Liverpool hosted city rivals, Everton in the Merseyside derby looking to arrest their domestic slump and build on their midweek victory over RB Leipzig in the UEFA Champions League. Everton ran out 2-0 winners after producing a near impeccable all round performance to pick up their first league win at Anfield since that game in 1999 where Kevin Campbell scored the winner.
Liverpool started the game with the same side that won in Budapest as Klopp stuck with his defensive pairing of captain and makeshift center back Jordan Henderson and new signing, Ozan Kabak. However, Everton breached that defence in no time when Brazilian striker, Richarlison latched on to a brilliant pass by James Rodriguez to fire a shot across Alisson in the Liverpool goal in the 3rd minute of the tie. Liverpool’s night went from bad to worse when captain, Jordan Henderson picked up a hamstring injury and had to come off for Nathaniel Phillips in the 30th minute. The change meant that Jurgen Klopp has now used 17 different center back pairings over the course of this season due to injuries. Everton keeper, Jordan Pickford was on hand to deny Trent Alexander-Arnold and Henderson in the first half, as well as Mohamed Salah in the second as his saves kept Everton’s lead intact. Everton sealed the points when substitute Dominic Calvert-Lewin was felled in the box by Trent Alexander-Arnold as he looked to score from the rebound after his initial shot was saved by Alisson. Gylfi Sigurdsson duly stepped up and hit the penalty past the diving Alisson to double Everton’s advantage in the 83rd minute. Everton held on to condemn Liverpool to a fourth consecutive league defeat.
Liverpool have now lost four consecutive league games for the first time since December 2002 under Gerard Houlier, and have now lost four consecutive home league games for the first time in 98 years, last doing so in 1923. Liverpool can find themselves as low as 9th on the log if the teams below them manage to win their games, and there is a real chance of the Reds missing out on European football next season unless they have a change in fortunes.
