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With Liverpool crossing Stanley Park to face Everton tomorrow, we are on the eve of perhaps the most intriguing Merseyside Derby in recent memory. Liverpool have gotten the best of Everton seven times since Jürgen Klopp took over as manager, and are undefeated in each of the 11 Merseyside Derbies during Klopp’s tenure.
However, with Everton looking like a real threat to the status quo at the top of the Premier League table, thanks to the leadership of a world-class coach in Carlo Ancelotti, one can’t help but wonder if we could be on the brink of a new era of competitive and entertaining Derby matchups.
With this in mind, I thought it would be fun to briefly recall some of the most memorable Merseyside Derby matches since the Klopp Era began.
April 20, 2016: Liverpool 4-0 Everton
Klopp’s Reds were dominant in their first Derby. Liverpool were the best team from the beginning, but did not take advantage of the first opportunities. A pair of headers from Divock Origi (their first foray into terrorizing the blue half of Merseyside) and Mamadou Sakho put the LFC up 2-0 just before the half. Everton’s day turned from bad to worse when Ramiro Funes Mori was sent off for a terror challenge at Origi in the 50th minute. In the end, Liverpool outshot their rivals 41-3, and goals from Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho crowned a statement victory for the boys in Rojo.
December 19, 2016: Everton 0-1 Liverpool
This match was almost one of the boring goalless draws at Goodison Park that we have come to know and fear in recent years. Everton prepared to defend deeply in an effort to strangle and thwart Liverpool’s attack. The plan was working and it seemed more and more likely that they would get the point they wanted. Fortunately, Sadio Mané had other plans. When Daniel Sturridge launched a speculative low shot to the post from outside the area in the 94th minute, Mané was there to concede the rebound and steal three points for the Reds. In the end, it was the kind of gutsy victory that Klopp’s “Mentality Monsters” have become known for in recent years.
December 2, 2018: Liverpool 1-0 Everton
Unlike Liverpool’s monotonous 1-0 win at Goodison in 2016, this Anfield affair was a nervous back-and-forth fight that saw both sides squander numerous opportunities and left spectators wondering how the ball hadn’t found the right. network background. As the game entered injury time, a goalless draw seemed inevitable until the 96th minute. Trent Alexander-Arnold launched a desperate ball into the Everton area from inside the opponent’s half. What followed was a beautiful disaster from a Divock Origi winner. The hilarity of that goal, and Klopp rushing onto the field to celebrate with Alisson Becker, is something many fans will never forget, and it stands out as one of the most iconic and memorable moments of the Klopp Era.
December 4, 2019: Liverpool 5-2 Everton
Amid Liverpool’s remarkable unbeaten streak en route to their first league title of the Premier League era, Klopp decided to leave Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah on the bench in favor of Divock Origi and Xherdan Shaqiri. This proved to be a masterful blow as Origi put the Reds ahead after just six minutes, and Shaqiri doubled the lead 11 minutes later. Michael Keane cut one for Everton, but Origi added a second to bring the lead to 3-1. Goals late in the first half from Sadio Mané and Richarlison made it 4-2 at the break. Everton came out of the half looking already beaten, and Liverpool were able to navigate to a victory that was capped off by a goal from Georginio Wijnaldum in the 90th minute.
January 5, 2020: Liverpool 1-0 Everton
Just 32 days after the resounding 5-2 league win, Liverpool again faced Everton at Anfield in the FA Cup third round. As he usually does in the early rounds of national cups, Klopp named a starting eleven made up of youth players and substitutes. Despite a clear advantage in experience, Everton seemed to shrink after missing a few opportunities in the first half, leaving the door open for the Reds. Liverpool held their ground against a seemingly superior opponent for most of the game, and a brilliant moment from Curtis Jones broke the deadlock in the 71st minute. The 17-year-old’s 25-yard curling effort passed over the hands off a defenseless Jordan Pickford and reached the top corner, securing another Anfield victory over Everton. While far from being the most exciting or significant victory in the Derby, this was an excellent display of how Klopp’s team simply didn’t know how to lose during a very long stretch of 2019-20.
