Continuing the series
where I look back at my five favourite wins the Liverpool’s next
opponents. This weekend Liverpool play the
Merseyside derby against Everton at Anfield.
Here are my five favourite wins from past encounters.
6th November
1983
LIVERPOOL (1) 3 (Rush 16,
Robinson 60, Nicol 85)
EVERTON (0) 0
LIVERPOOL: Grobbelaar; Neal, Hansen, Lawrenson, Kennedy; Lee,
Souness, Nicol; Robinson, Rush, Dalglish
EVERTON: Southall; Harper, Ratcliffe, Higgins, Bailey; Steven,
Irvine, King, Sheedy; Heath, Sharp
This game was played on a
Sunday and Liverpool stood the chance of going top of the table after
Manchester United lost the day before.
Everton were down in 16th having scored fewer goals than any
other side in the division.
After quarter of an hour,
Hansen brought the play forward passing to Dalglish just inside his own half on
the left. Dalglish played a beautifully
weighted pass splitting Harper and Ratcliffe for Nicol to run onto. Nicol then beat Harper down by the bye-line
and his low cross was only parried by Southall and Rush was on hand to fire the
ball home. Rush had got the only goal in
Bilbao in midweek in the European Cup, and had scored 5 goals against Luton the
last time Liverpool were at home.
Neither side created many
real clear-cut chances for the rest of the half but on the hour Grobbelaar
picked out a cross easily enough and then his long throw sent Dalglish on his
way down the left. Dalglish moved infield
finding Lee on the right. His cross was headed out for a corner. Dalglish was becoming more and more
influential and as Liverpool patiently waited for an opening, Souness played
Dalglish in on the right edge of the area, just as he had done for many years,
and his low cross had Rush trying to grab his second at the near post. The ball bounced off the post and across the
goal where Robinson was unmarked at the back post to turn the ball in.
Graeme Sharp tried to
chip Grobbelaar from outside the area but the ball landed on the bar. Then as they were closing the game out,
Dalglish found Rush on the right, who then turned it back for Lawrenson to
cross. His cross was met by Nicol for
the third goal. The whole performance
was very comfortable as Liverpool played the ball about at will.
Liverpool were back on
top of the table and they ended up winning in Joe Fagan’s first season in
charge. They also won the League Cup and
their fourth European Cup. Everton recovered
from their poor start. They were 16th
on Boxing Day and went onto finish 7th.
25th April
1987
LIVERPOOL (2) 3 (McMahon
9, Rush 45, 85)
EVERTON (1) 1 (Sheedy 15)
LIVERPOOL: Hooper; Venison, Gillespie, Hansen, Ablett; Johnston,
Molby, Spackman, McMahon, Whelan; Rush
EVERTON: Southall; Stevens, Watson, Ratcliffe, Power; Steven, Reid,
Snodin, Sheedy; Heath, Clarke
When Everton arrived for
the derby in 1987 they were top of the league by 6pts with Liverpool in 2nd. Liverpool had played a game more and only had
3 more to go after this one, so a win was vital.
Everton had won their
last 7 and were on fire, conceding just twice during that run and had lost just
once in their last 11. This run had seen
them overhaul Liverpool who were leading in mid-March. They had won just once in their last 5,
losing the other 4. Having won the
double the year before they were struggling to hold onto their League title.
Anfield was packed, with
thousands locked outside, and the game belonged to Ian Rush. He equalled Dixie Dean’s record of 19 goals
in Merseyside derbies, as Liverpool managed to keep the title race alive. This was the period when Liverpool and
Everton dominated English football, sharing nearly all the trophies between
them.
Nine minutes in and
Ablett drove down the right, exchanging passes with Rush before the Welshman
flicked the ball to McMahon who unleashed an unstoppable shot which left
Southall helpless. The move had been
stunning in its simplicity but had also involved most of the Liverpool
team. But 6 minutes later Everton were
level. They had a free-kick just outside
the area which Kevin Sheedy curled beautifully over the wall and past
Hooper. Two goals in the opening 15
minutes and from players playing against their old clubs.
The rest of the half
belonged to Everton who played, as Howard Kendall remarked “one of our best
performances at Anfield”. But they were
unable to take the lead and right on half-time Johnston’s left wing corner was
headed home by Rush, as Southall hardly moved.
2-1 at the break but Everton still pressed in the second half with Heath
and Clarke forcing Hooper into good saves.
73 minutes in and Spackman threaded the ball through to Rush who was
one-on-one with Southall. The Everton
keeper came out on top on that occasion, but 11 minutes later Rush had the last
laugh. A cross by Ablett had Rush
bearing down on the Everton goal again and this time he managed to force the
ball over the keeper for a 3-1 win.
It prolonged the
destination of the title for just a short while. Liverpool then lost at Coventry and when
Everton won at Norwich on 4th May they were crowned Champions for
the second time in three years, eventually winning the title by 9pts from
Liverpool in 2nd.
31st August 1991
LIVERPOOL (2) 3 (Burrows
1, Saunders 15, Houghton
62)
EVERTON (0) 1 (Newell 76)
LIVERPOOL: Grobbelaar; Nicol, Tanner, Ablett, Burrows; Houghton,
McMahon, Whelan (Marsh); McManaman, Saunders, Walters (Rosenthal)
EVERTON: Southall; Harper, Watson, Keown (Ratcliffe), Ebbrell;
Ward, McDonald, Sheedy; Beardsley, Cottee (Warzycha), Newell
This would be the last
Merseyside derby at Anfield in the old First Division. The two club met with completely opposite
records in the early part of the season.
Liverpool were 3-1-1 and Everton 1-1-3.
Liverpool had won all 3 home matches and Everton had lost all 3 of their
away trips.
Returning to Anfield for
the first time was Peter Beardsley, once a title winner in red, he’d moved
across Stanley Park for the blue of Everton.
He got a great reception from The Kop before the match, which was an
illustration of, not only how they still held him in their hearts, but how they
were still disappointed Graeme Souness had let him go. Souness had taken over from Kenny Dalglish
last season and the team had a distinctly different feel about it, with several
youngsters beginning to make their mark.
One youngster, Steve
McManaman, was involved in the opening goal barely 60 seconds after kick-off. His play down the right saw Nicol cross the
ball into the Everton box where Saunders was beaten to the ball. Everton hadn’t fully cleared it when it fell
to David Burrows, who’d joined the attack from left-back. Twenty yards out, he took one touch and then
fired a rasping shot which gave Southall no chance. Liverpool were in front.
It was Burrows first goal
for Liverpool and had come after just 48 seconds from the kick-off. 15 minutes later he was involved in the move
which doubled the home side’s lead.
McManaman drifted out to the left to receive the pass from Burrows, and
he found Walters hugging the left touchline.
Walters crossed to the far post where Dean Saunders, who’d replaced
Beardsley at Anfield, took the ball down on his chest and then fired a low shot
which beat Southall on his near post and Liverpool were 2 goals to the good.
Everton had more of the
play during the first 45 minutes, but were unable to create many meaningful
chances and Liverpool were comfortable for their lead at the break. Midway through the second half Liverpool
produced the sort of move they’d done every week under the previous
regime. McMahon and Houghton were
involved in midfield and then Burrows was the outlet on the left. As red shirts moved about to create space,
Ray Houghton made one of his legendary late runs into space and Burrows had the
simple task of laying the ball into his path and Houghton beat Southall at his
near post. It looked as if the home side
would run riot, but they knew the points were safe and the opponent beaten.
With still 15 minutes to
be played it was quite appropriate for Beardsley to make his mark on the
game. His lob over the defence for Mike
Newell gave the Everton striker a clear run on goal and his low shot beat Grobbelaar. It was no more than a consolation and
Liverpool were worthy winners.
Liverpool ended 6th
in the League won by Leeds United. They
won the FA Cup to give Souness his only trophy in English football. Everton finished 12th.
25th March 2006
LIVERPOOL (1) 3 (Neville og 45,
Garcia 47, Kewell 84)
EVERTON (0) 1 (Cahill
61)
LIVERPOOL: Reina; Finnan, Hyypia, Carragher, Riise; Garcia,
Gerrard, Sissoko, Alonso; Crouch (Morientes), Kewell (Warnock)
EVERTON: Wright; Naysmith, Stubbs, Weir, Hibbert; Neville, Osman,
Cahill, Kilbane (van der Meyde); McFadden (Ferguson), Beattie
This particular derby was
a intense encounter, but then many of them are.
Liverpool were 3rd in the table coming into the game with
Everton down in 12th. Since
they lost 1-3 to Liverpool just after Christmas, Everton had been beaten just
once in their last 11 games. Liverpool
had lost just once in their last 7 matches, with only Arsenal managing to score
more than once against them.
The two derbies that
season yielded 17 yellow cards and 4 red cards, with 2 in each match. On this occasion it was Steven Gerrard and
Andy van der Meyde who were given their marching orders. Gerrard had been booked for kicking the ball
away after a foul, but then scythed down Kevin Kilbane and left the referee
with little option than to issue a second yellow. Everton manager David Moyes admitted they
didn’t play well against 10 men.
Liverpool kept using Crouch’s height as a target and Everton appeared
increasingly inept at dealing with it.
Just on half-time, the
deadlock was broken. Xabi Alonso’s
corner was headed into his own net by Phil Neville. Early in the second half Liverpool doubled
their lead. Crouch got up above Stubbs
to head the ball on for Luis Garcia to lob Richard Wright. Tim Cahill grabbed a goal back for the
visitors as he scored from Osman’s corner.
But then another Osman corner saw the second dismissal of the day when
van der Meyde was sent-off for barging Alonso.
With six minutes
remaining Harry Kewell finished things off as he accepted Steve Finnan’s pass
and calmly beat Wright. Liverpool ended
the season in 3rd place with Everton staying in 12th.
13th March
2012
LIVERPOOL (1) 3 (Gerrard
34, 51, 90)
EVERTON (0) 0
LIVERPOOL: Reina; Kelly, Skrtel, Carragher, Enrique; Henderson
(Kuyt), Gerrard, Spearing, Downing; Carroll, Suarez
EVERTON: Howard; Hibbert, Jagielka, Distin, Baines; Coleman
(Drenthe), Rodwell, Fellaini, Pienaar; Stracqualursi (Osman), Anichebe
(Jelavic)
When the two met at
Anfield in March 2012 they were both preparing for FA Cup Quarter-Final matches
the following weekend. In the league
both were underachieving with Liverpool 7th and Everton two places
below them. It was 4 matches since
Liverpool had won in the League, and you had to go back to the end of December
to find a league win at Anfield for them, although this was only their 4th
home match in the league since then.
During that time they had lifted the League Cup against Cardiff. Everton, on the other hand, were in much
better shape. Unbeaten in their last 7,
although they’d gone 4 games since their last victory away from home.
The night belonged to
Steven Gerrard. He became the second
highest goalscorer for Liverpool in Merseyside derbies, behind Ian Rush. He was certainly ‘captain fantastic’ on this
night as he put in a performance to haul his teammates towards 3pts. This was also the occasion of David Moyes 10th
anniversary as Everton boss, but in all that time he still hadn’t beaten the
neighbours.
Gerrard could’ve put
Liverpool in front in the opening 10 minutes only for Howard to deny him. But he wasn’t to be kept out for long and
when Martin Kelly’s shot was blocked by Howard, the ball ran free and there was
Gerrard to float the ball left-footed over the keeper and high into the
net. Liverpool had pressed and pressed
and were good value for their lead at the break.
Suarez, busy as ever,
gave Distin a torrid time down the right and cut back, but before he could get
a shot in there was Gerrard to drive the ball home for a 2-goal lead early in
the second half. Liverpool were now
rampant and keen to grind their opponents into the dirt. Carroll and Kelly both went close but in
injury time it was the skipper who crowned the night off.
Substitute Drenthe
slipped on the halfway line and Gerrard immediately pounced on the error. He surged forward, with the visiting defence
desperately retreating, and played the ball to his left for Suarez. Suarez then cut back inside and laid the ball
on for Gerrard to fire into the roof of the net and on his 400th
Premier League appearance for his club, Gerrard had capped off a great night
with a fine hat-trick.
Liverpool went onto beat
Everton again in the FA Cup Semi-Final, before losing to Chelsea in the Final. Everton finished higher in the league,
though, as they ended 7th with Liverpool a place below them.
HEAD TO HEAD at Anfield
Matches: 94
Liverpool win: 40
Everton win: 23
Draws: 31
Liverpool goals: 142
Everton goals: 103
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