The final Merseyside Derby at Goodison Park was one for the ages as Everton equalised with one of the final kicks of the game against Liverpool and the two sides drew 2-2. The drama wasn’t contained to the contest, though, as things erupted after the final whistle and Curtis Jones, Abdoulaye Doucoure, Arne Slot and his assistant Sipke Hulshoff were all sent off.
The night felt like a big occasion and things got off to an electric start as Everton took the lead early through Beto. The advantage was short-lived, though, as Alexis Mac Allister equalised with a fine header just minutes later. Despite there being 14 league places and 30 points between the two sides, things were much closer than anyone could have anticipated.
Everton caused plenty of trouble for the Reds, particularly in the second half and even had a goal disallowed for offside, but as they’ve done so often this season, Arne Slot’s men weathered the storm and managed to turn things around. Mohamed Salah was in the right place, at the right time to latch onto a clearance and fire it past Jordan Pickford. It looked like they’d picked up all three points, but James Tarkowski stepped up in the final seconds and fired a ferocious volley past Alisson to send Goodison Park into rapture.
Things turned ugly after the final whistle, though, and it resulted in Jones, Doucoure, Slot and Hulshoff all being shown a red card. It all stemmed from the Toffees midfielder’s celebrations.
Related
Everton 2-2 Liverpool: Player Ratings and Match Highlights
The points were shared at Goodison Park in a dramatic Merseyside Derby on Wednesday evening.
Jones Took Issue With Doucoure’s Celebrations
He was celebrating in front of the Liverpool fans
As is the case with most football derbies, tension was sky-high as the game came to an end and after Doucoure decided to celebrate the result in front of the visiting Liverpool fans, Jones raced over and confronted the Toffees star. It lead to a skirmish between the players as Jones shoved Doucoure and multiple other stars got involved. The Liverpool man was furious and the two men had to be pulled apart. They were both shown a red card for their role in the clash.
Slot himself had plenty to say to referee Michael Oliver about the incident and his performance as well, angrily confronting him amidst the chaos. The Dutchman and his assistant were then also shown red cards for accosting the official.
It was a mad end to what was an incredible Merseyside Derby. It was a fitting way for Goodison Park to bow out of one of the biggest derbies in British football.
