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 derbyThis 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...
Enforced goalkeeping change is bad luck on Ronald Koeman’s side but they could not say the result was false on the balance of scoring chances createdEveryone in the Everton camp agreed that to have a chance in this derby it would be necessary to start against Liverpool the way they finished against Arsenal. That was not literally, of course. There would be no need to go down to 10 men and endure heart-in-the-mouth moments through having to block shots on the line but Everton needed to get out of the starting blocks early and display the controlled aggression that brought them the points last Tuesday.“Toe to toe and face to face,” was how Ronald Koeman put it, which was perhaps...
Claude Puel’s rotation proves a winner, opportunity finally knocks for Michy Batshuayi, and Mesut Özil’s invisibility at City should worry Arsène Wenger Related: The Dozen: the weekend's best Premier League photos Related: Premier League 2015-16 fans’ verdicts part one: Arsenal to Manchester United Related: Premier League fans’ half-time verdict part 2: Manchester United to West Ham Continue reading...
The blue side of Liverpool has not been able to celebrate victory in the derby since 2010 but Everton’s midweek win against Arsenal has shown them the way for Monday nightAshley Williams’s 86th-minute winner against Arsenal on Tuesday was his first goal for Everton and the surge of blue pride it provoked could not have been better timed. It would be overstating the case to suggest Ronald Koeman and his players can now go into Monday’s Merseyside derby brim full of confidence, especially with Phil Jagielka suspended as a result of the last-minute mayhem in the Arsenal match, but at least the cloud of gloom that was beginning to surround Goodison has been lifted.Before the Arsenal victory Koeman had been...
The balance shifts from Arsenal to Manchester City, Chelsea could take a defining step away from the pack and Jack Wilshere’s chance to crack onGiven Chelsea’s rampaging form at the top of the table, the first Premier League meeting between Pep Guardiola and Arsène Wenger feels hugely significant, particularly for Manchester City who could find themselves 10 points off the title pace should they suffer defeat at the Etihad. A week ago Arsenal might have started this contest as favourites, but their 14-game unbeaten streak in the league came to an end in the midweek defeat at Goodison Park, while City rectified their recent slump with a confident 2-0 win over Watford. City’s performance was enhanced by Raheem Sterling’s return...