Slot’s Side Earn Narrow Win Over Everton Despite Officiating Drama | OneFootball

Liverpool Grind Out Vital Win Over Everton in Heated Anfield Derby

In a pulsating Merseyside derby that had more chaos than cohesion, Liverpool edged Everton 1-0 at Anfield, a result that keeps Arne Slot’s men on course for the Premier League title. It wasn’t pretty. In fact, as Dave Hendrick bluntly summarised on Post Match Raw, “Derbies are rarely a good game to watch…they’re horrible, grindy, nasty games.” But make no mistake — these were three massive points.

Midfield Malaise and Momentum Killers

The first half was a sluggish affair, typified by a Liverpool midfield that couldn’t shift gears. Hendrick was searing in his criticism: “The midfield just ruined the momentum…two, three, four, sometimes five touches and then a sterile pass.” He lamented the lack of urgency, calling out the recurring sideways and backwards passes that suffocated the tempo.

Hari Sethi echoed the sentiment, pointing to the absence of the “instructions on the pass” that players like Thiago and Steven Gerrard once delivered with aplomb. “There was a real lack of that in the first half… quite inconvenient passes killing moves, killing momentum,” he said.

Mo Salah was notably stifled. As Hendrick observed, “We weren’t getting the ball to Salah in stride…he was having to get the ball to feet, stand Mykolenko up, and then try and run him.” Against a packed Everton block, Liverpool were reduced to hope over strategy.

Photo: IMAGO

Gravenberch Unlocks the Door, Jota Seals It

Things changed after the break. Slot’s side looked more assertive and, crucially, more direct. The goal came in the 56th minute, and the build-up finally showed purpose. “The goal comes from us moving them around and trying to pass the ball centrally,” Hendrick noted, highlighting the increased intent.

It was Ryan Gravenberch’s ball in — sharper than anything he produced in the first half — that sparked the move. Luis Díaz’s clever flick found Diogo Jota, who sat down the defender with a dummy and finished emphatically. “A really nicely finished goal… Jota scored this goal a few times,” said Hendrick. It was redemption for a forward criticised pre-match for his lack of form but praised here for intelligent movement and a decisive finish.

Referee Catastrophe Overshadows Rivalry

Much of the post-match analysis was dominated by the officials. Sam Barrott’s performance was labelled “a strong contender for the worst refereeing performance this league has ever seen” by Hendrick, while Sethi didn’t hold back either, calling the non-red card for Tarkowski’s wild lunge “an outrageous decision… a leg breaker.”

Trev Downey summed up the farcical officiating: “Only two people in the world thought that tackle was just a yellow — the referee and Paul Tierney on VAR.” The fury stemmed not just from the missed red, but from baffling yellow cards for Jota and Nunez, and an ignored penalty shout when Pickford clattered into Darwin.

“The ball is dead or not — that’s violent conduct,” fumed Hendrick, describing Pickford’s late challenge on Nunez. “It is knee height, dangerous, violent play.” The refereeing became a subplot in its own right, overshadowing the football at times.

Signs of Grit, If Not Brilliance

Despite the tension, Liverpool’s second-half control was a standout. “They dominated the ball…you saw Virgil in that second half, right up for it,” said Sethi, who also praised Curtis Jones’ defensive shift and the midfield’s improved composure.

As ugly as it was, this was a professional win. “It doesn’t matter how we get those points, as long as we get them,” said Hendrick, reducing the title chase to cold arithmetic: 13 points from the final stretch, regardless of what Arsenal do.

The final whistle saw Pickford time-wasting while losing, Diaz hounded by three defenders for 90 minutes, and Arne Slot celebrating with the kind of restrained fist-pump that belied the nerves of the night.

In short, it was a derby win drenched in attrition and soaked in frustration — just the way it often is. But as Sethi put it best, “Room for error gets smaller and smaller for the chasing pack.” Liverpool, battered and bruised, march on.