürgen Klopp’s side climbed to the top of the table, for a few hours at least, after a punishing, testing and controversial victory over old adversaries Everton.

Salah scored twice to overtake Kenny Dalglish and Steven Gerrard on the all-time Anfield goalscorers’ list. The first was a penalty awarded after an intervention from VAR, not exactly Liverpool’s friend of late, that advised erratic referee Craig Pawson to review a clear handball by Michael Keane. Everton were down to ten men at that point, Ashley Young having been dismissed in the first half. Liverpool could have been too but Ibrahima Konaté escaped a second yellow card with the game scoreless and Everton were left seething at Pawson’s inconsistency. Liverpool dominated the 243rd Merseyside derby, however, and took full advantage of their reprieve.

The lack of a quality final ball from both teams in the first half meant Liverpool’s dominance and Everton’s few opportunities to break all went to waste, and rendered Young’s dismissal the one major incident of note. The 38-year-old belied his years to produce a superb last-ditch tackle to deny Luis Díaz when Liverpool countered in numbers from an Everton corner. He should have employed that wealth of experience again to avoid an unnecessary but clear yellow card, his second of the game, when the Colombia international burst away from the Everton right-back in the 37th minute. Young launched in when he should have let Díaz go near the by-line. Another yellow from referee Pawson was inevitable when he left the winger in a heap and Everton with a monumental task for the remainder of the afternoon.

Young’s dismissal was the 29th in the history of the Merseyside derby. Everton have 20 of them. The veteran’s first booking was early and soft, for tripping Díaz as he attempted to sprint past, but Everton could only really complain in this instance about what followed two minutes later. Kostas Tsimikas, deputising for long-term absentee Andy Robertson, committed an identical foul on Jack Harrison and no card was shown.

The visitors’ sense of grievance deepened in the second half when Konaté escaped a second yellow card for a foul on Everton substitute Beto. James Tarkowski had been booked earlier for a similar trip on Ryan Gravenberch. Klopp essentially acknowledged the let-off for Liverpool when replacing Konaté with Joël Matip at the next available opportunity.

Everton were encamped the back foot with eleven men, although could have taken the lead after 36 seconds when Dominic Calvert-Lewin soared above Virgil van Dijk to meet Dwight McNeil’s delivery. The centre-forward headed straight at Alisson, and the Liverpool goalkeeper was barely troubled again.

The hosts controlled the derby, spreading play through Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai and seeking to attack Everton down the flanks. They almost succeeded in carving open the visitors through the centre when an incisive one-touch move involving Mac Allister, Gravenberch and Szoboszlai released Salah behind the otherwise solid Vitalii Mykolenko. Salah sliced his shot across goal, setting the tone for a frenetic, careless performance in front of goal from Liverpool.

Liverpool’s difficulties were not entirely of their own making. They also faced an obstinate Everton defence that produced increasingly heroic individual displays as the 10 men fought to preserve a point. Amadou Onana foiled another Liverpool counter from an Everton corner with a perfect challenge on Diogo Jota. Tarkowski threw himself in the way of a Salah effort after a rare slip by his hugely impressive partner in central defence, Jarrad Branthwaite. The 21-year-old continues to blossom and show why Everton were so keen to tie him down to a new long-term contract recently.

But just as Dyche’s team were holding firm and anxiety was creeping into Liverpool’s game, they were undone by VAR. Diaz continued to provide Liverpool’s greatest threat, driving at Nathan Patterson and Michael Keane following their half-time introduction as Dyche switched to a five-man defence. Everton survived one VAR review when Díaz went down after cutting back inside Patterson. Barely a minute later there was another, when Díaz burst to the by-line again and his cross clearly struck the outstretched arm of Keane. Pawson should have spotted the infringement on the spot. He eventually pointed to it after being sent to the pitchside monitor by VAR. Keane’s arm was raised before Díaz even crossed the ball and did not move when it struck. A clumsy reaction. Salah punished it ruthlessly, sending Jordan Pickford the wrong way from a blistering penalty.

Harvey Elliott, part of a double substitution with Darwin Núñez, almost doubled Liverpool’s lead with a 25-yard drive that Pickford tipped onto the bar. The second came with Everton exposed as they went in search of an unlikely equaliser in the dying seconds. Núñez led a 3 v 2 counterattack and played in Salah with a perfectly weighted, perfectly timed pass. The finish was unerring, almost inevitably, and Liverpool were home safe.