Two players and Liverpool coach Arne Slot received red cards after the final whistle as Everton’s James Tarkowski smashed home a brilliant volley in the 98th minute to hold table-topping Liverpool to a 2-2 draw in the last-ever Merseyside derby at Goodison Park.
Liverpool went behind in the 11th minute but after Mo Salah’s second half goal looked to be cruising towards a nine-point lead over Arsenal at the top of the table.
Five minutes were added at the end of the match, but referee Michael Oliver played into the 98th minute when Tarkowski popped up at the back post to volley the equaliser, sparking wild scenes in the stands of the old stadium. An agonising VAR check went Everton’s way.
“Early on I got a chance and I panicked a bit. Late on I just decided to get in the box, it dropped, I just let it go and see what happens. Amazing to score and what an amazing night,” said Tarkowski.
“I just saw the ball going wide and thought ‘last minute, why not’. It managed to fall to me and let it rip.”
The final whistle blew straight after the restart and Everton’s Abdoulaye Doucoure ran towards Liverpool supporters and shushed them. Liverpool’s Curtis Jones ran in and wrestled with the Everton player and both saw red.
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Liverpool coach Arne Slot, whose team has gone 20 games unbeaten and still holds a strong position in the league, confronted Oliver.
“It is apt really that the last game at Goodison Park is a game like this. Like an old school 80s game,” said former Liverpool star Steve McManaman.
“There was not a load of quality in the game but it was wild, it had passion, it had fight.
“There were a number of sending offs at the end, people wanted to antagonise each other and fight each other. It was fitting it ended in absolute chaos.”
Everton’s veteran coach David Moyes added: “Mental probably sums it up. A brilliant finish for us, to finish the last Goodison Merseyside derby and score in the last minute is in a way fitting.
“We would have liked to have won the game but at 2-1 down I was just thinking that we probably weren’t going to get back in, it just looked like Liverpool would keep us out.
“We worked hard, kept at it, probably had more attempts in the second half than the first. Tarky had the quality which was the one that really mattered.”
He said he was disappointed with Doucoure.
“I’m disappointed with Doucoure because we need him, we’re down on numbers at the moment. We’ve got to be careful what we do. Discipline is never easy sometimes in these games and tonight was a game where quite easily sending offs happen.”
Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk blamed Doucoure for the fracas.
“Very tough. To concede an equaliser that late is always disappointing. We saw the celebrations they had in the end so we know how much it meant for them but the fact is it was disappointing for us. We take the point and move onto Wolves now,” van Dijk.
“We came back, got to 2-1 but unfortunately we couldn’t get it over the line. We had to keep fighting, we kept doing that but in the end it wasn’t enough to get it over the line.”
The Roarhttps://www.theroar.com.au/2025/02/13/absolute-chaos-three-red-carded-after-everton-wonder-strike-at-the-death-shares-spoils-with-liverpool-in-merseyside-derby/‘Absolute chaos’: Three red-carded after Everton wonder strike at the death shares spoils with Liverpool in Merseyside derby
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