Liverpool vs. Everton: Winners and Losers from Merseyside Derby
The thrilling 223rd Merseyside derby on Saturday ended 1-1 at Anfield, with Steven Gerrard netting a free kick for Liverpool and Phil Jagielka scoring a spectacular equalizer for Everton in stoppage time.
Liverpool were on top for the majority of the match and dominated proceedings in terms of shots taken, but they were unable to find a way through Everton's defence due to profligate finishing and a frustrating final ball.
How fitting it was that both sides goals were scored by their respective captains, but the irony was that Jagielka pulled off the kind of strike that has made Gerrard famous over the years and that his rival skipper would've been proud of.
Here are the winners and losers from what ultimately proved to be a stalemate at Anfield, starting with the losers.
Loser: Gareth Barry
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Gareth Barry could've won it for Everton deep into stoppage time with a cute backheel, and that would've been too much to bear for Liverpool fans, who would be forgiven for feeling exasperated that he'd lasted the whole 90 minutes.
Booked less than a minute into the game for a foul on Mario Balotelli, Barry then proceeded to handle the ball inside the box to block a long-range shot, which was ignored by referee Martin Atkinson.
He then spent the rest of the match committing needless fouls and struggling to keep up with a buzzing Adam Lallana, in what was surely one of his worst performances in an Everton shirt.
Loser: Romelu Lukaku
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Much has been said about Romelu Lukaku's price tag and its correlation—or lack thereof—with his goalscoring form for Everton, but Saturday's was a game that suggested that perhaps Jose Mourinho was right to let him go.
Playing on the right wing to support Steven Naismith as the central striker, a tactic that has worked in the past against strong attacking teams, Lukaku felt the full effect of not having the excellent Seamus Coleman in support on the right flank.
Lukaku was isolated for most of the game, and while he did cut back on his left foot and test Simon Mignolet from distance on a few occasions, he will not be remembering his performance with much fondness.
Loser: Lazar Markovic
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Given that Liverpool had given a whopping six players making their Merseyside derby debuts, there was always a likelihood that at least one of them would find the occasion a tad too daunting this early on in his Liverpool career.
Unfortunately for Lazar Markovic, he was that one, with his first touch, passing and strength on the ball all failing to live up to his reputation and hype. A failed attempt at a clearance almost led to Leighton Baines creating a goal.
It's not been the best of starts to life in the Premier League for Markovic, who has found the physical aspect of the league tough to live with. Losing out on a one-on-one chance after being put through by Raheem Sterling summed up his time at Anfield so far.
Winner: Adam Lallana
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In contrast to Markovic, another derby debutant, Adam Lallana, won a few much deserved plaudits for his high-energy and complete performance today, lasting the whole 90 minutes after playing through a 120-minute Capital One Cup tie midweek.
Dismissed by many as overpriced and lacking the stamina to see out entire games every week, Lallana showed the technique and spatial awareness that marked him out as a talent to watch at Southampton, and he was unlucky to have had an early header saved by Tim Howard.
Perhaps £25 million will always be too big of a price tag for him, but Lallana's work rate and pressing also caught the eye and won the admiration of the Kop. An overall good performance to kick-start his Liverpool career.
Winner: Jordan Henderson
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His performance level in the second half may have regressed slightly, but compared to Jordan Henderson's first-half display, almost any midfielder would've found it hard to live up to and replicate consistently.
Henderson was at the heart of every Liverpool attack, as he finally seized his opportunity to show his creative vision by laying on immaculate through balls that Steven Gerrard and Philippe Coutinho would've been proud of.
An overall dominance of the midfield area alongside Gerrard, who also enjoyed a fine afternoon after being singled out for criticism in recent weeks, showed much promise. Henderson will only be looking up from here, especially as he takes on the vice captaincy at Anfield.
Winner: Phil Jagielka
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He didn't enjoy a particularly good afternoon in the heart of the Everton defence, especially with Leighton Baines coming up short and finding himself out of position too often on Saturday.
But Phil Jagielka's equalizer from all of 30 yards, with the outside of his boot towards the top-right corner of Mignolet's goal, was a goal worthy of winning any match, let alone the Merseyside derby.
That it was a last-gasp equalizer at Anfield to salvage what was looking like an unlikely point will not have dampened Evertonian spirits. But even Liverpool fans wouldn't begrudge a strike like this winning the match: Reds have seen their fair share from Steven Gerrard over the years.
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