Perhaps the most telling question on Wednesday night was the one that wasn’t asked.
When Sean Dyche emerged from the celebrations in the Everton dressing room to speak to reporters for his post-match press conference, he might have expected the return of a topic that became a talking point after Sunday’s win over Nottingham Forest: his decision to his suit.
Dyche’s switch to a tracksuit sparked intrigue and giggles in the tunnel this weekend, where Dwight McNeil and James Tarkowski laughed as they recounted their own shock at the disappearance of his usual white shirt and tie. Dyche gave in to superstition before the derby as he sought divine inspiration by wearing his tracksuit again.
On other nights he would have been asked about this, but not in the Goodison press room after such a result. The magnitude of the occasion was so obvious that no one thought it appropriate to focus on their dressing sense.
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Everton’s players mark their territory before dealing a blow to the Blues
After a memorable victory on a night when Everton took a major step towards safety while denting Liverpool’s title hopes, the supporters could be heard shouting at the top of their lungs: “The city is ours.” Perhaps the Everton side got a boost from their pre-match walk through the city center in the build-up to the match. The players looked relaxed and calm as they wandered the area at Moorfields just hours before kick-off. Their presence attracted attention and no doubt a strange reference to how much a win would mean to Blues.
Ibrahima Konate joined early again
Ibrahima Konate had a torrid night at the hands of Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The Everton striker caused chaos in the Liverpool backline and had already forced Alisson Becker into a good save before trying to deny Jarrad Branthwaite’s opener. He made Konate’s life so grim that the central defender was hooked after an hour. This was the second time this season that Jurgen Klopp was forced to remove Konate against the Blues.
At Anfield, the decision to withdraw the France international appeared to be a tacit admission that he should have been sent off with a scoreless goal as he somehow avoided a second yellow card for a foul on a breaking Beto. That decision went Liverpool’s way and they eventually managed, with the help of a penalty, to find a late breakthrough against an Everton side that was down to ten men for the entire second half. There will be plenty of Royal Blue believers who believe his fight on Wednesday was appropriate given his fortunes earlier in the campaign.
Wayne Rooney lets Goodison jump with VAR message
Everton opened the scoring with a messy goal that felt so chaotic that VAR intervention was inevitable. Having already seen a penalty for offside in the build-up, Goodison held their collective breath after Jarrad Branthwaite squeezed the ball past Alisson. Once again VAR came into play, but it became clear that there was no reason to disallow the goal. Normally there’s a significant delay before the conclusion reaches the fans in the stands… not on Wednesday night. Wayne Rooney, part of Sky’s expert team for the derby, sent out the message that Everton’s lead would hold by banging on the TV box windows to get the celebrations started.
Seamus Coleman crucial again
Seamus Coleman has been crucial for Everton in recent years, a bridge between the dressing room and the stands during difficult seasons. Successive managers have relied on him to emphasize the importance of fighting for the club and the fanbase when the pressure has been on, as has Frank Lampard – who heralded the club captain as one of the best people he has ever known. Everton secured safety with that dramatic comeback win over Crystal Palace.
This was the most jubilant Goodison since that night and Coleman was once again crucial. Not only was he influential in the dressing room in the build-up to the match, his presence was felt at the final whistle. Unable to be involved in the 90 minutes due to his groin injury, he took his first chance to step onto the pitch where, standing on the halfway line, he waited for all the players to have their moment for the Gwladys. Street before congratulating them individually through the dugouts.
The dejected Jurgen Klopp follows in the footsteps of Vincent Kompany and Thomas Frank
Klopp cut a somber figure at a post-match press conference, effectively conceding the title race. The manager struggled to explain the reason for Everton’s dominance in a match that was so important for his side. He also became the latest manager to sit in front of reporters and say that although Everton’s biggest threats were known before the match, his players were still unable to deal with them. The Blues’ set pieces wreaked havoc and Liverpool’s struggles were exacerbated by repeatedly conceding free kicks in their own half.
Tarkowski and Ben Godfrey had gone close before Branthwaite opened the scoring from a recycled free-kick and later Calvert-Lewin towered over everyone at the back post from a corner. Klopp, like Thomas Frank at Brentford and Vincent Kompany as Everton celebrated a Carabao Cup victory over Burnley, suggested the danger was predictable. Once again, that was clearly not the solution.
‘Welcome to paradise’
One of the unexpected headlines in the run-up to the derby was Dyche’s collaboration with American rock band Green Day. Dyche, a huge music fan, had spoken of his love for the group and urged people to see them live. Dyche continued The overlap: “It just feels like two hours of high-octane non-stop, beating the life out of song after song, you can’t not like it, I tell you! That’s my advice to you: anyone who hasn’t seen Green Day yet, it doesn’t matter what music you like, just buy a ticket and go see Green Day.”
Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong quickly responded by posting to Instagram a photo of an Everton player signing a contract while wearing a Blues shirt, with Armstrong’s own face in the image. It didn’t stop there – as Goodison cleared someone on the PA system, giving a nod to the new-found relationship between Everton and Green Day by playing the band’s hit, ‘Welcome to Paradise’.