Everton suffered defeat against their bitter rivals Liverpool on Saturday afternoon, as the Blues lost 2-0 to Jurgen Klopp’s Reds at Anfield in the Premier League.
Sean Dyche’s side were hoping to register their first win at Anfield in two years in what was their ninth fixture of the 2023/24 league campaign, however it wasn’t meant to be for the visitors, who made the short trip home empty handed.
How did Everton play against Liverpool?
It was a day starved of luck for Everton, who played the majority of the game with ten men due to Ashley Young’s dismissal in the 37th minute.
The highly experienced Englishman was booked in the 18th minute of play, and received his second yellow just 19 minutes later, as he was dealt a premature exit from the pitch, leaving his side to fend for themselves with a man light outfield.
Despite being short on personnel, the Blues put up an encouraging fight, defending each wave of Liverpool’s attack as they saw just 23% of possession in the 99 minutes played at Anfield.
It was a Michael Keane handball in the box that led to the deadlock being broken in the 75th minute, as Mohamed Salah converted from the spot, to then secure his second of the game in stoppage time to hand Liverpool the win.
While Dyche will be disappointed with the result, there isn’t a lot of criticism he could give his side, who showed expert resilience to mute the majority of the Reds’ pressure, with a host of players starring.
One player who did shine was Abdoulaye Doucoure, which isn’t so much of a shock for Everton considering the midfielder’s influence on the squad, as the Mali international recorded four interceptions and two tackles to limit the threat.
Ally McCoist, who was commentating on the fixture for TNT Sport, even tipped the 30-year-old to be in contention for Man of the Match, however it was another Everton star that deserves the praise for his performance.
How did Jarrad Branthwaite play against Liverpool?
With ten men for the majority of the fierce match-up away from home, up stepped centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite to be the Toffees’ commanding figure at the heart of defence.
The 21-year-old was dubbed as “outstanding” for his mature performance at Anfield by journalist Matt Jones, acting as a rigid element to Dyche’s plans to keep Liverpool’s threat at bay.
Standing at 6 foot 5, the defender lost the ball 11 times, but was solid in his efforts to keep the Reds away, recording eight clearances, three interceptions, two tackles and one blocked shot during his busy display, via Sofascore.
Not many would have been able to identify the Englishman as a Merseyside derby debutant, reinforced by him being lauded as “superb” by renowned journalist Henry Winter, who commended his resilience “under pressure” within the back line.
While the young defender was brilliant in defeat today, his quality will be tested once more next week as the challenges keep coming for Everton, with West Ham United up next in the Premier League.
