- Mohamed Salah scores against the run of play
- Liverpool defenders need to wake up
- Everton start strong but fade away
Liverpool have a 1-0 lead at half-time as Mohamed Salah becomes the first player to score in the Merseyside derby at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Everton started the game as the better side and came close to scoring with Beto in the opening five minutes of the match. Giorgi Mamardashvili was the only reason the scoreline remained intact for the majority of the half.
Jamie Carragher warned his former side that Iliman Ndiaye was the best player for the Toffees, and the Senegal star proved him right. He scored in the 27th minute, but luckily for the Reds, Jake O’Brien was offside in the build-up, and the goal was ruled out.
The VAR decision sparked something in Liverpool, and the players started to play well from the restart. Cody Gakpo came close to scoring after a cheeky pass from Florian Wirtz, before the Dutchman played a stunning ball for Mohamed Salah to score.
The Egyptian has now etched his name in history books, becoming the first player to score in the Merseyside derby at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. The goal was also his ninth against the Toffees, and that sees him level with Steven Gerrard with the record for the most goals in the derby.
Liverpool are chasing history today, and they have taken a giant step in the right direction. They could become the first Premier League side to win at 60 different stadiums, and now need to just hold on to their lead for the next 45 minutes.
Here are the ReadLiverpoolFC half-time ratings:
Giorgi Mamardashvili – 8
Pulled off a stunning save to deny Beto early in the game, and then was forced into a similar save minutes later from a free kick.
Curtis Jones – 6
Everton will complain that he committed a foul by shoving Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, but it was clearly a shoulder-to-shoulder. He was very much responsible for not marking Ndiaye when the Everton man scored, but will be happy that the goal was chalked out.
Ibrahima Konate. – 7
Did not have the best of starts today as Beto was beating him to the ball often, including a header that resulted in an early shot on target. Managed to get himself back to his best soon after, but he needs to ensure that Beto is kept quiet in the second half.
Virgil Van Dijk – 8
A true leader in the backline once again, as he dominated the Everton players inside the box during set pieces and corners. The Toffees will complain that he should have been booked for a foul on Gueye, but there was very little in it.
Andy Robertson – 6
The left-back was playing a little deeper than others in the backline, and that was helping Beto with his runs. He was not in position most of the time, and his passes were sloppy.
Ryan Gravenberch – 6
The Dutchman was lucky not to get booked early in the game when he brought down Idrissa Gueye on a counter-attack. The game seemed to be going by him most of the time.
Dominik Szoboszlai – 6
The Hungarian was chasing the ball more often than not today and had very little to do himself. He had a coming together with Ndiaye, and that was very much his highlight of the half.
Mohamed Salah – 9
The Egyptian king was having a rather quiet game, but when his moment arrived, he made the crucial run to score the first goal of the match. He will be keen on adding to his tally in the second half to break Gerrard’s record in what is his final appearance in the Merseyside derby.
Florian Wirtz – 7
Some decent passes and one really good pass to set up Cody Gakpo just before the half-hour mark, but the Dutchman failed to convert. He was seen struggling on the pitch and limping around after a string tackle from Jarrad Branthwaite.
Cody Gakpo – 7
The Dutchman missed a golden chance just seconds before he setup Salah for the opening goal of the derby. He was cutting and shooting constantly today, and came close to scoring just before the half-time whistle.
Alexander Isak – 6
He had a busy half chasing balls more than shooting today, and he had to wait until the 45th minute to get his best chance. Jordan Pickford easily saved his shot, and it would be interesting to see if he comes out for the second half.
