Liverpool continued their win streak against their Merseyside rivals Everton after their impressive 3-1 victory at Anfield today. The game is sure to have a significant impact in the race for finishing in the top four with the result propelling the Reds into third place on the table, although they have played two games more than their other rivals.
The Senegalese international Sadio Mane opened the scoring eight minutes into the fixture, only to see Matthew Pennington equalising before the half hour mark. The celebrations for the Blues were short-lived, though, with Phillipe Coutinho putting the Reds back in front a few minutes later.
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Divock Origi sealed Everton’s fate in the second half after the Belgian found the back of the net from just outside the box.
Liverpool
Simon Mignolet – 6.5/10
Mignolet made several crucial saves to deny Everton but was helpless against Pennington’s close ranged strike.
Nathaniel Clyne – 6/10
Despite being caught out of position on a couple of occasions, he displayed his expected speed and energy from the full back position.
Joel Matip – 6/10
Matip kept Lukaku at bay for the duration of the game and had an excellent work rate, but was lacklustre when defending set-pieces, one of Liverpool’s weaknesses.
Dejan Lovren – 7/10
Although he was at fault for Everton’s goal, Lovren chased after every loose ball and was committed to every tackle. He also coped well with Calvert-Lewin’s speed as well as Lukaku’s strength.
James Milner – 6.5/10
It was a typical James Milner performance – worked hard for the ball, passed well and organised the team.
Emre Can – 5/10
Even though he covered a lot of ground and fought for the ball, he lost possession on several occasions and has difficulty in controlling the tempo of the game. He demonstrated a few reckless tackles as well.
Lucas Leiva – 7/10
The Brazilian dictated the momentum of the game from an early stage by opening up space in the middle of the park and made determined challenges, reading the game very well.
Georgino Wijnaldum – 5/10
The Dutch international drifted in and out of the games at times but the pressure he provided in midfield helped Liverpool open the scoring.
Sadio Mané – 8/10
Liverpool’s best player today, he was lethal once more after scoring at Goodison Park earlier in the season. Mané’s opening goal 8 minutes into the game showed his individual ability, but he limped off in the second half due to an ankle related injury.
Roberto Fermino – 6/10
Fermino worked hard to win possession of the ball and put a lot of pressure on the Everton defence as Liverpool defeated their bitter rivals.
Phillipe Coutinho – 7/10
He showed his energy, worth ethic and determination and his fantastic curling strike was proof of his return to form after scoring just 2 goals at Anfield since November 6th.
Substitutes
Divock Origi (on for Mané 57 min) – 6/10
The Belgian scored within just 2 minutes after coming on and his presence on the pitch kept Everton under control.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (on for Coutinho, 74 min) – 6/10
He continued Liverpool’s momentum and provided more attacking options, although he gave away the ball carelessly a few times.
Ragnar Klavan (on for Firmino, 90 min) – N/A
Everton
Joel Robles – 5/10
The Everton goalkeeper didn’t have the best of days. Standing still for all 3 goals didn’t help his cause and he was a victim of Liverpool’s deadly attack force.
Matthew Pennington – 6/10
The 22-year-old defender equalised for the Blues before the half hour mark but struggled defensively for the remainder of the game.
Ashley Williams: 6/10
Williams tackled determinedly and made a number of clearances. However, he made a few shabby tackles which led to him getting booked in the second half.
Phil Jagielka – 6.5/10
He cleared a few shots from off the line and used the ball relatively well while saving his team from conceding more goals but the Everton defence was too open.
Mason Holgate – 5.5/10
The young defender showed his attacking prowess at times but couldn’t fill in the shoes of Seamus Coleman and his numerous deliveries into the box were over hit.
Tom Davies – 6/10
The 18-year-old has had a terrific debut season but was unable to replicate previous performances. He was unable to handle Sadio Mané, but still has good prospects for the future.
Idrissa Gueye – 6.5/10
Despite drifting out of position a few times, Gueye played a vital role in Everton’s attacking plays but couldn’t deal with Liverpool’s midfield.
Leighton Baines – 6/10
Although he did have more of an impact in the second half, Everton’s lack of possession of the football meant he was unable to move further up the pitch and couldn’t provide width for the Toffees.
Ross Barkley – 5/10
He was lucky to escape a red card just before the half time interval. Although Barkley’s performance did improve as the game went on, he used his energy in an aggressive manner.
Romelu Lukaku – 5/10
The Belgian forward caused barely any problem for the Liverpool defence and showed no signs of a prolific goalscorer, even though service was limited.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin – 6/10
He lacked quality and poise in the final third of the pitch and was invisible at times. Questionable to pick the youngster over Kevin Mirallas given that Everton already had a lot of youth in their lineup.
Substitutes:
Gareth Barry (on for Pennington 67 min) – 6/10
Brought more assurance and control into the Everton midfield. Perhaps his experience could have helped earlier on.
Enner Valencia (substitute for Davies 66 min) – 5.5/10
The Ecuadorian forward could not help reduce the two-goal deficit by the time he was on the pitch as Liverpool’s backline did not look like conceding.
Kevin Mirallas (for Calvert-Lewin 82 min) – N/A
