LFC Toronto Match Review: Liverpool 2 – Everton 0

And Anfield breathed a collective sigh of relief.

The Liverpool of Jurgen Klopp is not dead and buried after all, despite the weird past several weeks the team has
gone through.

And what better occasion than the Merseyside derby to put a brake on all those doom and gloom that have been floating around.

In the space of 90 minutes against Everton, we were warped back to normal times in terms of:

• The scoreline.
• A spirited Liverpool performance.
• Two devastating counter-attacking goals.
• Three familiar faces back from injury starting on the bench.
• Klopp giving big hugs to the players.
• Klopp fist-pumping towards the Kop in celebration.

It was really good to get back those feelings, wasn’t it? Hopefully, we won’t be thrown in that dreadful twilight
zone again.

Devastating counter-attacking

However, this Monday night derby started with neither side clearly dominating the proceedings.
Actually, Liverpool tried to create chances that were more of half-chances than clear-cut ones and also
carelessly lost possession quite a number of times which could have drawn the ire of the gaffer.

But in the 36th minute, the Reds launched a lightening counter-attacking move after Everton had hit Alisson
Becker’s post. Darwin Nunez sprinted down the left towards the Kop end and crossed to Mo Salah who despite
the height of the ball managed to bundle it in.

Everton keeper Jordan Pickford had put himself in no man’s land as the final pass was made, thus paving the
way for our Egyptian King. He was perhaps dazzled by the speed of the action, less than 12 seconds from
Liverpool regained possession to Salah putting the ball at the back of the net at the other end.

Similarly, for our second goal, Everton got dispossessed deep in Liverpool’s half and Andy Robertson initiated
another quick counter-attack which ended with Trent Alexander-Arnold squaring the ball from the right for
Cody Gakpo to tap in. We had played less than 5 minutes in the second half.

First goal for the Dutch and he will surely remember this one as it was in the derby after all.

Everton defender Connor Coady strangely did not try to intercept Trent’s cross when he had every opportunity to
do so. An inaction that will probably be played and replayed in his nightmares.

For once, the tables were turned and Liverpool benefitted instead of being at the receiving end of Murphy’s law.
For the rest of the second half, the Reds were pretty much in control and the final issue of the game was barely
of any doubt.

Hendo and Nunez could have scored if they had more composure while pulling the trigger instead of shooting
above the cross bar and straight at the keeper.

Future star

Picking a Man of the Match for the derby is obviously a tough ask as everyone was up for it. But then how about
the young Stefan Bajcetic?

His reputation is relentlessly growing by each passing game. For his derby baptism of fire, he again put another
eye-catching shift full of maturity and composure for a defensive midfielder.

If he is not already, he will soon become a vital cog in Klopp’s Red machine as the German builds a new
generation of Mentality Monsters.

Convention dictates that form is thrown out the window during a derby match. By what we’ve seen on this
Monday night, the gaffer and the Kop have to maintain those vibes for each upcoming match until the true
Liverpool is firmly back in business.And on this Valentine’s eve, love was clearly back in the Anfield air between the players, supporters and
manager.

Mike Chung.
YNWA