A look at how the derby panned out.
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00:00Well, looking at Liverpool and Everton in terms of the Merseyside derby, obviously a very tight game again, contested this time by a winner, Liverpool came out on top.
00:11Let's start by looking at Liverpool in the derby, a few changes, a few positional changes as well, which we'll get into.
00:18But how do they sort of view this game? There was a little bit of pressure after Arsenal's win over Fulham, obviously.
00:25Pakaio Saka returning for them as well, but overall they moved 12 points clear again.
00:32It was a tough game, by no means an easy game at home against a sort of rejuvenated Everton side under David Moyes.
00:40Yeah, I don't think anyone thought it was going to be easy.
00:42Look, I think every derby and all that cliché has fallen out of the window.
00:48It was a funny one because after the international break, both teams hadn't played for two and a half weeks.
00:53It didn't feel like a derby in the build-up, if that makes sense.
00:57Normally it's palpable around the city, I didn't get that impression, it sort of just crept up on people.
01:03But the night, yeah, as I say, it was a big game for both sides.
01:07And Liverpool weren't at their best, I don't think, Everton made it really difficult for them.
01:13Liverpool defensively got away with a few things in the first half.
01:16Obviously, Beto having an offside goal and then striking the post, he caused Liverpool problems.
01:22But they kept at it, Liverpool, they played more football than they had done against Newcastle.
01:27And in the last derby as well, they showed a little bit more on the ball, moving it sideways, trying to frustrate Everton.
01:36And that eventually happened, obviously the goal was a little bit of controversy around it.
01:40Diogo de Jota's finish, whether Luis Diaz was offside in the build-up.
01:45But look, I think if you've asked every Liverpool fan who went to Anfield and watched at home last night,
01:50it's your win 1-0, these are taking a scrappy 1-0 win.
01:53Without a doubt, as you say, 12 points, the gap's been restored with Arsenal now with eight games to go.
02:00Not a vintage derby, I don't think it'll be one that a lot of people will remember.
02:06But, you know, people look at that Virgil van Dijk moment where he swiped with thin air.
02:11And if Beto would have scored, then the pressure would have really been on.
02:14But you forget about those sorts of things now, really.
02:16And it's on to the next game for Liverpool.
02:19Yeah, just quickly on Luis Diaz, player of the match, most chances created, most dribbles completed.
02:25He had a great night at Anfield.
02:26And, you know, we mentioned a few times the over-reliance on Mohamed Salah at times.
02:31And Diaz is one of those players who you don't really quite know how his future's going to pan out.
02:36Quite a solid statement from him last night.
02:40Yeah, you know what, I like Luis Diaz when he plays like a traditional winger,
02:45when he gets the ball, gets his defender one-on-one.
02:48And Jake O'Brien's at the centre half, playing right back.
02:51He's defensively really good, he's enjoying a really good moment.
02:55And it was a good battle from the outer.
02:57I'd say Mohamed Salah didn't do too much.
03:00I can't remember him having too much involvement, bar that header in the first half.
03:04He was really quiet.
03:05And that's the sort of performances you remember from Diaz when he first joined the club.
03:09He liked to isolate his defender, he liked to go one-on-one.
03:13He hasn't been getting to the byline enough for me this season when he's played on the left.
03:17And you want to see that a little bit more, and you did.
03:19Keeping defenders guessing when you go off the byline a couple of times.
03:23Maybe the cross might be as good on your left foot as it might be,
03:26but you put that element of doubt in the defender's mind
03:29and you can cut inside, which he prefers to do.
03:32So, yeah, as you say, it was a good performance from Luis Diaz.
03:36And I think Cody Gaspo has generally been favoured,
03:40since maybe October, November time on the left.
03:44He's done a little bit more than Diaz in terms of goalscoring,
03:48but it's definitely Luis Diaz's birth to lose now.
03:52Yeah, and in terms of Everton, obviously going to Anfield and coming away 1-0 losers,
03:56but David Moyes was certain that it was a solid performance
04:00and they maybe got unlucky on the night, the offside controversy.
04:03Then again, you probably could argue they got lucky at having 11 men still on the pitch
04:08after Tarkovsky's challenge on McAllister.
04:11What did you make of it from an Everton standpoint?
04:14I thought the first half was goals.
04:16I thought they got the game plan really well executed.
04:20Beto was a handful.
04:22I like Beto in those sorts of games.
04:24There's the games where he's off the leash and just say,
04:27right, just go and cause a bit of havoc.
04:29Just go and run at defenders because he can cause issues
04:34and say if that goal goes in, then Everton have got a lead to defend.
04:40The goal, I can see why David Moyes was really irked by it
04:44because I thought it should be offside.
04:47Obviously, the rules did take days.
04:50James Tarkovsky, if Lewis Diaz isn't behind him,
04:54he either leaves him and goes to Jordan Pickfords
04:56or he takes a touch and clears rather than trying to clear on the slice.
05:00As you say, the red card, I think David Moyes looked back and forth
05:04if it was a red card.
05:05I don't think there would have been too many complaints.
05:07The second half was a little bit disappointing from Everton.
05:10It didn't carry much of a threat.
05:12I can't really remember them having any chances of goal, really.
05:17One counter-attacker, Jack Harrison, wasted.
05:22Other than that, I can't remember too much.
05:24But it could have been what if.
05:29But Everton, against nine matches unbeaten,
05:33have been beaten 1-0 by a team in Liverpool
05:36who've lost once in the league all season
05:38and are going to win the title.
05:41There's definitely a lot of positives to take.