The media attempted to dissect a dramatic and heated 2-2 draw between Everton and Liverpool, with a former Man United player even defending Curtis Jones!
Liverpool were within seconds of securing a memorable victory on Wednesday evening, only for James Tarkowski to strike in stoppage time before Jones, Arne Slot and Sipke Hulshoff were all shown red cards.
It was a sickener for the Reds, who were never at their best but will feel aggrieved at a woeful refereeing display by Michael Oliver.
Here’s how the media reacted to the Reds’ draw at Goodison Park.
In truth, Liverpool were below-par on the night…
On X, David Lynch felt the Reds were’t worthy of all three points:
“Really tough to take for Liverpool but hard to argue that they merited a win on the basis of the performance.
“The equaliser perfectly encapsulated how they struggled to deal with Everton‘s physicality all night.”
The Independent‘s Richard Jolly reacted to a dramatic end to derbies at Goodison:
“And so, with an equaliser and a pitch invasion, with a trio of red cards and the calmest manager in the Premier League fuming, Goodison’s final derby ended.
“Bramley-Moore Dock has quite a lot to live up to.”
Angry scenes and a hapless refereeing performance…
On X, Chris McLoughlin bemoaned an awful performance by Oliver:
“I was at Widnes in 2006 when a young Michael Oliver referred the mini-derby.
“He lost control & sent off Jerzy Dudek for reacting to a terrible challenge by Victor Anichebe, sparking a 10-man brawl with six players booked.
“He can’t cope with Merseyside derbies.”
Speaking on TNT Sports, ex-Man United defender Rio Ferdinand admitted he had sympathy for Jones:
“I have been there.
“Mario Balotelli at Wembley in front of our [United] fans. I was incensed.”
Michael Oliver rewarded Everton with FIVE free-kicks throughout the game where there was NO contact. Everton’s first goal came from one of those.
Salah not awarded a free-kick here with minutes left to play.
pic.twitter.com/6eVUNYUxLa
— Viktor Fagerström (@ViktorFagerLFC) February 12, 2025
However, Liverpool are still in a wonderful position…
The Telegraph‘s Jason Burt doubts that the result will make a big difference come May:
“And with it have Everton also blown the Premier League title race open?
“That may be a stretch – at present – as it as a result that extended Liverpool’s advantage over Arsenal to seven points with 14 games to go.”
Lynch felt the need to focus on the Reds’ handsome lead in the Premier League, too:
“Easier to stomach with a seven-point lead at the top at least.”
Finally, The Athletic‘s Andy Jones was positive about Liverpool’s hopes of glory:
“Ultimately, this draw should not affect Liverpool in their charge for the title, but the manner of the result will sting and Slot’s side will have to pick themselves up.
“They remain in control of their own destiny but a tough run of fixtures is coming up and they will need to bounce back, starting with Wolverhampton Wanderers at home next.”
