Roberto Martinez’s
men were obliterated with ease as the Reds recorded their fourth victory on the
spin and are starting to realise they are capable of greatness
At the end it was 4-0 to Liverpool , but
few in attendance at Anfield would have blinked had the Reds registered a more
bloated scoreline against Everton despite never needing to be at their intense
best.
Under a clear night sky, Jurgen Klopp’s side absolutely bossed the 226th Merseyside derby, the German’s first experience of the local rivalry, and completely battered their visitors. It is now four wins on the spin for the Reds, with just one defeat in their past 15 games, and 14 goals scored in their last four matches.
The
home crowd chanted ‘cheerio, cheerio’ to their counterparts from across Stanley Park when
Philippe Coutinho buried Liverpool ’s
fourth. And if Roberto Martinez wasn’t already embarrassed enough by his team’s
no-show, the Reds fans sang his name on the terraces encouraging the visitors
to persist with the Spaniard, who is on the brink of receiving his P45.
The way Liverpool toyed
with Everton seemed cruel at times. They had 37 shots in total, 13 of which
were on target, but the humiliation could not be quantified for the Blues. Goodison Park is
within walking distance from Anfield, but these two sides were oceans apart in
their second meeting of the season.
The first, a 1-1 draw in October, was Brendan Rodgers’ final game as Reds boss andMartinez will
know his future is as tentative as his team were on Wednesday night.
The first, a 1-1 draw in October, was Brendan Rodgers’ final game as Reds boss and
Everton
had barely caught their breath after Divock Origi’s opener, his 10th goal of
the season, before Mamadou Sakho doubled their advantage ahead of the break. At
the start of the second half, Ramiro
Funes Mori was rightly sent off for a nasty stamp on the Belgian and walked off
the pitch clutching the club crest on his shirt.
With the 21-year-old striker needing to be stretchered off the pitch following the tackle, the Argentine’s reaction incensed the home fans and inspiredLiverpool to
extract some revenge.
With the 21-year-old striker needing to be stretchered off the pitch following the tackle, the Argentine’s reaction incensed the home fans and inspired
Daniel Sturridge replaced Origi and netted his 50th goal
for the club in just 87 games. Fifteen minutes later, Coutinho made it four and
Everton may have been 10 men down instead of just one. They were appalling, did
not even register a shot on target and were lucky to leave Anfield without even
more ignominy.
The Reds are starting to realise they are capable of
greatness regardless of the opposition, and are finishing the season as strong
as they'd want to start Klopp’s first full campaign in charge.
The only clouds over Anfield in the past two weeks have
come in the form of injuries to captain Jordan Henderson, the ever-improving
Emre Can and now the in-form Origi. But Klopp has placed an emphasis on
the collective rather than individuals at the club, with players that fill in
ready and willing to do the business. Liverpool ’s
potential, like their attacking attempts against Everton, seem endless. The
skies are starting to look golden again over Anfield.
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