Liverpool vs. Everton: 6 Classic Merseyside Derbies and What They Meant

Sunday afternoon at Anfield sees the 219th Merseyside derby between arch-rivals Liverpool and Everton, with the Reds currently leading the local bragging rights by 87 wins to the Toffees’ 67 victories.

However, David Moyes’ high-flying outfit travel across Stanley Park still in the hunt, just, for next season’s UEFA Champions League, although they absolutely must record a win over Brendan Rodgers’ side this weekend to stand any chance of keeping those fading dreams alive.

Meanwhile for the home team, a victory is equally vital, if only for pride, as seventh-placed Liverpool look to bridge the current five-point gap between themselves and their neighbours in sixth with now just three fixtures left this campaign.

If not, the Reds will be facing up to the very real prospect of finishing the season behind Everton for a second year in succession, and the last time that happened in the top flight was in 1937.

And so to get you in the mood for what is sure to be yet another feisty affair at Anfield on Sunday, we take a look back at six classic Merseyside derbies, and why exactly they were so significant…

Everton 0-0 Liverpool (May 1989)

Date:  May 3, 1989
Location: Goodison Park
Competition: First division
Score: Everton 0-0 Liverpool

This was the first occasion that Liverpool had played a match since the Hillsborough disaster on April 15, and what an emotional occasion it turned out to be for both clubs and their fans. Goodison Park proved to be the ideal ground, other than Anfield, for the Reds to attempt to get their season back up and running again.

The visitors were, of course, still in a two-way fight with leaders Arsenal to retain their title, trailing George Graham’s side by six points going into the televised midweek contest, but with two games in hand on the North Londoners due to their complete inactivity during the previous three weeks.

And while the game itself was full of the usual vim and vigour on the field that one came to expect when these two rivals met, it was more a process of Liverpool trying to get back on the horse, as it were, and start the healing process after the tragic events of the previous month that made this particular meeting one to remember for both teams.

Liverpool 3-2 Everton (May 1989)

Date:  May 20, 1989
Location: Wembley Stadium
Competition: FA Cup final
Score: Liverpool 3-2 Everton (aet)

For the second time in the space of just three years, these two Merseyside giants met in the final of the FA Cup at Wembley, and yet again it was the red side that left the capital smiling.

However on this occasion, unlike in 1986, there would be no Double to celebrate for Kenny Dalglish’s Liverpool, just joy and relief at ending the hardest season in the club’s history with some silverware to try and ease the pain of their suffering supporters.

And it was fitting, too, that it was the Cup that the Reds won that campaign after the awful events at Hillsborough in the semi-final against Nottingham Forest the previous month, with the game itself an absolute classic right from the very off.

Liverpool took a fourth-minute lead through striker John Aldridge, who fired home from exactly the same spot from where he had missed with a penalty against Wimbledon exactly 12 months earlier.

That appeared to be that as the game moved into its final minute, but from nowhere, Howard Kendall’s men produced an equaliser through Scottish midfield player Stuart McCall, who poked home from close range and the match went into extra time.

Back came the favourites, though, with substitute Ian Rush netting on the half volley past a helpless Neville Southall, only for the Toffees to respond yet again thanks to McCall’s second goal of the game, although this one was perhaps the pick of the match as he volleyed home first-time from the edge of the area.

However, the final word was left to that man Rush, the scourge of Everton, who headed home Liverpool’s winner two minutes later, the Welshman’s fourth goal against Everton in the space of just two cup finals.

Everton 4-4 Liverpool (February 1991)

Date:  February 20, 1991
Location: Goodison Park
Competition: FA Cup, fifth round replay
Score: Everton 4-4 Liverpool (aet)

After the two bitter rivals had played out a fairly uneventful goalless draw in the first meeting, they then headed across Stanley Park for the replay three days later to share a quite remarkable eight-goal thriller that proved to be Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish’s final match in charge of the Reds, until his return to Anfield 20 years later.

The game itself was a crazy ding-dong affair, with the visitors taking the lead through forward Peter Beardsley’s half volley, before veteran striker Graeme Sharp headed the Toffees level.

However, back came the Reds with Beardsley netting a sensational drive from just outside the area with his left foot, remarkably, only for that man Sharp to be on hand again to level matters up.

Of course, no Merseyside derby was complete at that time without the customary Rush strike, although on this occasion it arrived via his head for once, but with the clock winding down to the 90th-minute, substitute Tony Cottee took advantage of some uncertainty in the Liverpool back four to side-foot home a last-minute equaliser to take the tie into extra time.

No matter to the Reds, who retook the lead for a fourth time on the night with the goal of the game from England international John Barnes, who curled in an unstoppable effort with his unfamiliar right foot past a helpless Southall.

And yet Liverpool uncharacteristically switched off yet again right at the death to allow Cottee in to score with a virtual carbon copy of his first effort and force a second replay at Goodison a week later, which Everton won 1-0, although by that point Dalglish had already decided to call it quits.

Everton 2-3 Liverpool (April 2001)

Date:  April 16, 2001
Location: Goodison Park
Competition: Premier League
Score: Everton 2-3 Liverpool

One of the most memorable, not to mention eventful, league clashes between these two great sides of the modern era, and a result that would go on to have a huge impact on Liverpool’s treble-winning season under Gerard Houllier.

Going into the contest, the Reds were trailing both Ipswich Town and Leeds United in the one remaining UEFA Champions League berth by six points, but with two games in hand on their rivals with just seven matches of their season left to play, and so anything other than a win against their relegation-threatened hosts was inconceivable.

And five goals, a missed penalty, 12 bookings and one red card later, the visitors had the win that would ultimately prove to be the catalyst for one of the best climaxes to a campaign in the club’s illustrious history.

It was the Reds who drew first blood thanks to Emile Heskey’s early strike, only for the home side to equalise through Duncan Ferguson’s goal on the stroke of half-time, but Liverpool retook the lead when Germany international right-back Markus Babbel popped up in the area after a swift counterattack to blast the ball past Paul Gerrard in the Everton goal.

Robbie Fowler was then given the chance to finish the home side off after he was fouled in the area by Richard Gough, only for the ace marksman to strike the post. When David Unsworth converted from the spot near the death and Igor Biscan saw red, it appeared as though Liverpool would leave Goodison having dropped two costly points.

That, though, was reckoning without veteran midfield player Gary McAllister’s cunning imagination, with the Scot cheekily catching Gerrard out at his near post with a 44-yard free kick in the final minute that ultimately propelled Liverpool to the treble and qualification for the following season’s Champions League.

Liverpool 1-1 Everton (January 2009)

Date:  January 19, 2009
Location: Anfield
Competition: Premier League
Score: Liverpool 1-1 Everton

Going into this Premier League encounter at Anfield, Rafa Benitez’s side were for once competing for the title with arch-rivals Manchester United, and as a result the home side were in absolutely desperate need of the victory as they went into the match just a point behind the Red Devils at the top of the table.

The Reds dominated proceedings, with their in-form Spain international striker, Fernando Torres, going close to opening the scoring early on, only to be denied by the post.

However, as Liverpool’s pressure began to mount after half-time as they attacked the Kop end, skipper Steven Gerrard finally gave them a deserved lead, thrashing home a fierce low drive from outside the area that gave Tim Howard in the visitors’ goal no chance.

That strike appeared to be sending the Reds to the top of the table above United, only for David Moyes’ men to cut short Liverpool celebrations by drawing level with just three minutes remaining as Tim Cahill headed home Mikel Arteta’s vicious inswinging free kick at the near post to send the Toffees fans into raptures.

And come the final standings later that May, Benitez’s side would ultimately miss out on their first-ever Premier League title by only four points…

Liverpool 2-1 Everton (April 2012)

Date: April 14, 2012
Location: Wembley Stadium
Competition: FA Cup semi-final
Score: Liverpool 2-1 Everton

This was a real blood-and-guts affair, as one would have expected with a place in the Cup final at stake as Liverpool and Everton met at Wembley for the first time since the final of 1989.

However, oddly the magnitude of the occasion appeared to get the better of the pregame favourites, with Everton taking a deserved lead through their in-form Croatia international, Nikica Jelavic, midway through the first period after an awful mix-up between Reds defenders Jamie Carragher and Daniel Agger.

But the whole game then turned on another individual error just after the break, this time involving Everton defender Sylvain Distin, whose woefully underhit back pass to Tim Howard simply ended up at the feet of Liverpool striker Luis Suarez, with inevitable consequences as far as the Toffees were concerned.

And with the tie seemingly heading for extra time, up popped Liverpool’s much-maligned club-record signing Andy Carroll to execute a clever back header that left Everton with no time to respond and send Kenny Dalglish’s men to their second domestic cup final of that season.