Everton's first-ever Merseyside Derby at the Hill Dickinson Stadium ended in unfortunate heartbreak, rather than the unbelievable ecstasy of picking up a positive result against their arch nemesis.
Indeed, heading into added on time at the end of the breathless Premier League affair, it did look as if the Toffees would gain a point from the hotly contested match, after Beto made it 1-1 with a scrappy finish, early into the second half.
Beto
Beto cancelling out Mohamed Salah's calm opener would ultimately mean nothing when the full-time whistle was blown, though, as Liverpool's heroic captain, Virgil van Dijk, would make sure of another Merseyside Derby win for Arne Slot's men when he powered home a last-gasp corner kick.
It was a heart-rending, yet gripping, climax to the Merseyside Derby, for those of a Toffees persuasion, with several figures in David Moyes' camp not playing at their very best, against their arch rivals.
What went wrong for Everton against Liverpool
Off the back of the Dutch defender scoring this vital 100th-minute header, Liverpool have now won six Merseyside Derbies right at the death, as Moyes and Co crumbled once more.
Michael Keane, who is an experienced Premier League defender, like Van Dijk, would come on for the final exchanges, owing to Jarrad Branthwaite coming off injured, and the Scotsman would have been left wanting more from his veteran defender when the imperious Reds captain connected with Dominik Szoboszlai's inch-perfect corner kick.
konate-van-dijk-liverpool
Moreover, while Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall was a thorn in the side of Liverpool all afternoon long, with two key passes amassed and six duels won as a lively midfield operator, Iliman Ndiaye wasn't always in the thick of the action, like the one-time Chelsea midfielder.
The ex-Sheffield United man would have been gutted that his 27th-minute strike was ruled out by VAR, but he failed to leave a lasting mark on the contest, past this incident, with his three successful dribbles tallied up, unfortunately leading to nothing.
Truthfully, despite some off performances here and there, Everton were slightly hard done by not to pick up something from the fiery encounter, as Moyes, after the match, admitted that football can be a "cruel" game.
But, there was one notable underperformer who needs to be dropped by the Glaswegian, for crunch games to come...
Everton's biggest underperformer in the Merseyside derby
Despite stumbling to a last-minute defeat, Everton remain only one point behind Chelsea, occupying sixth spot, ahead of Liam Rosenior's dire Blues, facing Brighton and Hove Albion on Tuesday night.
With Brentford, AFC Bournemouth, and the aforementioned Seagulls also within touching distance, the Toffees could seal a spot in either the Europa League or Conference League, come the end of the long-winding season, if they play their cards right.
Dwight-McNeil
To get back to winning ways against West Ham United next weekend, though, Moyes must stop being so loyal to Dwight McNeil down the right wing and drop him for the visit to his ex-employers.
McNeil vs Liverpool
Stat
Minutes played
Touches
Shots
Shots on target
Accurate passes
Accurate crosses
Successful dribbles
Possession lost
Total tackles won
Total duels won
While Salah and Ndiaye tried to twist and turn defenders all match long, the former Burnley forward looked ropey whenever the ball landed at his feet, with only 15 accurate passes amassed, from his forgettable 33 touches of the ball.
Even Pickford would accumulate more touches of the ball, as Moyes' number one goalkeeper finished the match with a hefty 54 next to his name.
McNeil
Failing to complete a single dribble or test the Liverpool goal with a single on-target effort, too, the lacklustre 26-year-old must surely be given the boot for the trip to the London Stadium, with the youthful exuberance of Tyrique George perhaps preferred instead.
It has been a long, sorry season for the dwindling number seven, who has just one assist to shout about from 20 Premier League clashes on Merseyside, which is a far cry from his 2024/25 output, which saw him collect four goals and six assists as a daring winger option.
Now, he looks lost whenever he steps onto the Hill Dickinson Stadium soil, with Moyes presumably ready to axe him, as he prays his side can bounce back from this sore disappointment, with a win on the road at the Hammers.
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