verton‘s last-gasp 2-2 draw with Liverpool in the final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park was full of twists and turns, becoming of the fixture, and Abdoulaye Doucoure was right in the thick of it. The Toffees’ midfielder was sent off after the final whistle for provoking the away section following James Tarkowski‘s 90+8th minute equaliser.
Beto opened the scoring for the hosts with a clever 11th-minute finish, only for Alexis Mac Allister to find the back of the net five minutes later with a neat header. The Reds thought they’d claim a vital three points after Mohamed Salah slotted home from close range in the 73rd minute.
Tarkowski had other plans after he hit a piledriver when the ball fell to the English defender right at the death, although it wasn’t without controversy. A long VAR review of the goal took place after the visitors protested for a perceived foul on Ibrahima Konate in the build-up, but the Goodison Park faithful, particularly the Gwladys Street End, were sent into bedlam once again when Michael Oliver awarded the goal.
Doucoure Exchanged Fiery Words With Van Dijk And Arne Slot
The Everton midfielder was one of four sent off post-match
The drama spilt into the derby’s aftermath when Doucoure directed his celebrations towards the away fans, much to the fury of Curtis Jones. The Liverpool midfielder headed straight for the Malian, and the pair got in a scuffle before both sets of players engaged in a brawl that had to be broken up by stewards and officials.
Oliver showed Jones a second yellow and a subsequent red card for his actions as Doucoure continued to lap up his side’s dramatic draw. He then received a second booking and a red card, during which he verbally crossed paths with the Reds’ captain, Virgil van Dijk, in an exchange caught on camera and picked up on the microphones.
Van Dijk asked Doucoure about his red card:
“Hey, How you like that?”
Doucoure responded:
Arne Slot became the fourth man to be sent off after his assistant Sipke Hulshoff had also received the same fate. The animated Liverpool manager aggressively shook Oliver’s hand, obviously perplexed by the goal being awarded.
Doucoure continued his spat with Van Dijk when seeing the Dutch coach dismissed:
David Moyes was irritated to lose Doucoure for his side’s upcoming clash with Crystal Palace on Saturday (February 15) following his sending off: “I didn’t see it from where I was. I have had a chance to see it, and I’m disappointed because Doucoure played really well tonight, and I’m going to now lose him because he’s got a second yellow card, which turned into a red.”
Yet it was the perfect send-off for the final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park before Everton’s move to their new Bramley-Moore Dock. The result moved Slot’s league leaders seven points clear of Arsenal, while Moyes’ men sit 15th, 10 points above the drop zone.
