Liverpool Beat Everton 1-0 as Jota Seals Derby Win

Photo : Reuters

Liverpool won 1-0 against Everton in a tough Merseyside derby at Anfield on Wednesday. Diogo Jota scored the only goal in the second half, helping Liverpool stay 12 points ahead of Arsenal in the race for the Premier League title. Everton’s nine-game unbeaten run in the league came to an end, and they now sit in 15th place with 34 points.

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Everton thought they had taken an early lead when Beto scored, but the goal was ruled out for offside. Later, Beto had another big chance to score but missed an easy shot. Liverpool found it hard to break Everton’s defense, but in the 57th minute, Luis Diaz set up Jota with a clever back-heel pass. Jota skipped past a tackle and fired the ball into the net, sending Anfield into loud cheers.

There was a big moment of controversy in the 11th minute when Everton’s James Tarkowski made a strong tackle on Alexis Mac Allister. Liverpool fans believed it should have been a red card, but the referee only gave a yellow. The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) checked the incident and agreed with the decision, which frustrated the Liverpool supporters. Tarkowski now has 63 yellow cards in the Premier League but has never been sent off.

The two teams had already played a wild 2-2 draw in February, where Tarkowski scored a late equalizer, and four players and staff received red cards, including Liverpool’s manager, Arne Slot.

Liverpool had come into this game with some doubts after being knocked out of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain and losing the League Cup final to Newcastle United. Despite being unbeaten in 26 league games, they had not played their best football in recent weeks.

Everton had a great chance to take the lead when Beto sprinted past Virgil van Dijk and went one-on-one with goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher. However, his shot hit the post, and Liverpool escaped. Kelleher was playing in goal because Liverpool’s usual goalkeeper, Alisson, was still recovering from a head injury he got while playing for Brazil.

Anfield became even louder after Tarkowski’s challenge on Mac Allister. Many believed he should have been sent off. Former Manchester United player Gary Neville, who was commenting on the match for Sky Sports, said Tarkowski was "very lucky" not to get a red card and called the tackle "dangerous."

After the match, Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk admitted it was not an easy game:

"Everton always make things difficult for us. We have played many tough matches against them. They have their own way of playing, and you have to be ready. We didn’t play very well in the first half, but we defended well, and Jota scored a great goal. We got the three points, and that is the most important thing."

For Everton, this was another disappointing night at Anfield. Their manager, David Moyes, has now played 22 matches at Anfield with different teams but has never won. Moyes was also unhappy with the referee’s decisions, especially Liverpool’s goal.

"Liverpool were the better team, that’s clear," Moyes said. "But I don’t like the goal they scored. I think it was offside. I am surprised it was allowed to stand. Actually, maybe I am not surprised. Many managers feel they do not get fair decisions at Anfield."

With this win, Liverpool stay in a strong position to win the league title. They are now unbeaten in 26 league matches and continue to push towards their goal. Everton, meanwhile, will have to focus on getting more points to avoid any risk of relegation.