Blog by dedlfc (David Douglas)
PRE-MATCH: This was the first home game which coincidentally was the Merseyside
Derby after the sad loss on Wednesday of our iconic and loved character Ronnie “Mr
Liverpool – Bugsy – Moran. The mosaic before the game and the fitting minute’s
applause was a beautiful tribute for the Liverpool legend – may he now rest in
peace. Gone but never forgotten – don’t think you will ever see a player come
through the ranks and cover nearly every single role at the club – 49 years of
magnificent service. YNWA.
Going into Derby day, we had the news that our leader of the pressing
game in midfield Lallana and our captain Henderson would both miss the game.
Klopp decided to bring back Lovren after a spell on the sidelines injured, he
also decided to take the gamble to bring in the veteran Lucas to play the
defensive midfield position therefore adjusting Can’s role for this game. The
game opens with a bit of back and forth, with both Clyne and Barkley lucky not
to be booked in the first few minutes. Welcome to the derby.
GOAL! Mané 8’ – 1-0 - What a lovely solo goal from Mané, who weaves
through the non-existent Everton defence and finds a opportunity to shoot,
slotting the ball into the far corner.
Can puts a perfect ball over the top for Coutinho to run onto. Coutinho
controls it and cuts inside to get one of his patented, right-footed shots off,
which is blocked. Coutinho looked disappointed not to score there.
The leniency of the referee Anthony Taylor finally ended in the 25th
minute when Tom Davies became the first player to go into the book, after a
harsh challenge on Sadio Mané.
Goal - Pennington 28’ – Everton equaliser 1-1, we concede, as ever, off
of a corner. Yet again we fall asleep at a set piece, this time it is Emre Can
not tracking Jagielka who headed on for Derby debutant Pennington to tap it in from
close range in the six yard box.
GOAL! Coutinho 30’ – 2-1, After that warning shot earlier in the game,
Coutinho gets a second chance with a little space in front of him in the 18
yard box, and this time he makes good use of it with a sweet curler into the
far corner, giving Liverpool back the lead only moments after losing it. Our magician
after going off the boil in recent weeks after his injury is now back with a
serious bang !!!
Referee Anthony Taylor finally has had enough of Barkley’s fouling and books
him at the third time of asking, this time it was for a shocking stomp on
Lovren’s ankle – very lucky not to be given a straight red card.
HALFTIME: Everton are 2-1 down and quite frankly, lucky to still have 11
men on the pitch. My disappointment is that we look a couple of levels above
our local rivals and should be two goals clear but have only looked like
conceding from set pieces and that’s the only way that Everton are in the game.
Our talisman Sadio Mané can’t continue after he twists his knee
awkwardly with Baines accidently falling on his ankle to make the matter worse,
Origi comes in to replace him. If we are without Lallana, Mané, and Henderson —
that is going to be a major problem going forward.
GOAL! Origi 60’ – 3-1 - Origi makes the perfect introduction off the
bench. Coutinho’s happy feet get around the Everton defence, and he passes the
ball off to young Origi, who hits a ROCKET straight into the back of the net. Now
that is an emphatic way to make your mark to impress the manager after Origi
stating recently that he wanted a chance to prove how he can help our team.
LFC youngster Trent Alexander-Arnold comes in for Coutinho, who has a
goal and an assist to his name, but who has also done a lot of travelling
with Brazil over the last week. I think Klopp was always going to take him out
after 70 minutes, though Mane’s injury likely changed the substitution from
Origi to Alexander-Arnold.
Alexander-Arnold nearly buries one into the back of the net, but the
shot is palmed away by Everton keeper Robles.
Alexander-Arnold has another go which Robles claims, this youngster is
definitely not short of confidence playing on the right side of midfield like
he had played there all season – what a player he is going to be!!!
We win the game, but may have lost Mané – our top scorer and talisman.
Man of the match – Philippe Coutinho - Coutinho had a great game with
his exhilarating form returning and his class oozing after having a great
international game for Brazil midweek and even got to come off to rest after 70
minutes. If the Little Magician is back to his best form, that will go a long
way towards making up the deficit that Lallana and, potentially, Mané leave in
the squad
My three selection concerns going into the game were all very solid
players for us, with Lovren totally dominating and at times bullying the top
scorer in the Premier League Lukaku. Lucas having a calm game shielding the
front of our defence as the defensive midfielder and Can performing well, covering
most of the field apart from losing concentration for the goal we conceded.
Excellent win and with Man United unexpectedly drawing at home to West
Brom 0-0– we have had a very good weekend, prior to Arsenal and Man City playing
each other.
Liverpool (4-3-3): Mignolet, Clyne, Matip, Lovren, Milner, Can, Lucas, Wijnaldum,
Mane(Origi 57), Firmino(Klavan 90), Coutinho(Alexander-Arnold 74).
Unused subs: Karius, Grujic, Moreno,Woodburn.
Manager: Jurgen Klopp
Bookings: Can
Goals: Mane 8, Countinho 31, Origi 60
Everton (3-4-3): Robles, Jagielka, Ashley Williams, Holgate, Pennington,
(Barry 67), Davies, (Valencia 66), Gana, Baines, Barkley, Lukaku,
Calvert-Lewin, (Mirallas 82).
Unused subs: Kone, Stekelenburg, Lookman, Kenny.
Manager: Ronald Koeman
Bookings: Davies, Barkley, Williams
Goals: Pennington 28
Referee: Anthony Taylor
Attendance: 52,920
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