There was madness at Goodison Park on Wednesday night.
Liverpool were leading the contest 2-1 heading into added time before James Tarkowski would hit a rocket with 98 minutes on the clock to rescue a draw for Everton.
It was a fitting end to the final Merseyside Derby to be played at Everton’s home stadium as it would put a small dent in Liverpool’s Premier League title hopes as the Reds now move seven points clear of Arsenal.
However, the drama would not end there as Abdoulaye Doucoure would celebrate in front of the away section, resulting in Curtis Jones confronting the Everton star.
Both players were sent off by referee Michael Oliver, which resulted in two more Liverpool men being shown a red, leading to the Merseyside club being put in an unusual situation for Sunday’s match with Wolves.
Johnny Heitinga to take charge of Liverpool for Wolves clash
The Premier League have confirmed that four red cards were brandished by Oliver after the full-time whistle at Goodison Park as Arne Slot and his assistant Sipke Hulshoff were also sent off in addition to Jones and Doucoure.
This has put Liverpool in an unusual situation as Johnny Heitinga will now take charge of the Reds’ clash with Wolves on Sunday, reports Lewis Steele.
Ally McCoist was not happy with Oliver for one decision against Liverpool in the first half as the pundit felt the free-kick that led to Everton’s opening goal should never have been given.
The English official is regarded as one the best referees in the country, however, he did not handle the final Merseyside Derby at Goodison Park as well as many had hoped.
The Wolves contest is now set to be an even tougher task for Liverpool as Heitinga prepares to sit in the hot seat at Anfield.
The history of Johnny Heiting in management
Although Slot’s fingerprints will be all over Liverpool’s team and gameplan for Wolves, Heitinga will still have to play his part on the sidelines and in the dressing room.
The Dutch coach has only ever managed one senior team and that came in 2023 as the 41-year-old was appointed interim manager of Ajax’s first team for the remainder of the season, following the dismissal of Alfred Schreuder.
Heitinga would follow that up with an assistant role at West Ham, before joining Liverpool at the start of the current campaign.
West Brom were linked with Heitinga at the start of the year, which suggests that the Dutch coach has something about him.
The 41-year-old will very likely embrace the chance to take charge of Liverpool against Wolves as the Reds look to bounce back from back-to-back disappointing results.
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