Liverpool stay in touch with City as supersub Origi haunts Everton again
Liverpool's Luis Diaz (right) assists Liverpool's Divock Origi (not pictured) in scoring their side's second goal of the game during the Premier League match at Anfield, Liverpool. Picture: Peter Byrne/PA Wire
Liverpool closed the gap on Manchester City in the Premier League title race and deepened Everton's relegation worries after second half headers from Andy Robertson and Divock Origi settled a fiesty Merseyside derby.
Left back Robertson took time off from his defensive duties to pop up at the far post to steer home Mo Salah's cross and break the deadlock of a tense and tight affair after 62 minutes.
And super sub Origi, who had a hand in the build-up to the first goal, made the game safe in the 84th minute by heading home from fellow sub Luis Diaz's miscued volley.
The victory was a huge relief for Jurgen Klopp and his team after they had been frustrated by their neighbours for the first hour of the game. It moved them back on to the coat-tails of Manchester City - who had thrashed Watford 24 hours earlier - and means there remains just a solitary point between the top two with five games left.
Everton however dropped into the bottom three just before kick-off after Burnley had recorded back-to-back wins with a victory over Wolves. And the Toffees stayed there following a ninth successive away defeat - the club's worst run on the road since 1948. They are two points behind Burnley, with a game in hand but with high-riding Chelsea to come at Goodison on Sunday.
Frank Lampard's team restricted their neighbours to just three attempts on goal - all off target - in a first half that simmered with tension and boiled over just before half-time.
Normally such fast starters, Liverpool had to wait 21 minutes for their first attempt when Sadio Mane twisted away from Allan to send a shot just over the bar. Diogo Jota sent a first time effort wide from Robertson's cross while Mo Salah curled a shot wide.
Everton had arguably the best first half chance when Richarlison disposseed Thiago and sent Abdoulaye Doucoure racing through but he fired a disappointing shot wide of the far post from a tight angle.
There had been plenty of niggly skirmishes but the big flare-up involving just about every player on the pitch came just before half-time. Richarlison went down injured, Everton felt Liverpool should have put the ball out of play and Doucoure upended Fabinho sparking the melee. Referee Stuart Attwell calmed things down booking Doucoure and Mane who twice had pushed his hand into the faces of Everton players.
Anthony Gordon was Everton's best attacking outlet and had a similar chance to Doucoure's but sent his effort wide after being put through by Alex Iwobi. Moments earlier Gordon appealed for a penalty when he was nudged over by Joel Matip.
Klopp made a double substitution on the hour sending on Origi and Diaz for Mane and Naby Keita and the re-shuffle paid off two minutes later with Origi having a hand in Robertson's goal. The Belgian played the ball back to Salah who crossed to the far post where Robertson headed home to spark wild celebrations among Reds followers.
Origi, so often a tormentor of Everton, sealed the win six minutes from time goal when he powered home a header from Diaz's mis-hit shot as Liverpool kept on course for a historic quadruple of trophies.
Alisson 6; Alexander-Arnold 6, Matip 7, Van Dijk 7, Robertson 7; Keita 5 (Origi 60, 8), Fabinho 6, Thiago 7; Salah 7, Jota 5 (Henderson 81, 5), Mane 5 (Diaz 60, 6).
Kelleher, Konate, Milner, Gomez, Jones, Tskimkas.
Goal: Robertson 62, Origi 84.
Booked: Mane, Alexander-Arnold.
Pickford 7; Coleman 7, Holgate 6, Keane 6, Mykolenko 6; Gray 6 (Rondon 77, 5), Doucoure 6, Allan 6 (Alli 73, 5) Iwobi 6; Gordon 7; Richarlison 5.
Begovic, Lonergan, Kenny, Delph, Branthwaite, El Ghazi, Price.
Booked: Doucoure, Richarlison.
Stuart Attwell.
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