57’
Diogo Jota was the hero as Liverpool edged out Everton 1-0 in the Merseyside derby on Wednesday.
The forward scored the only goal at Anfield, where the Premier League leaders claimed local bragging rights and restored their 12-point lead at the top of the table.
Everton suffered their first league defeat in 10 games, despite putting the ball in the net during the first half, with Beto being denied by the offside flag.
Jota delivered the decisive blow in the 57th minute, his neat finish securing the Reds’ 100th victory over the Toffees in all competitions.
Arne Slot’s side are once again 12 points clear of second-placed Arsenal, who had reduced the deficit with their victory over Fulham on Tuesday. Everton stay 15th.
How the match unfolded
The competitive nature of the derby was evident in the 11th minute when James Tarkowski caught Alexis Mac Allister on the follow-through in a tackle but avoided a red card.
At the other end, Beto thought he had put the visitors ahead when he got in behind Virgil van Dijk and neatly finished beyond Caoimhin Kelleher. However, his joy was quickly cut short by the offside flag.
Beto escaped Van Dijk again in the 33rd minute and raced through on goal but, with Kelleher beaten, saw his shot come back off the post.
Jota made no mistake 12 minutes into the second half, taking Luis Diaz’s clever flick into his stride before sweeping the ball past Jordan Pickford.
Diaz had a shot blocked later on as the hosts looked to extend their advantage. But with their opponents unable to launch a sustained attacking threat at the other end, they comfortably saw out the victory.
Liverpool bounce back
The international break came at a good time for Liverpool, with their hopes of completing a treble having evaporated in the space of a week.
First, Paris Saint-Germain sent them out of the Champions League on penalties, and then Newcastle United beat the Reds in the EFL Cup final.
This fixture against Everton provided an ideal opportunity for the Reds to get back on track, though their opponents generated the greater attacking threat during the first half, with the woodwork coming to their rescue and thwarting Beto.
Nevertheless, Slot’s side appeared rejuvenated in the second half. Ryan Gravenberch tested Pickford with a rasping drive from distance, before Jota grabbed the breakthrough.
It has been two years since Liverpool have lost a Premier League game when scoring first, and they never really looked like surrendering that advantage here. Despite a couple of shaky moments in the first half, the defence stood firm to complete a century of victories in this fixture.
Next up for Liverpool is a trip to Fulham on Sunday before they host West Ham United the following weekend.
No shots on target for Everton
Everton were hoping to party like it was 1999. That was the last time they had won at Anfield in front of a crowd, with their victory in the 2020/21 season coming behind closed doors.
David Moyes was also out to end his own struggles at Anfield, where he had never overseen a Premier League victory in 19 previous attempts.
His side arrived with momentum following a run of nine successive league games without defeat, and they looked the more threatening of the two sides during the first half.
Beto was unfortunate to strike the woodwork after beating Kelleher, but that was as close as the Toffees would come to scoring. They failed to register a single shot on target throughout the contest.
Everton will be disappointed to see their unbeaten streak come to an end, but they cannot afford to let their heads drop, because things do not get any easier.
After welcoming second-placed Arsenal to Goodison Park this weekend, trips to third-placed Nottingham Forest and sixth-placed Chelsea sandwich the visit of Manchester City.
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