‘El Nino’ whips up a storm
Once again it was ‘El Nino’ himself, Fernando Torres, who proved the difference with his seventh-minute goal settling this neighbourhood spat over the dubious distinction of finishing fourth. Still, victory at least gives Rafael Benitez and his players an injection of confidence ahead of the trilogy-opening encounter with Arsenal at the Emirates on Wednesday.
If last Sunday’s abject surrender against Manchester United at Old Trafford summed up just how far Liverpool have fallen behind the big three in the Premier League, then the billing of this Merseyside derby, the 207th meeting between the two clubs, as a final eliminator for fourth place merely underlined the second-tier status of the city in England’s top division.
True, if Aston Villa and Birmingham were involved in a similar battle for the Champions League, it would be a regarded as high-point for the second city.
Yet Merseyside derbies were once the real measure of the strength of English football: encounters between the two teams often directly affected the outcome of titles and cup competitions.
But it is now two decades since Merseyside was the powerhouse of English football and fighting it out for fourth place is as good as it gets for these two clubs.
This was hardly a battle of equals, however, and that harsh reality was evident from virtually the first kick as Everton, hampered by an injury crisis that had left them with just one fit forward — the work-shy Yakubu — found their 4-5-1 formation swamped by Liverpool’s determination to strike hard and strike early. It was almost as though David Moyes had decided that a point was the best Everton could hope for in a game they realistically had to win. Only one team was going for victory and they were wearing red and, after a passionate encounter, the points were deservedly won by the home side.
“After the defeat against United last week, to beat our local rivals allows us to be more confident going into the Arsenal game,” said Benitez.
“But with Arsenal away in the league next week, we need to keep working hard because Everton play Derby at home. For us, this is three points, but it also means we are now five points ahead of them which is a good gap. It’s a really important win for us.”
Liverpool would never have expected their bitter rivals to give them a helping hand by gifting them a seventh-minute opener, but that is precisely what Yakubu did with a piece of suicidal football on the edge of his own penalty area.
The Nigerian forward ought to have sent the ball 50 yards upfield after picking it up from a defensive clearance, but he inexplicably opted to dribble the ball away from the danger zone. Yakubu’s brain was moving just as slowly as his feet, however, and Xabi Alonso gleefully dispossessed the Everton forward and the ball dropped to Dirk Kuyt, whose incisive pass found Torres lurking just inside the penalty area.
“Yakubu should have cleared it and I suppose he was a touch naive,” said Moyes. “It left Torres to score the goal which gave Liverpool the impetus, but it affected Yak for the rest of the game.”
It was precisely the kind of opportunity Torres thrives upon and the Spaniard made no mistake as he sent the ball into the far corner to claim his 28th goal of the season.
Benitez added: “Torres has been a surprise for everyone. Twenty-eight goals in his first season, with 21 in the league, is a fantastic achievement.
“I wouldn’t like to say that he is the best striker in Europe, but he is scoring goals and he is playing very well and the understanding between Torres and Gerrard is key for us.”
So what now for Everton? A goal down and without the attacking threat of Tim Cahill, Andy Johnson and Victor Anichebe, they found themselves pushed deeper and deeper by their goal-hungry hosts.
Gerrard sent a free-kick narrowly wide from 20 yards and Everton defender Tony Hibbert was forced into a brave block to deny Kuyt from close range. Ryan Babel then wasted a golden opportunity from six yards before Gerrard sent a 30-yard volley crashing against the post.
It was a painful experience for the visitors. They could not perform any worse after the interval and, following a tactical change by Moyes that released Leon Osman to play a supporting role behind Yakubu, Everton gradually became more of a threat and Osman was unlucky not score when his glancing header from Mikel Arteta’s 59th minute free-kick flashed narrowly wide of the near post.
Moyes’ team could not carve Liverpool open with their football, however, and they increasingly relied on set-pieces to test the home defences.
Liverpool were quite content to sit back, knowing that their opponents lacked the cutting edge required to score the equaliser.
“The fight for fourth place definitely goes on,” insisted Moyes. “I have just told my players that it is great that Everton are still going for the chance to play in the Champions League and we won’t give up just yet.”
LIVERPOOL (4-4-1-1) Reina 6, Carragher 7, Skrtel 8, Hyypia 6, Riise 6, Kuyt 7, Alonso 6, Lucas 6, Babel 7 (Benayoun 82, 6), Gerrard 7 (Crouch 90, 5), Torres 7 (Pennant 90, 6).
Subs Not Used: Itandje, Finnan.
EVERTON (4-5-1): Howard 6, Hibbert 6, Yobo 6, Jagielka 6, Lescott 6, Pienaar 5 (Fernandes 62, 6), Neville 6 (Baines 72, 6), Carsley 6, Osman 7, Arteta 7, Yakubu 5.
Subs Not Used: Wessels, Gravesen, Valente.
REFEREE: Howard Webb (Yorkshire) 7: No problems controlling the players, despite the high stakes. He was in control from the word go and there was never a moment when the game appeared to be running away from him.
MATCH RATING: **** Both teams might have lacked the style of Arsenal or the sheer class of Manchester United, but this was a full-blooded derby between two teams determined not to end up as losers.
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