Just as it seemed the winners of the 232nd Merseyside derby were Manchester City Jordan Pickford handed it to Liverpool. Quite literally. The Everton goalkeeper was guilty of the most appalling error as Divock Origi scored from point-blank range. It left Everton stunned, Liverpool delirious and, for the neutral, the Premier League title race still open.
Instead of leading by four points City still remain just two ahead. The goal came in the 94th minute with Virgil Van Dijk miscuing a volley which looped high in the air from a corner. The Liverpool captain appeared disgusted with his effort, turning his back. But the ball looped up with Pickford making a hash of it, touching it onto the crossbar. It bounced on the bar again and dropped to Origi who simply tapped it into the net.
It was harsh on Everton but, in fairness, Liverpool kept going with Origi having earlier struck the bar when he should have scored.
#Liverpool 1:0 #Everton | La Liga | Day 14 | 90+6′ #Origi#LIVEVE
via @VideoGoals_HD pic.twitter.com/aHTCT5PESd— via @VideoGoals_HD (@skkfkskxo) December 2, 2018
Everton had opportunities of their own and this was probably their most impressive performance at this stadium since they last won here in 1999. It was a further sign of the progress made under manager Marco Silva even if it ended in such a freakish defeat.
At half-time it could, it probably should, have been 2-2 and not goalless. Both sides spurned chances they surely had to take. The first fell to Everton, and early on, with Yerry Mina meeting a Gylfi Sigurdsson free-kick but heading wastefully wide from close-range. Quite why the giant Everton defender was being marked by Trent Alexander-Arnold should have led to Liverpool recriminations.
The home side subsequently took control with Georginio Wijnaldum hustling Andre Gomes into losing possession, a rare mistake by the otherwise excellent Everton midfielder, with Salah chipping the ball into space for Mane to run into. Clear on goal the forward went for too much power and fired over the cross-bar.
Mane then had a shot back across goal blocked by Pickford, who otherwise appeared nervous in the Everton goal, shanking two clearances, while at the other end Liverpool’s Alisson produced an excellent block to deny Gomes even if the on-loan Portuguese international should have beaten him.
Gomes started the move, running to the edge of the Liverpool penalty area before finding Bernard who crossed for Theo Walcott to head the ball back across goal. Gomes met it with a flying header which Alisson parried with the rebound striking the Everton player on the turf, rolling towards goal where Joe Gomez slid in to clear off the line.
It was Xherdan Shaqiri who was guilty of the next serious miss as he was superbly teed up by Salah. The striker slid the ball through and Shaqiri appeared to have the time to pick his spot but took an extra touch with Pickford rushing from goal to divert his eventual shot away for a corner.
The Everton goalkeeper had to intervene again after a mistake by Michael Keane, who failed to cut out Firmino’s pass, sent Mane through once more but as Pickford tried to block the forward shot wide. Later Mane was close to turning in a volleyed cross by Andrew Robertson.
But Everton remained in contention. On came substitute Ademola Lookman and he dribbled towards the Liverpool area before finding Bernard whose cross-shot cleared the far post.
Klopp withdrew Salah, who had disappointed, as he searched for the breakthrough and the nervousness grew. It should have been removed when Virgil Van Dijk met a corner and the ball fell to Origi. From point-blank he hooked his shot against the cross-bar and away with the other substitute Daniel Sturridge driving the ball goalwards and claiming, in vain, that it was blocked by an Everton hand and should have been a penalty. Liverpool kept going and were eventually handed the win by Pickford.