Rafa Benítez attracted some derision by “guaranteeing” Liverpool would qualify for the Champions League this season, and this derby victory was all the sweeter for taking the home side back into the top four, however briefly. As it was achieved with 10 men against a supposedly resurgent Everton, it suggests Liverpool’s season might not be such a write-off after all. They are beginning to show signs of their old solidity and have every chance of a strong finish.
Dirk Kuyt scored the only goal of a predictably fractious game with a straightforward header from a Steven Gerrard corner just before the hour, though inevitably the major talking point was the 18th red card in Premier League-era Merseyside derbies. There was a 19th as well, but that came right at the end, when Steven Pienaar picked up a second yellow for barging petulantly into the Liverpool captain a moment or two after Gerrard had fouled him.
This is officially the Premier League’s dirtiest fixture, though of course the respective managers and captains do not bill it as such, preferring words such as passion and commitment instead. ”Derbies don’t come much better than this,” Gerrard argued. “Getting through with 10 men was all about showing fight and sticking together.”
The script for these occasions is by now fairly well-established. Both sides go at it hammer and tongs for half an hour, as Joe Royle used to put it, then someone throws a ball on. Referee Martin Atkinson duly showed commendable leniency early on, perhaps realising that applying the letter of the law might have resulted in a six-a-side game. But he erred on the side of generosity in showing only a yellow card to Pienaar for a horrific challenge on Javier Mascherano, and the game had still not settled down into a football contest by the time Marouane Fellaini and Sotirios Kyrgiakos converged on a 50-50 ball in the 33rd minute. Neither would back out and both players went over the top, but whereas Fellaini was lucky to escape unpunished for stamping on the Greek defender’s ankle, Kyrgiakos launched himself two-footed into the tackle and was dismissed for ending his opponent’s participation.
Anfield howled in protest, but the game turned on that incident. Fellaini had been Everton’s best player and he had been put out of the game. Liverpool actually did quite well with 10 men, with Mascherano excelling as emergency right-back, while Everton failed to make the most of their numerical superiority despite sending on Mikel Arteta as a replacement. Gerrard hit the bar with a free-kick at the end of the first half, before Tim Cahill botched the clearest chance of the game by uncharacteristically missing the target with a free header. When neither Tim Howard nor Phil Neville managed to prevent Kuyt nodding in Gerrard’s corner from a stationary position in front of the Everton goalkeeper, the match was over, though not without another bad-tempered outbreak after Gerrard was booked for sliding into the already prostrate Pienaar.
Kuyt acknowledged the quality of Gerrard’s cross for his 50th Liverpool goal. Without a run or a leap, he would have been hard pushed to score had not the ball landed right on his head. It was a mundane way to settle a heated encounter, but with Merseyside derbies that is often the case. “It was a massive result for us,” Benítez argued, losing no time in claiming bragging rights. “It was an amazing performance and I am really pleased for the players and the fans.”
David Moyes thought it was more like the sort of win Everton were looking for, three points secured with a goal from a set piece, though rather than berating his passive defenders he too pointed to the accuracy of Gerrard’s cross. “We didn’t create enough chances with our extra men,” the Everton manager said, fairly enough. “I actually thought we looked better when it was 11 v 11.” Also true. Pepe Reina had nothing to do in the second half until late substitutes Ayegbeni Yakubu and Victor Anichebe briefly threatened in the closing minutes.
“When we got to the final third, we didn’t quite have the quality to make anything happen, but neither did Liverpool for the most part,” Moyes said. Honours not quite shared then, but Liverpool on the up, courtesy of a single special delivery from England’s new vice-captain.
THE FANS’ PLAYER RATINGS AND VERDICT
Stephanie Jones, Observer reader It was the perfect derby and had everything you want – obviously it was very thunderous. I couldn’t see at the time but from replays I didn’t think Kyrgiakos should have been sent off, although Pienaar probably should have been in the first half. We were never really in danger though, we just carried on playing and deserved it. Mascherano was great when he went to right-back but collectively we were great as a team. To use the vernacular, we battered them.
The fan’s player ratings Reina 8; Carragher 8, Agger 8, Kyrgiakos 8, Insua 8; Kuyt 8 (Skrtel 90 n/a), Mascherano 8; Lucas 8, Gerrard 8, Rodríguez 8 (Aurelio 90 n/a); Ngog 8 (Babel 63 8)
Carl Roper, Observer reader Liverpool were a bit agricultural. It was inevitable someone was going to get sent off, and Pienaar was lucky not to go for the challenge on Mascherano. It’s always the most disappointing thing to say in a derby, but they wanted it more than us. I didn’t think we deserved to lose but we definitely didn’t deserve to win. We just didn’t create enough chances, especially against 10 men. Once Liverpool had gone in front Benítez was playing the game he loves and defending a lead.
The fan’s player ratings Howard 5; Neville 6, Distin 6, Heitinga 7, Baines 5; Donovan 6, Fellaini 6 (Arteta 40 6), Osman 5 (Yakubu 72 5), Pienaar 5; Cahill 8, Saha 5 (Anichebe 72 5)
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