Liverpool star Mohamed Salah’s double downs 10-man Everton in EPL Merseyside derby

LONDON – Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp believes that his side totally neutralised Everton, as Mohamed Salah’s double secured a 2-0 English Premier League win over their local rivals at Anfield on Saturday.

The Toffees were left furious at the inconsistency of referee Craig Pawson as Ashley Young was sent off seven minutes before half-time for two bookable offences, while Ibrahima Konate escaped a second booking in the second half with the scores still level.

Liverpool toiled to make their man advantage count, and finally achieved the breakthrough 15 minutes from time when Salah smashed home from the penalty spot after Michael Keane handled.

He was then teed up by Darwin Nunez to make the points safe seven minutes into stoppage time.

“I liked it a lot. It is a derby, we didn’t allow them to do what they wanted,” said Klopp of the win.

“We were clear in the challenges.... but it is also difficult because it was a deep block and they adapted slightly and set up to our strengths.

“I liked a lot of moments and then the red card was pretty influential in the game. I wanted us to be calm and ignore that we were one man up.

“It is difficult because it’s like, now you have to create with each possession (with a man advantage) and it took a while until we got chances.”

Victory temporarily took Klopp’s men above Tottenham and Arsenal at the top of the table on goal difference, before Manchester City defeated Brighton & Hove Albion at home and Arsenal faced Chelsea away.

The Reds have lost just one of their last 29 Merseyside derbies and remain unbeaten at Anfield in front of a crowd against Everton since 1999.

No fixture has had more red cards in the Premier League era than clashes between these two.

Another sending-off proved decisive. Everton had frustrated the hosts and posed a threat themselves – until the 38-year-old Young showed his age, rather than his experience, by diving in to chop down Luis Diaz and earn a second yellow card.

Klopp had expressed his frustration at being selected for the Saturday lunchtime kick-off – just hours after some of his stars returned after playing for their countries in South American World Cup qualifying.

Colombia’s Diaz and Argentina’s Alexis Mac Allister started, while Nunez was introduced off the bench after his starring role in Uruguay’s 2-0 win over Brazil in midweek.

Liverpool looked jaded despite having the extra man in the second half.

Everton boss Sean Dyche introduced Keane at half-time to revert to a back five, and the visitors restricted Liverpool to few clear chances to the frustration of the home support.

The Toffees were then stunned that Konate was not also given his marching orders as he pulled down Beto after being shown a yellow card.

“I saw it back and it is a clear penalty. Ibrahima, could have gone, yes,” Klopp admitted.

“It could have happened obviously and then we took him off and from that moment we were solid and compact.”

Liverpool have had their own troubles with officials of late. Diaz had a goal wrongly ruled out following VAR confusion in their only defeat of the season at Tottenham in September.

However, this time the VAR came to their rescue as Diaz’s cross struck Keane’s outstretched arm.

After a pitch-side review, the referee pointed to the spot and Salah scored his seventh goal of the season.

As Everton pushed forward in search of an equaliser, they were caught on the counter-attack deep into stoppage time as Nunez timed his pass to Salah perfectly for a simple finish.

“First half I thought we did a good job defensively, didn’t create as much as recently. We weren’t as fluid with the ball but they are a good side,” said Dyche.

On Konate not being given a second yellow, he added: “At 0-0, no one knew how they had 11 on the pitch.

“Their manager knew, because he took him off.”

In the later kick-off, City bounced back from two straight losses to Wolverhampton Wanderers and Arsenal with a 2-1 win over Roberto de Zerbi’s Brighton side.

Manager Pep Guardiola had not lost three league games in a row since he was Bayern Munich boss in 2015, and he would be glad for the two early goals from Julian Alvarez and Erling Haaland that calmed his nerves.

City were heading for a comfortable win before Ansu Fati pulled one back for the Seagulls in the 73rd minute, but Guardiola’s men survived the scare. AFP