Jordan Pickford stood tall in the Merseyside derby, as Everton battered the reigning champions by 2-0 in the Premier League on Sunday’s mega-event at Anfield.

The visitors’ rampant performance saw Liverpool have no response, and it seems, Liverpool’s miserable run in the Premier League will not end soon.  A blistering start from The Toffees saw them take a 1-0 lead within just 3rd minute of the game, as Richarlison had timed his run in a precise manner inside the final third before placing the ball back into the net.

Liverpool Captain Jordan Henderson was not able to continue the proceedings, as he needed to be substituted in the 30th minute due to a groin injury. Soon afterwards, Everton started to pose more threats, as they were determined to seal the tie within no time.

As the game progressed to the later stages, Jurgen Klopp’s men were starting to create more chances. But Jordan Pickford was at his influential best, denying Liverpool left, right and centre.

Everton ensured their first win at Anfield in 22 years in the 83rd minute. In the twilight period of the clash, Trent Alexander-Arnold’s mistake gave away the penalty which was exquisitely guided into the goal by Gylfi Sigurdsson to make it 2-0.

Liverpool now find themselves hanging on to the 6th spot on the league table. As for the blue half of Merseyside, they have now earned 8 wins in their 12 away outings in this campaign. Here, at The Hard Tackle, we will take a closer look at how both these teams performed in this intriguing collision at Anfield on Sunday evening.

Liverpool

Alisson Becker: 5.5/10

In the 3rd minute of the clash, Richarlison was able to surpass the Liverpool No. 1. Alisson had a decent game in spite of conceding two goals in the tie. His first-half save from a close-range effort from Coleman was truly a magnificent one.

Trent Alexander-Arnold: 5/10

The Englishman had a tough outing, and throughout the game, he seemed sluggish on his task to maintain the defensive organization intact. In the second half, he threatened with his venture into the attacking half, as his whipping crosses could have changed the course of the tie.

Ozan Kabak: 4.5/10

The fresh recruit in the winter transfer window looked rusty from the very beginning of the game, as he had been struggling to hold the Everton forwards throughout the ninety minutes. Lost 7 duels out of 11, which reflects his vulnerability.

Jordan Henderson: 5.5/10

Yet another blow for the Jurgen Klopp’s men, as his captain will be unavailable for the upcoming fixtures due to groin injury. In his thirty minutes of tenure, he looked sharp on his task. His terrific volley from outside of the box could have been an outrageous sight to behold, but Pickford’s excellent save denied him.

Andrew Robertson: 5/10

The Scottish international seemed tired, and on some occasions, he did showcase moments of unanticipated sluggishness. He should be gutted with his performance on the night, as the player was not able to link up with Mane or Wijnaldum either.

Thiago Alcantara: 5.5/10

The Spanish midfielder allowed Everton midfielders to run freely into those crucial spaces in the midfield region, as he failed to maintain the rhythm on his side of the pitch. In spite of 84 accurate passes out of 94, the player was continuously failing to penetrate the final third region in desperate times.

Georginio Wijnaldum: 5.5/10

An uninspiring night for the Dutchman, as he was unable to command the midfield. In spite of winning the six duels out of a possible six, his tireless efforts went in vain, with the midfielder failing to influence the attacking department.

Curtis Jones: 5/10

The young Englishman tried his best to uplift his side’s standards on several occasions. But in a game where visitors were dominating the midfield region of the hosts, his companions beside him were unable to help the youngster.

Mohamed Salah: 5/10

The Egyptian had a forgettable night, as he was thoroughly losing the grip inside the final third. He won just 5 duels out of the possible 11, and looked incompetent when it’s come to pull the strings.

Roberto Firmino: 4.5/10

Indecisiveness has been haunting the Brazilian throughout this season, and yet another time his rugged approaches to place the ball back into the net were visible. Tried to lead the attack up front, but failed miserably once again.

Sadio Mane: 5/10

The frustrating phase for the Senegalese forward continues, as he missed two golden chances in front of the goal. As the game progressed towards the end, he was struggling to get any sort of momentum.

Substitutes

Nathaniel Phillips: 4/10

Came on in replace of Henderson in the 30th minute, and within few moments he could have gotten the equaliser. Lack of game time has been hampering his advancement, and understandably he seemed uncomfortable

Xherdan Shaqiri: 4.5/10

The substitute was brought to add more fuel to the tank but didn’t inspire as much as expected.

Divock Origi: N/A

Replaced Thiago on the 87th minute. Had little time to influence the proceedings.

Everton

Jordan Pickford: 8.5/10

The Everton goalkeeper had a tremendous affair, as he was rock solid between the sticks, and his two extravagant saves set Everton up for success. Throughout the second half, Liverpool desperately tried to grab the equaliser with their tireless efforts but were unable to pull anything off, as the Englishman ensured nothing got past him.

Seamus Coleman: 6/10

The Everton captain missed a golden chance to convert the 1-0 lead to 2-0 within the first half, as his effort was denied by the acrobatics of Alisson Becker. In his defensive zone, he brought solidity and was able to lead the pack with prominence.

Michael Keane: 6.5/10

The centre-back crafted his performance in a spirited manner, as his awareness in the defensive region was thoroughly visible. With 7 recoveries, he was cutting off the threats from the hosts with immense effect.

Mason Holgate: 6/10

The Englishman was among the finest of pieces on the pitch, as he narrowed down the spaces in a subtle manner. His intercepting ability on those crucial occasions played a pivotal part in his manager’s scheme.

Ben Godfrey: 6.5/10

The player was able to portray an exhibition of persistence, and his determined efforts flourished in such an enormous fixture. With 8 clearances and 4 recoveries, he was on top of his game.

Abdoulaye Doucoure: 5.5/10

A disappointing performance from the 28-year-old midfielder in the first forty-five minutes. He had not been convincing enough in most parts of the match but in the second half, he seemed well settled in his task.

Tom Davies: 7/10

A spectacular outing for the midfielder, as he displayed his authority at the centre of the field with prominence. Recovered the ball 8 times and was persistent throughout.

Andre Gomes: 5/10

The Portuguese international was struggling to influence the game in the build-up play and lost the ball in some of those significant moments of the game, which could have been costly.

Lucas Digne: 6.5/10

As the left wing-back, he was commanding the attack from his position pretty well, and his blistering runs through that channel were remarkable to watch. Looked sharp defensively as well.

James Rodriguez: 6/10

The Colombian’s finely measured pass was the reason behind The Toffees’ first goal. He was pulling the strings decisively, which should be a relieving sight for his boss.

Richarlison: 6.5/10

The Brazilian forward’s ability to pull the trigger on the decisive moments yet again sparkled, as his 3rd-minute strike had broken the deadlock. The player has now scored 4 goals and served 3 times in this league campaign. Although sheer numbers don’t actually tell the whole story, his ability to help the defence also played a crucial role.

Substitutes

Gylfi Sigurdsson: 6/10

Came in replace of Andre Gomes in the 59th minute of the game. His clinical spot-kick from the penalty spot gave the visitors a deserving 2-0 lead, and work tenaciously to help his side across the line.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin: 5.5/10

Calvert-Lewin came onto the pitch in the 62nd minute. His exquisite runs toward the Liverpool backline set the tone for his side, where he forced Alexander-Arnold to commit a fatal mistake.

Alex Iwobi: N/A

Hardly had any time to make any sort of impact.

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