Full-time at Anfield: Liverpool 4-0 Everton
Peep! Peep! Peeeeeeeeep! The referee puts Everton out of their misery and the fans that remain in the away end direct their ire at Roberto Martinez and his players. They’ve been absolutely thrashed by Liverpool tonight, while Liverpool’s good run continues. Goals from Divock Origi, Mamadou Sakho, Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho won the game for Liverpool, while Everton had Ramiro Funes Mori sent off for an idiotic challenge on Divock Origi. He was stretchered off and early reports sauggest he has a badly sprained ankle.
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90+7 min: Daniel Sturridge tries to beat Robles from distance again. The keeper scuttles across his line to prevent the ball going in at the top corner.
90+4 min: Daniel Sturridge chips over from a long, long way out. Soon after, Sakho dispossesses James McCarthy with a robust but fair challenge, earning himself another huge cheer. He’s almost certainly guaranteed himself cult hero status on the strength of his performances here and against Borussia Dortmund last week. He hasn’t always been a fan favourite.
90+3 min: Nathaniel Clyne flicks over the bar from 10 yards after employing a clever angled run to get on the end of a wonderful through-ball from Adam Lallana.
90+1 min: Cruelty from the jobsworth fourth official, who recommends seven minutes of added time. Jordan Ibe brings a good save out of robles with a long range daisy-cutter that takes a nick off a defender on it’s way towards goal.
90 min: Jordan Ibe is penalised for tugging the shirt of Bryan Oviedo as he attempts to get in behind the Everton defender.
89 min: Sky Sports report that Divock Origi has a badly sprained ankle. Not great news, but it could be a lot worse. He looked in a lot of pain after that lunge from Funes Mores.
87 min: We approach the final few minutes and I’m not sure Romelu Lukaku has had more than two or three touches of the ball tonight. I only remember him having one, but he may have cleared a corner or two or won a couple of aerial duels.
85 min: Moreno tries his luck again, his wild slash from the edge of the penalty area swerving in the air as it zooms high and wide. Liverpool shots: 33 Everton shots: 3. Liverpool shots on target: 13 Everton shots on target: 0.
83 min: Liverpool continue kicking the blind man’s stick, with Alberto Moreno shooting wide. He’s determined to get on the score-sheet tonight.
82 min: Replays suggest that when Philippe Coutinho scored, the ball may have gently caressed the hem of Daniel Sturridge’s shorts en route to goal. Replays also show that Sturridge is claiming the goal. Cheeky boy.
80 min: Everton’s players are being humiliated now, with their hosts playing keep-ball as they ping the ball around to raucous cheers greeting each successful pass. Philippe Coutinho has just brought a decent save out of Robles to make it 13-0 to Liverpool in the “shots on target” stakes.
78 min: There ought to be a considerable amount of injury time at the end of this match, following the injury to Divock Origi (no news on that yet, but it didn’t look good), but it will be interesting to see if Referee Madley plays any of it. Ending this match on 90 minutes would be an act of mercy.
GOAL! Liverpool 4-0 Everton (Coutinho 76)
76 min: Philippe Coutinho picks up a pass across the edge of the box from Joe Allen, looks up to make room for a shot and fires a low diagonal drive into the bottom right-hand corner. This is a slaughter.
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75 min: Liverpool continue to completely dominate their visitors, their fans jeering sarcastically as Joel Robles hoofs the ball straight out of play. It’s been one of those nights for the Toffees.
74 min: Daniel Sturridge sticks his neck out in a bid to score his second from a Nathaniel Clyne cross from the right. Everton clear.
72 min: James Milner goes galloping up the right flank, leaving Pienaar in his wake. He squares the ball for Joe Allen, who is unable to poke the ball goalwards. Everyone’s having a go now.
71 min: * Shot from distance may not actually have sailed out of the stadium and into the Mersey.
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70 min: Philippe Coutinho giggles away to himself after sending a shot from distance sailing out of the stadium and into the Mersey*.
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68 min: Joel Robles is forced to make two saves in quick succession, punching clear from Moreno after the Spaniard tried his luck with a long-range effort.
65 min: Liverpool win a corner after a shot from Coutinho is put out for a corner. They use the break in play to bring on Joe Allen for Roberto Firmino and nothing comes from the se-piece. There almost certainly isn’t an Everton player, backroom staff member or fan at Anfield tonight who wouldn’t consider the final whistle a blessing, were Bobby Madley to blow it now and give us all an early night.
65 min: Stones looked to have picked up a knock before going off. Roberto Martinez could be in all sorts of bother when it comes to picking a defence to line up against Manchester United at the weekend.
63 min: Everton substitution: Steven Pienaar on for John Stones. James McCarthy and Muhamed Besic are now playing in the heart of Everton’s defence.
GOAL! Liverpool 3-0 Everton (Sturridge 60)
Daniel Sturridge times his run between Everton’s centre-backs to perfection to get on the end of a Lucas Leiva through-ball from deep. His first touch is exqisite and he proceeds to clip the ball past Robles with ease.
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59 min: From the corner of the penalty area, Daniel Sturridge unleashes an up-and-down drive that fizzes towards the near post. Joel Robles is quick across his line to prevent the ball creeping past him.
59 min: Sturridge takes possession on the edge of the Everton penalty area, but is immediately dispossessed by Cleverley, who is playing in his first Merseyside derby.
57 min: Everton substitution: Tom Cleverley on for Ross Barkley, who’s not one bit happy about being taken off.
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56 min: Trailing 2-0 and down to 10 men, Everton look fairly doomed. Muhamed Besic has gone in to play at centre-half, while Tom Cleverley is currently receiving instructions on the sideline.
54 min: Liverpool resume play with a free-kick wide on the right, the scene of Funes Mores’s crime. James Milner plays it deep to the far post, but Everton eventually clear.
53 min: Liverpool substitution: Divock Origi is stretchered off and replaced by Daniel Sturridge.
51 min: Funes Mores walks off thumping his chest in the crest area and replays suggest he doesn’t have much to complain about. He booted the ball away in anger as soon as Madley blew his whistle, but I think the red was for the tackle rather than any show of dissent. Origi continues to get treatment, a couple of minutes after being floored.
RED CARD! Everton are down to 10 men
49 min: Bobby Madley shows red to Ramiro Funes Mores for a poor challenge on Divock Origi. He dived in with his right studs showing and caught the ankle of the Belgian striker’s standing foot.
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47 min: A quiet start to the second half, but there are roars of protest as Bryan Oviedo catches Alberto Moreno with a raised arm as the Liverpool man attempts to shepherd the ball out of play for a throw-in. Move along, nothing much to see here ...
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Second half: Liverpool 2-0 Everton
45 min: John Stones is a mite late out of the dressing room to take his place in an Everton line-up that has one change: Muhamed Besic has come on for Gareth Barry, who must be injured. More news on that as we get it. Everton get the ball rolling with a two-goal deficit to overcome.
A disgruntled Everton fan writes ...
“The Martinez brand of attacking football,” writes Colin Livingstone. “There’s rugby teams that don’t pass the ball backwards as much as we do. Complete myth. Loused up a great defence too. The Spanish Steve McLaren.” Oof!
Half-time at Anfield: Liverpool 2-0 Everton
There may have been an impressive comeback at Anfield last Thursday, but I suspect we won’t be seeing one tonight. Liverpool lead 2-0 and were vastly superior throughout a first-half in which Everton only threatened occasionally on the break. If tonight was a landmark test for Roberto Martinez, he’s failing it badly. It’s difficult to discern what his game-plan is ... if indeed he has one.
GOAL! Liverpool 2-0 Everton (Sakho 45)
Deep into injury time at the end of the first half, Mamadou Sakho heads his second goal in a week. It’s a bullet-header from about three-yards out, with James Milner the provider again after being played in behind the Everton defence after a neat one-two with Adam Lallana.
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45 min: Liverpool win another corner, which is cleared by Mores.
44 min: Liverpool take the lead and it’s no more than they deserve. Still in a wide position, James Milner sent a cross towards the far post with his left foot and Origi did well to out-jump Stones and head past Robles. The goalkeeper was poor - visibly dithering over whether or not to come off his line to gather Milner’s inswinging cross from the right.
GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Everton (Origi 43)
Divock Origi out-jumps John Stones to head Liverpool in front at the far post.
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41 min: Milner takes the free-kick, pulling the ball back to Nathaniel Clyne on the edge of the area. His shot is blocked.
40 min: Aaron Lennon fouls Milner as the Liverpool captain attempts to get himself to the byline and around the Everton winger. A yellow card for Lennon and a free-kick for Liverpool, that isn’t too far from the corner flag.
39 min: Divock Origi, who hasn’t seen a great deal of the ball either, finally gets an opportunity. His low drive is weak and Robles saves comfortably.
38 min: Nathaniel Clyne attempts to drive the ball across the face of the Everton goal from the inside right channel, but his attempted cross is blocked. Everton’s defending is looking a bit desperate in spots and if they continue in this fashion they’ll do well to get in at the interval without conceding a goal.
37 min: Everton win their first corner of the match, as Moreno intercepts a Barkley ball. Nothing comes from the ensuing set piece.
35 min: After a very quiet half-hour in which he’s seen little or nothing of the ball, Romelu Lukaku finally gets some time on it. He attempts to play it wide to Mirallis, but gives it away. Alberto Moreno plays it out of defence.
33 min: More Liverpool pressure, with Roberto Firmino spinning and shooting inside the Everton penalty area, but to little avail. Moments previously, Liverpool appealed for a penalty as Lovren booted the ball against Ross Barkley’s arm. That was ball to hand - there was no way that was deliberate on the Everton midfielder’s part.
31 min: From the right side of the Liverpool penalty area, Kevin Mirallis attempts to play a low cross to the feet of Romelu Lukaku. The man-mountain and ball magnet that has been Mamadou Sakho is on hand to snuff out the danger once again.
30 min: Robles is forced to dash off his line and save from Roberto Firmino, who got in behind the Everton defence and was through on goal. John Stones appealed for offside, but I think he’d played Firmino on as he sped in behind before forcing a tidy save from the Everton goalkeeper, who blocked with his knee.
29 min: Liverpool corner - they’re dominating proceedings here, but looking slightly vulnerable to attacks on the break. James Milner swings the ball long, but it ends up heading for a goal-kick.
27 min: Alberto Moreno and Philippe Coutinho stand over the ball, but it’s the former who drives the ball towards the side of the goal in which Robles is standing. It’s a poor effort and flies harmlessly wide.
25 min: Liverpool win a free-kick a few yards outside the Everton penalty area for a poor Ramiro Funes Mores challenge on Adam Lallana. It’s a mit to the right of the D, almnost straight in front of goal.
24 min: James McCarthy gets a ticking-off, but no yellow card, for a decidedly agricultural challenge on Roberto Firmino.
24 min: Lucas forces a save from Joel Robles with a long-range effort from a corner. Moments later, Adam Lallana goes close with a header but sends it whistling wide of the upright.
22 min: Another counter-attack from Everton, with Leighton Baines leading the charge. He picks out Romelu Lukaku in the Liverpool penalty area, but he’s disposessed by Mamdou Sakho, who does brilliantly to hook his foot around the ball after being given the slip by the striker.
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20 min: Philippe Coutinho shimmies this way and that a few yards outside the Everton penalty area before unleashing a shot intended for the top left-hand corner. Wide, but not by much.
19 min: Good play from Everton, who gallops down the pitch on the left flank, before cutting inside and and around Dejan Lovren. Steering a diagonal course for goal, with Mignolet coming off his line, he blasts the ball high and wide when perhaps a more subtle approach might have yielded greater dividends.
17 min: Everton win a throw-in deep in Liverpool territory on the left flank and Leighton Baines does the honours. Everton retain possession, but work the ball back into their own half. John Stones plays it forward, but there’s too much heft on his long ball, which is shepherded through to Mignolet by Dejan Lovren and Sakho.
16 min: Everton win a free-kick for a Lallana foul on Barkley. The ball’s thumped towards the Liverpool penalty area, where Mamadou Sakho clears again.
15 min: Coutinho picks out Lallana with a wonderful pass from the outside of his boot into the left side of the Everton penalty area. Barkley pulls the ball back in a bid to pick out a midfield runner, but Leighton Baines is on hand to intercept and avert the danger.
13 min: Romelu Lukaku is cutting a forlorn figure in these early stages. Having just castigated Mirallas for not passing to him on the aforementioned counter-attack, he’s now got the hump with Ross Barkley for not reading his intention as he headed the ball into space on the edge of the Liverpool penalty area for the midfielder to chase.
10 min: Oviedo sends Mirallas up the pitch on a quick counter-attack. He tries to play the ball wide to Oviedo, who was up in support, but Sakho sticks out a leg and plays the ball back into the path of Mirallas. He tries his luck with a long-range effort but fires high over the cross-bar.
9 min: Not too much skill on show in the opening 10 minutes and the atmosphere seems fairly subdued for the evening that’s in it. Oviedo gifts possession to Liverpool halfway inside their own half and Liverpool go forward with Lallana on the ball.
7 min: James Milner was probably lucky to escape a booking for that challenge on Barry, but Madley’s card is produced this time as he catches Leighton Baines with a late challenge. He’ll need to watch his step.
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6 min: Chance! Adam Lallana spurns the best chance of the game thus far. A poor clearance from Bryan Oviedo allows Philippe Coutinho to play the midfielder through on goal, but Robles is quick off his line and Lallana shoots straight at him. A fairly poor effort.
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6 min: Leighton Baines takes an age before getting the ball into the Liverpool penalty area from the left touchline. Mamadou Sakho clears with a powerful header.
4 min: James Milner takes out Gareth Barry with a crunching tackle near the touchline, as the Everton midfielder attempted to cross into the Liverpool box. It’s a free-kick for Everton, wide on the left.
3 min: Everton get forward for the first time in the game, but Gareth Barry’s cross into the Liverpool box is too high for Romelu Lukaku.
1 min: Liverpool win an early throw-in halfway inside the Everton half, as Nathanial Clyne makes an early foray into opposition territory. Coutinho subsequently wins a frere-kick wide on the left, about 30 yards from Everton’s goal. Milner sends the ball into the mixer, but it’s cleared.
Liverpool v Everton has kicked-off ...
1 min: Referee Bobby Madley gets proceedings under way with a shrill peep on his whistle, prompting Adam Lallana and Roberto Firmino to get the ball rolling for Liverpool.
Not long now ...
The teams line up in the tunnel with Liverpool’s players in red shirts, red shorts and red socks, while their neighbours from across Stanley Park wear blue shirts, white shorts and white socks. James Milner and Gareth Barry lead the teams down the stairs and out on to the Anfield sward. We’ll have kick-off in approximately two minutes.
Jurgen Klopp speaks ...
Ahead of his first Merseyside derby, Liverpool’s German manager has been yapping. “It looks like my hobby, it’s only because we have hopefully nine games to go and we need enough players to always [mount] a real challenge in each game,” he says of the nine changes he’s made from the team that lined up for him last weekend. “This formation or similar played one week ago; it’s normal rhythm and if we can carry on like this it would be great for us. Today it’s Everton, with their own problems. Then it’s Newcastle, who are in a relegation battle. Then it’s Villarreal, who want to go to a final - a tough game every four days and that’s how I hope it is until the end of the season.”
Asked how he thinks tonight’s game will go he says he hopes for “high intensity”, but points out that it’s “not how I see it, to be honest”. He ends his pre-match interview by saying “hopefully we are prepared”.
Roberto Martinez speaks ...
Looking upbeat and far from under pressure, the Everton manager has this to say about tonight’s game: “Well at the moment there’s only one game that matters and that’s a Merseyside derby and that’s a huge game,” he says. “ I want to make sure we give a strong performance against a team that’s got some great momentum. This is a huge game and I think we all realise the significance. All we want to do is give aperformance that can make our supporter’s proud.”
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So, no Tony Hibbert on the Everton team ....
There had been talk - excitable talk - the Everton right-back might make his first appearance for the club since December 2014, but he’s not even on the bench, which is a shame. We can only conclude that Everton’s longest serving player has featured in his final Merseyside derby.
Bryan Oviedo will fill in for Seamus Coleman at right-back this evening, with Leighton Baines helping to book-end a back four with John Stones and Ramiro Funes Mori at its heart. James McCarthy and Gareth Barry will shield the defence, playing behind an attacking trio of Kevin Mirallas, Ross Barkley and Aaron Lennon supporting lone striker Romelu Lukaku.
For Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp makes no fewer than nine changes from the side that second-string side that beat Bournemouth on Saturday, reverting to full strength. Simon Mignolet is back in goal, playing behind a back four of Nathaniel Clyne, Dejan Lovren, Mamadou Sakho and Alberto Moreno. Lucas and James Milner will do the grunt-work in midfield, with Adam Lallana, Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino playing behind Divock Origi. There’s no place for in the starting line-up for Daniel Sturridge, who is on the bench.
Liverpool v Everton line-ups ...
Liverpool: Mignolet, Clyne, Sakho, Lovren, Moreno, Lucas, Milner, Lallana, Firmino, Coutinho, Origi.
Subs: Toure, Sturridge, Allen, Ibe, Stewart, Smith, Ward.
Everton: Robles, Oviedo, Stones, Funes Mori, Baines, McCarthy, Barry, Lennon, Barkley, Mirallas, Lukaku.
Subs: Niasse, Cleverley, Besic, Deulofeu, Osman, Pienaar, Howard.
Referee: Robert Madley (West Yorkshire)
Here are your pre-match stats ahead of the 226th Merseyside derby... https://t.co/Rug3TInDry
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) April 20, 2016
Good evening sports fans ...
The build-up to the 226th Merseyside derby has been uncharacteristically low-key. With neither side in danger of troubling the top or bottom four of the table, the three points at stake tonight don’t amount to much more than a hill of beans on the Premier League landscape, while both clubs are understandably preoccupied with more important looming cup matters. For all that, once the signal for kick-off goes we can realistically expect a fairly full-blooded display from the 22 players involved, as Everton try to win for the first time at Anfield in 16 years.
While Jurgen Klopp’s stock with Liverpool fans could scarcely be higher in the wake of last week’s come-from-behind win against Borussia Dortmund, his opposite number has been having a tough time of it lately. The patience of a fair few Everton fans has worn thin in recent months and the Spaniard has seen his name feature on banners calling for his exit from the Goodison Park hot-seat.
Back to back wins tonight at Anfield and Wembley might help calm the dissent for a while at least, but seem a tall order for a team that has failed to win any of its past five matches. Kick-off is at 8pm, but we’ll be here with team news and pre-match hoopla an hour before that.
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