Ronald Koeman’s side tried to squeeze the life out of Liverpool, yet moving the Brazilian into the centre gave the visitors the edge in a frenetic derby
This was an old‑fashioned derby with a modern twist: fast, furious, frantic and mainly based around pressing. Ronald Koeman’s Everton tried to match Liverpool’s intensity while playing direct passes into attack, creating a scrappy and disjointed contest.
The opening stages set the tone: Ross Barkley made a crunching tackle on Jordan Henderson and it was clear neither side would be able to settle. Idrissa Gueye and James McCarthy pushed up on to Adam Lallana and Georginio Wijnaldum, the Everton centre-backs kept a high line and Liverpool were squeezed into their own half. Their centre-backs were the only players with much time on the ball but an early mix-up between Ragnar Klavan and Dejan Lovren, going for the same ball, revealed their nervousness.
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Related: Liverpool find the finish to take the edge off Everton’s furious intent | Paul Wilson
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