The final Merseyside Derby at Goodison Park was one to remember.
With Liverpool leading the contest 2-1 heading into added time, a 98th-minute James Tarkowski goal sent the contest into chaos.
Abdoulaye Doucoure would follow that moment up by celebrating in front of the away end, which resulted in the Everton star and Liverpool’s Curtis Jones being shown red cards.
Arne Slot and his assistant coach Sipke Hulshoff would also be dismissed after the full-time whistle, which leaves Johnny Heitinga to take charge of Liverpool for their match with Wolves on Sunday.
Wednesday night was not Liverpool’s best performance of the season but the result will feel like a defeat having been within touching distance of victory.
David Moyes mentioned the gap between Liverpool and Everton pre-match and as a result, the Blues boss was proud of the result his team earned.
Everton boss David Moyes puts big label on Liverpool
Given the contrast in positions between both clubs, Everton would always make it a fight for Liverpool to get a result at Goodison Park.
The contest was mayhem throughout and the Reds found it hard to allow their quality to shine through, which is exactly what Moyes would have wanted.
Speaking to the press after the full-time whistle, the Everton boss stated that the reason he is so proud of his team was a result of the ‘level’ Liverpool are currently at.
“I think because of the level of the team we were playing,” Moyes responded when asked a question about the pride he had in his team. “Liverpool are the top team in Europe, top team in this country at the moment.”
Moyes has not been the only Premier League boss to heap praise on the Reds this season and many have been surprised by the work Slot has done at Anfield.
Premier League managers are all saying the same thing about Liverpool
In addition to Moyes, the likes of Thomas Frank and Kieran McKenna have also been full of praise for Liverpool this season.
Ahead of the Reds’ clash with Ipswich last month, McKenna labelled Liverpool a ‘complete team’ while highlighting key strengths.
“They have been an enjoyable watch and they have carried that all the way through the season,” the Ipswich boss said. “They are a complete team who defend well and press high.”
This added to Thomas Frank’s words about Liverpool, who labelled the Reds “the best transition team in the world.”
“It’s about how we can play to our strengths but also acknowledge and be aware of what Liverpool are very good at: they’re probably the best transition team in the world,” the Brentford boss said ahead of their clash with the Merseyside club last month.
Liverpool will continue to impress other coaches between now and the end of the season, but Slot won’t really care about that unless his team are getting results.
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