Liverpool survived a Merseyside Derby scare to come away with a narrow 2-1 win over Everton on Saturday.
The Reds were looking good early on, racing into a two-goal lead and threatening to blow the Blues away.
However, as has happened far too often this season, Liverpool allowed their opponents back into the game after going two goals to the good.
This time, Liverpool made it through to half-time without conceding, but a goal from Idrissa Gueye with half an hour to play sent nerves coursing through Anfield.
Those nerves were amplified whenever Jack Grealish got on the ball for Everton. Having been enjoying a good start to the season with the Toffees, Grealish gave Conor Bradley a difficult afternoon.
But having been unable to unpick the Liverpool lock and get his side a draw, the Manchester City loanee made a comment on what he’d noticed from the Reds.
Jack Grealish was hoping to take advantage of Liverpool
Grealish has often given Liverpool a difficult time over the years and the England international actually has more goal contributions against the Reds than any other team.
He could not manage one on Saturday, although he did play a part in the build-up to Gueye’s goal.
And speaking to TNT Sports after the match, the 30-year-old gave his reaction to his first ever Merseyside Derby.
“It was probably what I expected, coming here it was hostile, faster,” said Grealish. “I don’t think we played well in the first-half, we came in at half-time and had a chat with the manager and then second half, we bossed the game in the second half. Frustrating because if we had played like that, pressed like that from the start it would have been a different game. In the end we couldn’t get that last goal.”
Asked whether Everton had a belief they could pull the game back due to Liverpool’s recent penchant for giving up leads, Grealish confirmed that he had been watching Arne Slot’s team this season.
“Yeah, even myself when I have watched them [Liverpool] this season they have been so good but there has been a few times they have gone 2-0 up and then conceded two,” he said.
“So, we always had that belief that we could do it. We got the one back, a great finish Idrissa [Gueye] but we couldn’t get that last goal.”
Liverpool hold firm for important three points
Every single Liverpool fan in the stadium and watching at home would have been thinking the exact same thought when Gueye’s goal hit the net.
It has been a strange quirk of Liverpool’s season that they simply have not been able to hold two-goal leads.
Three times in the opening five games the Reds have let big leads slip. That has to be more than coincidence.
As Grealish and Everton piled the pressure on, it looked as though Liverpool might be heading for another case of deja vu.
Thankfully, Liverpool held firm to put an end to a very specific hoodoo.
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