In the last derby at Goodison Park, Salah was the protagonist. He scored the first goal and scored the second. However, a goal from Tarkowski in the last play of the match prevented Liverpool from enjoying a nine-point lead at the top of the table. With the draw, seven points separate the Anfield side from Arsenal.
At the beginning of December, Storm Darragh wreaked havoc on the north of England. The strong winds prevented Everton from playing Liverpool. On Wednesday, the two teams from the city where the Mersey flows into the city made up for their pending match. And what a match it was. Salah thought he had decided the last derby in the history of Goodison Park, which has been the home of the Toffees since 1892. But it was Tarkowski, in the last play of the match, who unleashed the delirium. It was the most celebrated draw.
READ ALSO:Â Disgraceful Goodbye to Goodison Park: Violent Brawl, Four Red Cards, and a Stolen Flag
Everton came out intense, supported by the spirit of the crowd on a big day for the blue team. Even more so after the arrival of Moyes has served to improve the dynamic of a team that, under the guidance of the Scot, is beginning to move away from the relegation zone. Liverpool were patient, moving the ball around, looking for space and, in the process, containing the home team’s spirit. Their calm turned into drowsiness. And the home team, awake, took advantage of it in the eleventh minute. Branthwaite quickly took a free kick in the centre of the field that found the run of Beto. The Guinea-Bissau native stood in front of Alisson and beat him with a low shot.
The home fans were up in arms, but the visitors lowered the decibels with a quick response. After a good combination on the right flank, Salah sent the ball into the area and Mac Allister headed back, with his back to goal. Pickford accompanied the shot, thinking it was going wide. It went in. Everton tried to recover, but before the half-hour mark they lost their most unbalanced player. Ndiaye was injured in the 25th minute after a challenge from Szoboszlai. That was the end of the initial hustle and bustle. The match subsequently fell into boredom without a shot on target until the break.
After the break, Everton took the initiative. Moyes’ men were on the ball again, with two chances that ended with two shots going wide, Doucouré’s and Harrison’s. Goodison claimed a penalty on the hour mark, believing that Konaté had intercepted the ball with his hand. The VAR reviewed it, but there was no penalty. When the home side believed in their chances the most, the visitors struck again. Again. Salah appeared, as always, to help his team put the cup elimination behind them against a second-place team and put them on the road to the league title. Liverpool sent the ball into the area, and Everton failed to clear it. Branthwaite cleared Szoboszlai’s attempt, but the ball fell to Salah. The Premier League’s top scorer calmly controlled the ball and sent the ball into the net when Pickford and a defender were on top of him.
READ ALSO:Â The market is over: a new era begins in the NBA
The You’ll Never Walk Alone resounded as the clock approached the fifth minute of added time. The visiting fans looked like winners. Until chaos reigned. In desperation, after a poor control, Mykolenko sent the ball into the net. After extra time, it fell to Tarkowski. Goal, equalizer, and pitch invasion amid general disbelief. The players ran, as did the fans and the security, while the VAR reviewed the action and finally gave its approval. Party at Goodison. A draw that tasted like defeat for the visitors, already a victory for the home team… and for Liverpool’s pursuers.