5th December: Embarassment for Everton as Reds run riot

Liverpool thrashed Everton 5-2 in a devastatingly clinical performance from Jurgen Klopp’s men.

And in a match of potential fatality for his opposite number, the German will certainly be ecstatic with the ruthlessness of his rampant Reds.

The initial shock was the team sheet. Marco Silva must’ve spilled his coffee when he didn’t see the likes of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino or Jordan Henderson in the starting eleven – instead finding Adam Lallana, Divock Origi and Xherdan Shaqiri, with the latter starting for the first time this season.

It surely must have been a risk for Klopp to rotate so heavily in a Premier League game, especially considering the magnitude of the Merseyside Derby, but he will be delighted with the impact as three of their five goals were scored by the fringe replacements.

Silva’s Everton looked defensively solid at Leicester albeit in defeat, but their five-man system was obliterated within 17 minutes.

A stunning pass from Sadio Mane opened the floodgates, allowing Belgian international Origi to tap past Jordan Pickford and slot home for the Reds’ opener within six minutes.

Shaqiri then doubled the Reds’ lead soon after another delicious through ball from Mane, who throughout the night was simply brilliant. The Senegal international is seriously proving himself as one of the best players on the planet this season – and to no end he aided that argument yesterday.

Everton then pulled one back as Michael Keane slotted through Adrian’s armpit – only a consolation in what was a shambolic start for Silva – but a glimmer of hope and the Toffees had a way back into the game. From that point they began to improve, and looked to test the Spaniard’s net further as the half progressed.

Ten minutes later, Dejan Lovren, much maligned, pinged an inch-perfect ball to the feet of Everton’s newest bogey man. And with even better control, Origi lobbed Jordan Pickford to restore Liverpool’s two goal lead.

This was Origi’s fifth against Everton, more than Salah, Firmino and Mane combined.

The latter did close the gap just before half-time though, after Trent Alexander-Arnold broke from a loose Everton corner to square to Mane, who curled first time into the Everton net. 4-1. Half time?

Not so fast – in the third additional minute Richarlison lost his marker and nodded home, with question marks on Dejan Lovren’s duck and Van Dijk’s positioning.

An action packed first half, and solid displays from both sides with Everton perhaps unlucky to be two goals down, especially considering that they could have been three which would have been a travesty.

The second half was much more pragmatic, with Everton mostly in the ascendency but the Reds’ solid defence looking back to their best.

Moise Kean came closest after firing wide in a one-on-one situation – Virgil van Dijk did just enough both defensively and vocally to put the Italian off from scoring his first Everton goal.

It would be Liverpool who would round it off though. After brilliant work from substitute Roberto Firmino, Gini Wijnaldum slammed home to complete the rout.

Jurgen Klopp:

“All the goals were incredible, outstanding. Wonderful goals, sensational passes, super pieces of football. I loved it a lot!

“We needed fresh legs and I had to show my respect to the boys in the squad, that’s all. They proved it. It is much more fun making changes, all of the boys are ready to deliver performances like this.

“It was a massive moment in my first season when Divock Origi got injured in the derby. It changed his career for a bit.”

Marco Silva:

“We cannot concede goals in the way we conceded. We knew everything about them before the match and how they like to play whether with Origi, Salah or Firmino, we know how they would play. There was a lot of mistakes.

“I am not the right person to answer about the situation, this question is for different people. We are making some mistakes which put us under big, big pressure.

“The type of mistakes we are making is because the players are playing under big pressure because of the position in the table.”

Stonadge’s MAN OF THE MATCH – Sadio Mane

Mane’s a player whom, when he first arrived at Anfield, personified inconsistency. My oh my he has defied that tag now.

I’ve been reluctant to say it, even last year when he won the golden boot. Sadio Mane is world class.

He didn’t only frighten the life out of the Everton backline with his pace and power, but his technique and skill in every waking moment was a joy to behold.

He capped it off with a cracking goal at the end of the first half, and although he missed two sitters he was by far and away the best player on the pitch.

In an honourable mention, Xherdan Shaqiri was excellent in his first start of the season, but nobody was a patch on Mane.

Liverpool: Adrian; Alexander-Arnold (Gomez 83), Lovren, Van Dijk, Robertson; Wijnaldum, Lallana (Henderson 72), Milner; Shaqiri, Mane, Origi (Firmino 73)

Unused subsitutes: Kelleher, Keita, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Salah

Everton: Pickford; Sidibe (Bernard 35), Keane, Holgate, Mina, Digne; Iwobi, Davies (Schneiderlin 72), Sigurdsson; Richarlison, Calvert-Lewin (Kean 60)