Merseyside signals top-four ambition

Everton 3 Liverpool 3

There was no shortage of superlatives to describe the 221st Merseyside derby at Goodison Park; comfortably the best game between these sides in over a decade.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers walked into post-match press conference, sat down and just said “Wow!” while Everton counterpart Roberto Martinez, when asked about what he had just witnessed, said “How long have you got?”

The dust might only just be settling on a high octane encounter, already labelled a modern classic, but this gave further evidence that both clubs — spearheaded by bright young managers with bold football philosophies — have the potential to break the Manchester-London hegemony of the top four.

Everton have now beaten Chelsea and should arguably have picked up all three points against their city rivals, which has started to vindicate the claims of chairman Bill Kenwright on Martinez’s unveiling that he can lead the club into the Champions League.

Martinez handled those lofty aims on his appointment with a political shrewdness, and he was equally astute when pressed again on the club’s top-four aspirations with his eagerness to temper expectation.

“Next weekend against Stoke we are playing in another game that is not a derby, not a glamorous fixture and we have to perform then and compete for the three points,” Martinez said candidly. “It was pleasing that we stood toe to toe with Liverpool and were the better side. The next step is to get three points from those situations.

“That is what you need over the 10 months of the competition. If we can go into the final third of the season with a chance to get into the top four then maybe we can be seen as a contender for those positions.”

For Liverpool, a return to European football’s elite competition is viewed as a necessity while stifling premature talk of a Premier League title challenge has been Rodgers’ weekly challenge.

The depth of quality in Liverpool’s squad is likely to determine whether long-term substance can be added to that particular charge.

Rodgers recently admitted he needed “two more windows” before the personnel at his disposal are at the desired level.

No surprise then that Rodgers sees it as imperative that players such as

striker Daniel Sturridge — who scored his side’s dramatic 89th-minute equaliser — are handled with even greater care. The Irishman was incensed that Sturridge played all of England’s friendly against Germany ahead of the derby despite carrying an injury.

Rodgers even took a veiled swipe at the player who rescued a point for his side at Goodison Park when asked who was culpable for Sturridge being unfit to start against Everton.

“Whose responsibility is that? It’s the [Football] Association and the player,” Rodgers said. “All I can do is assess who is going to give me everything on the field when picking the team and that’s what I did. I know Daniel Sturridge better than anyone. And he wasn’t fit for England and played 90 minutes. I have to assess things when we have a massive game against a rival away from home where I need everyone close to 100%.”

Liverpool did not miss Sturridge so much in the early stages as they took a fifth-minute lead when Philippe Coutinho controlled the ball from a Steven Gerrard corner and finished confidently.

Three minutes later Everton were level when Kevin Mirallas guided the ball home at the back post after he got on the end of Ross Barkley’s flick from a Leighton Baines free-kick.

Luis Suarez curled a spectacular free-kick past Tim Howard to give Liverpool a 2-1 lead at the break, with Mirallas lucky to stay on the pitch after a high challenge on the Uruguayan striker.

There was no let up in the second half with chances galore — including a horror miss from Joe Allen for Liverpool — at both ends before Romelu Lukaku poked the ball home in the 72nd minute and then 10 minutes later headed the Toffees in front.

Sturridge, who had come on with 11 minutes remaining, would ensure honours were shared when he rose to head Gerrard’s free-kick past Howard with a minute left on the clock.

And those inside Goodison Park could finally catch their breath again.

EVERTON (4-2-3-1): Howard 6; Coleman7, Jagielka 5, Distin 5, Baines 6 (Deulofeu 7; 50); McCarthy 6, Barry 7; Pienaar 7 (Stones 6; 83), Barkley 6, Mirallas 8 (Osman 6; 88); Lukaku 8.

LIVERPOOL (4-1-4-1): Mignolet 7; Johnson 7, Agger 6, Skrtel 5, Flanagan 7; Lucas Leiva 8 (Sturridge 7; 79); Henderson 6, Gerrard 7, Allen 5 (Moses 6; 68), Coutinho 7; Suarez 8.

Referee: Phil Dowd.