Jurgen Klopp, unlike Sir Alex Ferguson, has never suffered from the curse of noisy neighbors – until now.
Throughout his eight-and-a-half-year tenure, Klopp had never lost at Goodison Park or in a Merseyside derby in front of a crowd.
Liverpool’s title challenge has encountered a roadblock at Goodison Park.
Everton punished their fiercest rivals with a 2-0 victory.
But on his final appearance in this game, as Goodison trembled and hummed and Sean Dyche’s squad subjected Liverpool to a furious aerial bombardment, Klopp was humbled.
What had seemed like a farewell quadruple for the German now appears to be limited to the Carabao Cup.
Liverpool cannot win the title currently, with Arsenal three points ahead and Manchester City only a point back with two games in hand.
Former Everton player Mikel Arteta would have loved it. Pep Guardiola, too.
This was Liverpool’s fourth defeat in a nine-match losing streak that saw the club lose three trophies in a historic collapse.
There were no excuses. Liverpool were at full strength, but they couldn’t handle Everton’s straightforward approach, which featured a furious bully in Dominic Calvert-Lewin up front.
The Everton centre-forward narrowly avoided flushing Ibrahima Konate’s head down the toilet and taking Virgi Van Dijk’s pocket money.
Calvert-Lewin scored the second goal with a sky-high header after being denied a penalty before Jarrad Branthwaite’s first-half opener.
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Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite started the scoring
Jarrad Branthwaite set Goodison Park on fire! pic.twitter.com/d7KvmOcbgr.
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL). April 24, 2024.
Despite the points deductions, Everton are very certainly safe now. Dyche’s third home goal in a row was well-deserved.
Liverpool squandered numerous opportunities, as has been the case all season.
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And particularly since Klopp revealed his decision to leave in January.
The Reds were considered unbeatable until that point, but they have been defeated five times since.
Surprisingly, they were a more successful team when they were injured and overcrowded with children.
Klopp’s only previous derby defeat occurred at a deserted Anfield during the epidemic season of 2020-21.
Dyche is the sixth Everton manager Klopp has faced in this match, and only the second to defeat the German, following Carlo Ancelotti.
And how the blue half of Scouseville enjoyed it. They were thoroughly weary of the syrupy ‘This Means More’ emotion surrounding Klopp’s impending exit.
Evertonians have repeatedly reminded their rivals that Klopp has won less English titles than Howard Kendall or Harry Catterick, and this will undoubtedly continue.
The Liverpool manager made five changes after a mix-and-match squad kept them in the title race with an outstanding win against Fulham on Sunday.
However, Liverpool faced two big scares within the first six minutes.
First, Abdoulaye Doucoure poked terribly wide following a fluid Everton move, and then, after all the shenanigans of Sunday’s triumph over Nottingham Forest, another penalty was never awarded.
“EVERTON’S NUMBER NINE!”
Nice header, Dominic Calvert-Lewin! ️ pic.twitter.com/vSqoRAP13E.
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL), April 24, 2024.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored the second goal after James Tarkowski won a tackle on the halfway line. Jack Harrison then sent an outside-of-the-boot pass to Calvert-Lewin, who was pulled down by Alisson.
Ref Andy Madley pointed to the spot, but VAR determined Calvert-Lewin was offside.
Ben Godfrey did an excellent job clearing a Salah ball across goal.
However, Dyche’s team was in command, going long, pressing high, and in full dogs-of-war gear.
Godfrey fired a free header over following a Dwight McNeil free-kick, while Calvert-Lewin had another headed chance saved by Alisson at point blank range.
After 27 minutes, Everton took a well-deserved lead.
Dyche’s side won a series of headers in a goalmouth melee, and Alexis MacAllister fumbled an attempted clearing, allowing Branthwaite to tuck his shot under Alisson, off the post, and inches across the line.
Obviously, there was a considerable VAR delay. However, even Nottingham Forest would admit that Notts County fan David Coote had no reason to rule it out at Stockley Park.
Everton last beat Liverpool at home in the Premier League.
October 17, 2010.
Mikel Arteta, the current Arsenal manager, scored the second goal in Everton’s 2-0 triumph.
CeeLo Green topped the charts with Forget You.
Jackass 3D had recently been launched in theaters.
David Cameron was Prime Minister.
West Bromwich Albion, Bolton, Blackpool, Stoke, Sunderland, Blackburn, Wigan Athletic, and Birmingham all competed in the Premier League.
Wrexham competed in the English Conference Premier, today known as the National League.
The iPhone 4 was the most recent iPhone model.
It was Liverpool’s 16th time conceding first in the Premier League this season, but they usually recovered to win.
Mac Allister quickly opened up Everton with a clever pass, which Salah touched on, but Darwin Nunez squandered a great opportunity by hitting straight at Jordan Pickford.
Nunez was soon creating opportunities, heading for Luis Diaz, who again shot too close to Pickford, and then laying off for Salah, who misfired one shot and skied his second.
Liverpool gradually gained control, and in first-half injury time, Pickford saved Andy Robertson’s angled drive.
Liverpool dominated control early in the second half, but McNeil’s spectacular long-range shot was saved by Alisson.
Calvert-Lewin nutmegged home at the back post after the resulting McNeil, leaping like Zebedee on ecstasy between Van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Diaz crashed a shot into the inside of the post, but it was the closest he came.
The neighbours had turned up the volume, and Liverpool had crumbled in the din.
Jurgen Klopp will need something extraordinary to complete his final season with Liverpool with his hands on the Premier League trophy.
Everton have all but ensured safety with the win.
