Everton vs Liverpool: Winners and losers as Reds drop two points

Liverpool had the chance to move nine points clear at the top of the Premier League table with a victory over Everton in the final Merseyside Derby at Goodison Park.

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This was the Reds' catch-up fixture as the previously scheduled clash back in December was postponed due to Storm Darragh.

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But Arne Slot's side got off to the worst possible start when Beto opened the scoring off a free-kick, following a dodgy call from matchday official Michael Oliver.

Mohamed Salah provided the spark for Alexis Mac Allister to equalise shortly after with the Argentine suspended for the original fixture.

Not only that but the 32-year-old fired the Reds ahead with 17 minutes remaining. But we couldn't hold out, conceding a James Tarkowski goal deep into injury time.

Here we run through Liverpool's winners and losers from the game.

Winners

Mohamed Salah

Where to begin?

Firstly, the formalities. Salah has broken yet ANOTHER Premier League record. No player before Mo has contributed as many goals and assists away from home in a single campaign (23) following 14 goals and 9 assists. It's still February.

There is every chance that the Egyptian King puts that record even further away for all the pretenders to his throne.

His cross for Alexis was a feat of ingenuity, digging out a beautiful ball down the right-hand side that facilitated the World Cup winner to nod home.

And what about the go-ahead goal? Smashing it home off his right foot in the last-ever derby at the Old Lady. What a shame we didn't hold out.

Please don't go Mo. We are not the same without you.

Curtis Jones

He started on the bench but did more to impact the game in the few minutes after his arrival than Dominik Szoboszlai did all night. Jones picked up a Gerrard-esque booking straight away to get his team-mates fired up and then played a crucial role in Salah's goal.

He is Liverpool's BEST midfielder at driving forward and using the ball at his feet. He has a skill, a calmness and a composure that none of the others exude on a consistent basis.

His penetration was key in getting Salah into a position to score, even if his cross-cum-shot was fortuitous in the end. Too long a fringe-player, it's time for Slot to follow through and make him a permanent fixture.

That is when he returns from suspension after a bad-tempered clash at the final whistle.

Alexis Mac Allister

Another from the Reds' midfield contingent who took the fight to Everton from the get-go. He wasn't afraid to throw himself about and played it from the outset like a proper derby.

Ironically he was suspended for the original fixture due to accruing bookings but missed the game against Fulham instead due to a postponement.

Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz would do very well to follow the template Alexis set for the header. There can't have been many smaller men on the pitch but he rose like a salmon, twisting in the air to give Liverpool parity.

It was a heroic goal in the circumstances and one which again underlined his quality.

Losers

Alisson Becker

Liverpool have made an unhappy habit of conceding a few too many goals this season following a water-tight start under Arne Slot. And in recent games they simply haven't had the traditional cover provided to them by Alisson.

Again, against Everton, he probably should have done better for Beto's opener, meaning Liverpool had to claw their way back into yet another game rather than front-running.

Liverpool need more security and a better chance of a clean sheet than they are currently getting from their No1.

Luis Diaz

Liverpool are now crying out for a top-quality centre-forward. Quite frankly it's incredible they have got so far this season with such a limited threat from their options at No9.

Diaz has been shoehorned in there because Diogo Jota can't stay fit and Darwin Nunez remains woefully inconsistent. He is not, nor will he ever be, a top-class striker.

Against Everton he went long spells without seeing the ball and when he got it, he either gave it away or played poor link-up passes. He also missed the only half-decent opportunity that came his way.

His night was summed up during the second half when he dribbled past three Everton players, trod on the ball and gave away a foul.

Dominik Szoboszlai

The Liverpool No8 is undoubtedly Slot's preference for one of the furthest-forward midfield positions. He has seen off Jones for the playmaking role and his work-rate always marks him out as a willing team-mate.

But in this game - and not for the first time - he lacked the requisite quality on the ball.

His half-time stats were a fright; 50 percent pass completion, 0/1 dribbles and 0/4 ground duels won. Slot laid down the challenge earlier in the season for the Hungary captain to get his shooting and assist stats up.

We'd settle for a few accurate passes on a night like this.

What a blow. This was one of the more awkward fixtures on the list that Slot would have to tick off in order to maximise his side's chances of the title.

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David Moyes had built back his side impressively following the dog days at the end of the Sean Dyche regime and they hung in there until the end.

This is a missed opportunity. Arsenal will be slightly more emboldened following this one.

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