Ryan Gravenberch was the star of the show as Liverpool held off an Everton fightback in the Merseyside derby to maintain their 100 per cent start to the Premier League season.
The Dutchman produced a moment of magic to break the deadlock after 10 minutes, running onto Mohammed Salah‘s bending ball before delightfully half-volleying across Jordan Pickford‘s goal and into the net – a strike that required significant guile and technique to pull off.
He then turned provider to set up Hugo Ekitike, with the Frenchman calmly slotting past Pickford to vindicate Arne Slot‘s decision to leave out £125m man Alexander Isak for the derby, who watched Ekitike hit his fourth of the season from the bench.
Goals from Ryan Gravenberch and Hugo Ekitike gave Liverpool a 2-1 victory over Everton in the 247th competitive Merseyside derby on Saturday.
Gravenberch opened the scoring in the 10th minute at Anfield with a fine finish and then teed up Ekitike to double the Reds’ lead on the half-hour mark.
Idrissa Gueye pulled one back for the Blues in the second half, but Arne Slot’s men held on to maintain their perfect start to the defense of the Premier League title after five games
There were four changes to the line-up that secured the late, late Champions League win against Atletico Madrid three days earlier.
Ekitike, Alexis Mac Allister, Conor Bradley and Milos Kerkez were the quartet that returned to the hosts’ starting XI.
Alisson, Van Dijk, Konate, Kerkez, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister (Jones, 61), Salah, Bradley, Gakpo (Wirtz, 61), Ekitike (Isak, 67), Gravenberch.
Unused subs: Mamardashvili, Gomez, Endo, Robertson, Frimpong, Ngumoha.
The opener from Gravenberch was Liverpool’s first real clear-cut opportunity of the affair, and the midfielder dispatched his chance with the proficiency of its creator, Mohamed Salah.
Also read: Szoboszlai strike secures Liverpool victory over Arsenal
Salah clipped a cross into the box from the right channel to find the run of Gravenberch, who then brilliantly directed the bouncing ball over Jordan Pickford and into the far corner.
A few moments later, Salah was not far off with an ambitious curler before Cody Gakpo volleyed into the ground following a counter off an Everton corner.
The visitors threatened two minutes prior to Ekitike’s goal, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall unable to hit the target from inside the box, having been slipped in by Jack Grealish.
Providing the Reds’ second, Gravenberch received the ball from Mac Allister and then delivered a defense-splitting pass in search of Ekitike’s dart into the area.
The Frenchman only needed a solitary touch before slotting the ball through the legs of Pickford.
Beto lifting over the bar and Gueye testing Alisson Becker served as warning signs from Everton that the contest was not totally decided.
There was an open feel to the game after the restart, with the Toffees seeking a route back into it.
That left space for Liverpool to exploit, although Salah was unable to strike cleanly at goal when he was picked out by Gakpo on a breakaway.
Everton halved the deficit in minute 58 through Gueye’s strike, Iliman Ndiaye laying off a Grealish cross for the goal scorer.
It set up a rather tense final half an hour of action, albeit where chances at both ends were at a premium.
The Reds, however, would secure the three points to ensure occupancy of top spot in the standings for another weekend.
Crediblenewsng.com
