Liverpool 0-2 Everton: Toffees secure first Anfield win since 1999

Everton produced an outstanding Merseyside derby performance to beat Liverpool at Anfield for the first time since 1999.

Everton finally rid themselves of their Anfield bogey with a brilliantly drilled performance in which goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and Michael Keane were excellent, while Richarlison led the line tirelessly.

Richarlison put Everton in front after three minutes when he latched on to a superb pass from James Rodriguez to beat Allison.

Liverpool responded and Pickford saved well from Jordan Henderson, who went off injured in the first half, while Everton captain Seamus Coleman should have added to Richarlison’s strike only to head straight at Alisson from six yards.

Sadio Mane wasted two headed chances for Liverpool in the second half while Pickford saved superbly from Salah, leaving Everton to wrap up their first derby win in 24 attempts when substitute Gylfi Sigurdsson scored from the spot with seven minutes left after Dominic Calvert-Lewin tangled with Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti was all smiles at the final whistle but this was more abject Anfield misery for his Liverpool counterpart Jurgen Klopp, as his team’s flimsy Premier League title defence crumbles.

Everton finally end the hoodoo

This Anfield means more than just three points for Everton. It means the end of a miserable sequence stretching back to 27 September, 1999 when Kevin Campbell gave Walter Smith’s side a 1-0 win.

Since then, Everton and their fans have endured unrelenting gloom when crossing Stanley Park – so it was no surprise this win was greeted with such joy by manager Ancelotti and his team.

This will be a huge psychological lift for Everton, who have now won eight of their past 12 away games and demonstrated here exactly why they are so good on their travels.

Ancelotti’s smart game plan worked to perfection as he achieved the feat that eluded David Moyes in 11 years in charge as well as his successors, Roberto Martinez, Ronald Koeman, Sam Allardyce and Marco Silva.

Everton struck early, then defended magnificently while always carrying a threat on the break, although it took heroics from keeper Pickford, the villain when Virgil van Dijk was injured in the derby at Goodison Park last October, in the vital moments to keep listless Liverpool at bay.

Keane and Ben Godfrey were faultless in defence and once they had blunted Liverpool, Ancelotti’s Everton added the second goal that ended the contest.

Ancelotti beamed as he embraced his players on the Anfield turf after the final whistle – and no-one can begrudge them their deserved celebrations.

Liverpool hit a new low

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp gathered his players in a huddle at the start of the second half to try to galvanise a title defence that has fallen apart – and rescue a league season that is now about finding a way into the top four.

Klopp’s frustrated body language on the touchline as Everton went ahead and then defended with calm organisation and resilience, while still posing a threat, was symbolic of a Liverpool team who have lost their way.

If it was intended to inspire, it did not work as Liverpool failed to breach Everton and were beaten at Anfield once again.

It is almost unfathomable how Liverpool have declined to such an extent that after Burnley ended a 68-game unbeaten league run at Anfield, three more teams – Brighton, Manchester City and now Everton – have all arrived and gone home with the points.

And to make matters worse, Henderson appears to be facing a lengthy lay-off with an injury that forced Klopp to employ his 18th central defensive pairing of the season in Ozan Kabak and Nat Phillips.

Liverpool impressed with a 2-0 Champions League win over RB Leipzig in Budapest last Tuesday, as they did in away victories at Tottenham and West Ham in late January, but at Anfield they looked lost and for all their possession Everton were never truly shaken out of their stride.

Klopp’s side are now in sixth place, three points off the top four, with Everton level on points in seventh but having played a game fewer.

This is as close to a crisis that Klopp has had to deal with since becoming Liverpool manager and it will hurt even more that arch-rivals Everton have inflicted the latest blow.

‘We have to improve our finishing’ – what they said

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, speaking to BBC Sport: “It is [tough to take] but we conceded this early goal which was completely unnecessary and have to defend it better.

“We had to chase the game and did it well creative-wise. We created some chances in the first half and even more in the second half but we did not finish our situations off.

“We made one mistake in the first half and they used it.

“I don’t like to talk today about the good stuff because we lose the game and we feel that deeply. I have to use it tomorrow and it is our lifeline to keep going.

“We have to improve on the finishing stuff and then we will win football games.”

Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti, speaking to BBC Sport: “We are really happy, really pleased. After a long time Everton are able to win at Anfield, it is a good gift for our supporters. The performance was good. We were focused, worked hard and when we had the opportunities we were clinical.

“We have three points. The derby is a special game as we said before but we have to catch three points at home too. It [our form] is not good enough at home.”

A first for Klopp – the stats

• Everton picked up their first win over Liverpool in 24 meetings in all competitions (D12 L11) – ending what was Liverpool’s longest ever unbeaten run against a single opponent.
• This win ended Everton’s run of 23 visits to Anfield to face Liverpool without a win in all competitions (D10 L13) since a 1-0 victory in September 1999.
• Liverpool manager Klopp has suffered four consecutive league defeats for the first time since November 2014 when he was in charge at Borussia Dortmund, while he has lost four in a row at home in league competition for the very first time in his managerial career.
• Everton have won eight of their 12 away league games this season (D2 L2); only in 2008-09 have they won more on the road in a Premier League campaign (nine).
• Among defending Premier League champions, only Leicester City in 2016-17 (21) and Chelsea in 2015-16 (30) have had fewer points after 25 games the season after winning the Premier League title than Liverpool’s 40 this campaign.
• Richarlison’s third-minute opener was Everton’s second-fastest Premier League goal scored against Liverpool, behind only Olivier Dacourt’s first-minute strike in a 3-2 defeat in April 1999.
• Rodriguez has provided more assists in all competitions this season than any other player for Everton (eight).
• Sigurdsson has scored five away goals against Liverpool in all competitions – more than he has away at any other opponent in his career in England.

What next?

Liverpool travel to Sheffield United in the Premier League on Sunday, 28 February (19:15 GMT) while Everton host Southampton on Monday, 1 March (20:00).