ROO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE KIDDING, KLOPP?
Kop boss paid for his poor selections when Rooney scored his first ever goal in a Mersey derby
MIGNOLET
A mere spectator for much of the game, did well when needed GOMEZ
Excellent at right-back. Neat, tidy and very composed. So consistent LOVREN Booked
Idiotic challenge on Calvert-lewin. Rarely tested, so often a liability KLAVAN
Neat and tidy, read danger well and brought the ball out ROBERTSON
Got lots of space down left, caused problems with overlapping runs HENDERSON
Seems like a player desperately looking for form. Worked hard MILNER
Nice deliveries from wide areas and was tireless with his running OXLADE-CHAMBERLAIN
Did well in a central role, grew in influence, excellent deliveries MANE
Below best, but power still caused problems. Missed a big chance SALAH
Broke the deadlock and provided the game’s best moments SOLANKE
The surprise pick up front. Led line well without setting world alight SUBS:
FIRMINO (Salah 67)
COUTINHO (Oxlade) 77
INGS (Solanke 82)
7
MOTM Bit of a thankless task playing behind Everton’s defence
KENNY
Struggled in the first half when he got very little protection. Did OK HOLGATE
The more mobile of centre-halves but struggled under pressure WILLIAMS
Battled but just could not get near Liverpool’s forwards. Tried hard MARTINA
Embarrassingly weak on Salah’s opener. Summed up performance GUEYE Booked
Was chasing shadows in midfield and given the runaround
DAVIES
Had a poor game and got hooked at half-time. Clumsy and off pace ROONEY
What a moment for Rooney. Fabulous penalty to earn a point SIGURDSSON Booked
Got a yellow for nasty studs-up challenge on Henderson
NIASSE
Was a passenger in the first half, did very little and was sacrificed CALVERT-LEWIN
Ploughed a lone and very lonely furrow up front. Won penalty SUBS: LENNON (Niasse 46) SCHNEIDERLIN (Davies 46) Booked
JAGIELKA (Rooney 82)
6 6
IT IS hard to remember a more one-sided derby.
But, incredibly, it was Wayne Rooney who emerged as the most unlikely hero with his first-ever goal in an all-merseyside skirmish.
Rooney described not scoring against Liverpool as one of his biggest regrets when he left Everton the first time around in 2004.
But it was Kop boss Jurgen Klopp who was left with the regrets this time because Liverpool must see this as two valuable points dropped.
Klopp showed exactly what he thought of Everton by starting with Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho on the bench and relying on 20-year-old rookie Dominic Solanke to lead the attack.
The final insult was when Klopp clearly thought Liverpool were so in control, so in command, that he took off their best player Mohamed Salah with 23 minutes left.
It came back to bite him on the backside.
Never mind arch-rivals Everton, Liverpool wanted to make sure they were fresh to face West Brom at Anfield on Wednesday.
But that was biggest mistake.
He underestimated former England skipper Rooney and his desire to have the last laugh on the Kop, and Big Sam Allardyce’s desperation to play party-pooper.
Rooney smashed home a 76th-minute penalty to equalise and in that single moment justified his return to his beloved Goodison Park last summer.
Former Manchester United star Rooney raced to the jubilant Everton fans behind the goal and celebrated like he was in there with them. He could not contain his delight.
Nor could Allardyce at the final whistle. Big Sam punched the air and, if Everton fans had any doubts about him before, they won’t have them now.
Anfield was in a state of near-disbelief, the Liverpool fans aghast at failing to win a game they dominated from start to finish.
Liverpool had 79 per cent possession, Everton barely got a kick in the first half, showed very little spirit and, until the penalty, Allardyce must have been worrying about the scale of the job in front of him.
There have been bigger scorelines in recent times in this fixture – Everton were probably more competitive last season when they got stuffed 3-1 – but rarely has it been such one-way traffic.
And that was with two members of the Fab Four Klopp’s watching from the sidelines. Liverpool were far too good in the first half, especially as Allardyce’s formation left too many players out of position in a lopsided formation.
Liverpool were slicing Everton open at will but somehow – through luck and desperation – the visitors held firm until the 42nd minute.
Typically, it was Salah who provided the inspiration. The magical Egyptian winger overpowered Cuco Martina, dummied Idrissa Gueye, and then curled a brilliant left-footed shot into the top corner.
It was a moment of pure genius. Maybe Liverpool could afford to rest two of the Fab Four when Salah can do this.
But Sadio Mane – the other member of Liverpool’s forward quartet – was offkey and hit a bum note as he dragged a shot wide after going clean through in firsthalf injury time.
Everton did not manage a shot on target themselves until first-half injury time but Dominic Calvert-lewin fired straight at Reds keeper Simon Mignolet.
Allardyce made changes at half time but it did not really stem the tide.
Yet for all of Liverpool’s possession and threat, they had only three shots on target as they were far too wasteful with their final pass and finishing. Salah, Mane and Jordan Henderson all missed openings.
Everton were barely in the game but it was Rooney’s long, hopeful punt into the Liverpool box which ended up giving them a lifeline.
Calvert-lewin tried to control the ball,
Dejan Lovren gave him a nudge, and referee Craig
Pawson had no hesitation.
Klopp
(right) was fuming afterwards and insisted it was not a penalty.
But it was stupid on
Lovren’s part to even make the challenge.
Rooney smashed it down the middle into the roof of the net.
Of all the highs of his career, you can bet he will rate this one with the best of them.