You could have been forgiven for wondering if you had slipped into some sort of ‘Life in Mars’ style time loop on Wednesday night, Everton delivering a potentially fatal blow to Jurgen Klopp’s hopes of a glorious Liverpool farewell.
Some of the tackles, at a baying Goodison Park, were challenges straight out of yesteryear. Firm, yes, but fair too, though with no shortage of aggression.
In an era where many tend to bemoan the death of physicality in the modern game, the towering performances of Ben Godfrey, Vitaliy Mykolenko, James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite felt like something of a throwback.
A reminder of Bovril-scented terraces, of mud-bath pitches, and a time ‘when men were real men’.
Everton beat Liverpool in thumping Merseyside derby
Klopp, speaking after his unbeaten Goodison Park record was finally broken on his final visit to the blue half of Stanley Park, explained why he opted to keep the faith with Darwin Nunez, Luis Diaz and an out-of-sorts Mo Salah despite the trio all missing very presentable chances on a night in which Jordan Pickford’s goal – for all of Everton’s heroics – led a largely charmed existence.
With Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo injured and ill respectively, 18-year-old Jayden Danns was Liverpool’s only striking option on the bench. And Klopp, despite the desperation of Liverpool’s situation, had no plans to introduce a talented but still-developing teenager into the blood-soaked lion’s den that was Everton’s penalty area.
“I know we had Dannsy on the bench,” Klopp tells the Liverpool website. “(But) that’s not a game for an 18-year-old boy. Tarkowski and Branthwaite kill you in these situations.”
Tarkowski, who also worked under Toffees boss Sean Dyche at Burnley, has his limitations. But when it comes to winning aerial duels, whacking clearances up the pitch and rattling the bones of nearby centre-forwards, there’s not many better ‘pure defenders’ in the Premier League.
Between them, Tarkowski and the equally-outstanding Jarrad Branthwaite mustered 17 clearances, with the former Clarets colossus also managing five interceptions and three successful tackles (WhoScored).
It was Tarkowski’s centre-half partner who gave Everton the lead in very scrappy style, meanwhile, Branthwaite’s shot squirming over Alisson Becker and spinning over the line before Dominic Calvert-Lewin – scorer of the hosts’ second – made absolutely sure.
Tarkowski and Branthwaite outstanding at Goodison Park
“A few weeks ago, people were saying: ‘Do they care?’. They care. We care. There are no two ways about that, and I think we made that clear as a collective,” a delighted Dyche retorted following a win which put an eight point gap between Everton and the relegation zone, safety almost secured.
“Another clean sheet, as well, so I’m pleased with that. A couple of really big saves from Jordan. We get a little bit lucky with the one that hits the inside of the post (from Diaz in the second-half), but we’ve created enough chances ourselves.
“The energy of the side, the commitment to the cause, and the shape were all in place, and they have to when you play some of these sides. I thought the general performance was very good, and the reward is a big result against our local rivals.”