Everton vs. Liverpool: 5 takeaways from the heartbreaking defeat

A share of the spoils slipped away from Everton deep into injury time on Monday night in a devastating loss felt by all Evertonians.
The Toffees dominated proceedings in the first half but couldn’t find the all-important opening goal, which eventually cost Everton at least a point, maybe three. Here’s five takeaways from the heartbreaking loss.

5. The rivalry is as intense as ever

The anger, passion, intensity and hatred was palpable on Monday night. Both teams showed how much this rivalry means to the players, clubs and city. Tackles were flying in with malicious intent.

Arguments broke out throughout the match, while a team brawl wasn’t far away after Ross Barkley mowed down Jordan Henderson. It had the passion everyone expects from a Merseyside Derby.

I can’t wait for the rematch at Anfield.

4. Ross Barkley was lucky to stay on the pitch

I have to admit, begrudgingly so, that Ross Barkley was lucky not to have received a straight red card for his two-footed lunge on Jordan Henderson.

Mike Dean let a lot go in the extremely physical affair and Barkley can count his lucky stars that he only received a yellow.
I can’t fault Barkley’s commitment and full-blooded desire. It’s exactly what Evertonians expect from their players, especially when going to war against the red side of Liverpool. It was a nasty tackle but I’d like to think it was made with the best of intentions. Discerning what the best of intentions actually means against Liverpool is another matter entirely.

3. Maarten Stekelenburg’s injury a turning point

Maarten Stekelenburg was immense before being forced off the pitch due to injury. He made two pivotal, world-class saves against Roberto Firmino to keep the score level. He had to come off in the 64th minute after clattering into Leighton Baines on a Sadio Mane opportunity. I’m not saying that Joel Robles played poorly because he didn’t.

Nor am I suggesting that Robles should have saved Daniel Sturridge’s shot that came off the post, leading to Mane’s late winner. I do, however, believe that Stekelenburg would have reacted quicker to the rebound, especially because of the scintillating form he was in. His height and reach would have made all the difference in preventing Mane’s 94th-minute winner.

2. A tale of two halves

Everton enjoyed the run of play in the first half, dominating the Reds in almost every aspect of the match. It was exactly the kind of start Everton needed and Ronald Koeman commented after the match how happy he was with the opening stanza. The Blues pressed Liverpool relentlessly and made it almost impossible for Liverpool to play.

The polar opposite, however, was true in the second half. Liverpool enjoyed the lion’s share of possession and started to wear Everton down. The Toffees were forced to do a lot of chasing and couldn’t sustain their high tempo from the first half.

1. Everton’s scoring woes continue

The Blues need to solve this part of their game in January. Everton are playing sound defensively, but cannot create enough chances to consistently win matches. They only had one shot on target against Liverpool, which came from a soft Ashley Williams header that went harmlessly into Simon Mignolet’s palms.

Next: Everton player ratings in 1-0 Merseyside Derby defeat

The Toffees haven’t scored more than two goals in a match since beating Middlesbrough 3-1 on September 17. Since then, the Blues have scored 12 goals in as many matches, five of which have come from Romelu Lukaku. More wins will consistently come if Everton can resolve their scoring deficiencies in the New Year.