On Wednesday, a historic event in English football briefly stole the spotlight from the Champions League. Everton and Liverpool faced off in what was the final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park—the iconic stadium that has hosted football matches since 1892.

The spectacle lived up to its billing. As expected from a derby, it was a fierce battle filled with hard-fought duels, multiple yellow cards, goals, and even a brief scuffle after the final whistle.

Action-Packed Derby Drama

Liverpool took some time to find their rhythm and were caught napping early on. Everton capitalized with a quick free-kick from midfield that completely surprised the visitors. Beto found himself through on goal and calmly slotted the ball past Alisson to make it 1-0. However, Liverpool responded almost immediately. Five minutes later, Mohamed Salah whipped in a cross from the right, and Alexis Mac Allister met it with a perfect header into the far corner to level the score.

Liverpool’s Ongoing Struggles?

Should we talk about Liverpool’s supposed crisis? Let’s not jump to conclusions. Their defeat to Plymouth in the FA Cup certainly dented their ambitions, but that match saw a heavily rotated squad. In the derby, Liverpool fielded a strong lineup and seemed poised to claim victory. On the 73rd minute, Curtis Jones struck towards the far post, only for Jarrad Branthwaite to make a vital block. The ball fell to Salah, who coolly finished despite the efforts of Vitalii Mykolenko, giving Liverpool a 2-1 lead.

Late Drama at Goodison

As time ticked away, it seemed like Liverpool would leave Goodison Park with all three points. But in the dying moments, James Tarkowski lurked at the far post and unleashed a thunderous volley into the near top corner, sending Everton fans into raptures. For a moment, it looked like they might storm the pitch in celebration—Goodison Park has certainly seen its share of dramatic moments.

For now, it ends 2-2. Liverpool’s lead over Arsenal in the Premier League table is reduced to seven points, with both teams having played the same number of matches—a detail that could become crucial in the title race.

2024-25, England - Premier League

Everton - Liverpool 2:2 (1:1)
Goals: Beto, 11 (1:0); Mac Allister A., 16 (1:1); Salah, 73 (1:2); Tarkowski, 90+8 (2:2)

Everton: Pickford; Tarkowski; O´Brien; Mykolenko; Doucoure A.; Gueye I. (Iroegbunam, 77); Lindstrøm (Alcaraz C., 77); Branthwaite; Garner J-s (Young, 87); Ndiaye Il. (Harrison, 25); Beto
Bench: Virgínia; Begovic; Keane M.
Yellow Cards: Lindstrøm 35; Gueye I. 37; Doucoure A. 45

Liverpool: Alisson; van Dijk; Konate; Robertson A. (Tsimikas, 69); Szoboszlai; Mac Allister A.; Gravenberch R. (Alexander-Arnold, 61); Bradley C. (Jones Cur., 61); Salah; Luis Díaz (Jota, 87); Gakpo (Núñez D., 69)
Bench: Kelleher; Endo W.; Quansah; Elliott H.
Yellow Cards: Robertson A. 28; Bradley C. 45; Jones Cur. 63