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LIVERPOOL, England – It was a match that had it all: a scoring frenzy, controversy and two teams going head-to-head for Premier League points, but in the end, when referee Michael Oliver blew the final whistle a A throbbing 2-2 draw between leaderboard Everton and champion Liverpool in the 237 Merseyside derby, there was a jarring silence.
After four months behind closed doors in England due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this game proved that football without fans can still be exciting, passionate, and conversation-heavy. In fact, at times it was more like a demolition derby.
He had a red card for Everton’s Richarlison, a controversial goal disallowed by VAR in injury time for Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson, a shocking foul by Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford on Virgil van Dijk that went unpunished and four high-quality goals , including Mohamed Salah ” s who saw him score the 100 goal milestone for Liverpool.
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It was a day when Everton, still looking for their first win against their bitter rivals for 10 years, faced their city neighbors and nearly beat them in the final seconds. But then came the final whistle and the cacophony of noise that used to greet the end of such a sensational encounter was reduced to mute because there was no one there to witness it.
This was the best Merseyside derby fans have ever seen; yes, they will have seen it in pubs and in their entrance halls at home, but the essence of football really needed fans inside the stadium, celebrating the spectacle that they would have experienced and, at times, endured.
So as the players left the field, they did so in front of the ghosts of Goodison Park, with images of the Everton greats staring down in eerie silence from the banners in the stands. It was similar before the kickoff, with the walk to the stadium interrupted only by the sound of dogs barking in the streets. The usual bustle of the day was conspicuous by its absence.
The players did their best to make up for the lack of atmosphere, with both sides showing not only their best, but some of the troubling weaknesses that could cost both of them.
Liverpool showed they have gotten over their 7-2 loss at Aston Villa two weeks ago, while Everton showed that they are on an upward trajectory with coach Carlo Ancelotti and that their impressive start to the season at the top of the table did not. it is a coincidence.
From the moment Sadio Mane overtook Liverpool in the third minute, you couldn’t take your eyes off a game that showed the good, the bad and the ugly, the latter of which came just two minutes later when Pickford forced They go Dijk to leave. the game with a wild defiance, feet first that resulted in neither a penalty nor a red card.
The Everton goalkeeper wasn’t even booked and no one really knows why. VAR official David Coote decided not to review the incident that occurred immediately after an offside decision, but the England goalkeeper could, and should, have been sent off.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp did not know the extent of Van Dijk’s injury after the game, but said “not good” when asked about his concerns. With the Dutch international defender absent, Everton quickly leveled when Michael Keane headed into James Rodriguez’s corner in the 19th minute and the game continued to ebb and flow; Allan controlled Everton’s midfield, with Thiago Alcantara offering a rare composure for Liverpool.
Everton were determined to end their winless streak against Liverpool (it’s been 10 years since they last won a league derby) and this was a game where they matched their rivals step by step, but when Salah scored to make it 2 -1 in the 72nd minute, after Yerry Mina’s poor clearance of a Henderson cross, it looked like it was going to be the same old ending for the Blues.
Pickford, an erratic goalie at best, kept his team in the game with a wonderful save to avoid a header from Joel Matip. However, as Liverpool sought a decisive third, the game changed when Calvert-Lewin tied with an impressive header in the 81st minute.
A Lucas Digne cross from the left was high inside the box, but Calvert-Lewin showed the kind of lift Cristiano Ronaldo is famous for, jumping high to head the ball into the net.
Everton sensed victory and a full Goodison would have roared them, but they couldn’t find the winning goal and their hopes were dashed when Richarlison was sent off for a 90-minute foul on Thiago. It was the 22nd Merseyside derby red card in the Premier League era; no accessory has accumulated more.
With five minutes of injury time left to play, Liverpool had a chance to win the game and it looked like Henderson had done it when his shot was entered into the net by Pickford, who was rescued by technology again, this time because VAR did. acted. , judging that Mane had drifted a bit offside.
A late winner for either team would have been unfair after a match in which neither team deserved to lose. It was a shame that no one could see him in person, to give this extraordinary derby the atmosphere and noise it deserved.
