A STROLL IN THE GOODISON PARK
It’s Toffee for Liverpool as Salah shines
LIVERPOOL humiliated their neighbours to rewrite history at Goodison Park.
Jurgen Klopp’s men became the first side in top-flight history to score two or more goals in 18 successive games in all competitions.
And it took them just 20 minutes to do it – thanks to sublime strikes from Jordan Henderson and Mo Salah.
The stroll in this particular park was crushing for Rafa Benitez and piled more pressure on the Everton boss.
The Spaniard’s season is collapsing around him and this will have come as the most painful blow of the lot. Not that anyone should be surprised at events on Merseyside last night.
Liverpool had not lost a league game at Goodison since 2010 – during which time the Toffees had been through 10 different managers. And the outcome of this clash promised to have a huge impact on the chances of the current one not becoming the latest boss to disappear through the club’s revolving door.
Benitez needed a result like never before, following a wretched run of form that had seen his flops fail to win any of their last seven games in all competitions since September. He also needed a visit from the neighbours like a hole in the head.
In stark contrast Klopp’s side had lost just once all season to
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find themselves in the thick of the title race and through to the knockout stages of the Champions League with ease.
The delighted German boss said: “I liked what I saw and it was by far the best performance we’ve done at Goodison.
“What football moments we had in the first half – incredible!
“It was for sure a nine out of 10 performance from each of the boys, apart from moments. We shouldn’t take that for granted though. It is all about the boys.
“It was all over a pretty good performance.”
Everton keeper Jordan Pickford denied Salah with a smart save as the pressure became relentless but there was nothing the England No.1 could do to stop Henderson from firing his side ahead with less than nine minutes on the clock.
Andy Robertson provided the overlap before cutting the ball back to Henderson, who beat
Pickford with a sweet strike. The keeper was picking the ball out of his net again in 20 minutes.
Henderson turned provider this time, setting Salah free with a ball over the top that allowed the Egyptian to beat Pickford with a sublime finish.
But despite the gulf in class between these two sides, Demarai Gray pulled one back for the Toffees before half-time.
On 65 minutes it was 3-1, as Salah charged clear to score before Diogo Jota blasted a fourth past the dejected Toffees.