Premier League: Liverpool debate derby draw as a point won or two lost 

Well, the midweek Merseyside derby fixture that promised a nostalgic-filled fond farewell to Goodison Park for its final meeting of Everton and Liverpool, ended in a more realistic recreation of previous derby encounters, with a tetchy clash of neighbours, an early lead, and a late, late, very late equaliser. Oh, and throw in four red-cards after the match had finished.

With Liverpool vying for the league title, and Everton finally finding form to take them out of relegation trouble, thanks to the return of veteran manager David Moyes, it was little wonder that it turned out to be as competitive and snarky as it was. Skill and finesse were rejected for an up and at ’em, skin and bone traditional derby, as old as the venerable park they were playing in.

Tough task

This was always going to be a tough fixture for the red side of Liverpool as they crossed Stanley Park one last time to Goodison. The original date was cancelled, late last year, due to one the many storms that ed through this winter, denying Liverpool the advantage of facing a then dire and plummeting Everton side battling to survive under Sean Dyche. Even then, it would have been a tough game. Derby tradition demanded it. But now, with their Toffee tails up with the return of the fans’ and players’ favourite in Moyes at the helm and with a chance to dent their neighbour’s title hopes, the task in hand immediately became a lot more intense for Arne Slot's side.

A spectacle it turned out to be, but only for the needle and aggression on display and a couple of good goals.

Lengthy periods for injuries and VAR reviews meant the game played out a lot longer than expected, adding pressure and tension to an already inflated situation, as referee Michael Oliver’s peculiar decisions and obscure time-keeping lost control of the game as it concluded.

While the final derby at Goodison Park was supposed to fill the narrative, it was the referee that once again (and too often this season included Michael Oliver) became the centre of debate.

Both sides had their issues with his calls. Liverpool felt that the foul that led to Beto scoring Everton’s 11th minute opener was a blatant dive, Idrissa Gueye was lucky not to be sent off for a second yellow, Ibrahima Konate seemed to be shoved in the build-up to the equaliser, while Mohamed Salah was thrown to the ground without even a free being awarded when closing in on the Everton goal.

Everton could counter that Alexis Mac Allister was lucky to survive getting a second yellow himself, and that Konate appeared to handle the ball in the box in the second half.

What time is it?

But the big debate of the night was where did Oliver find eight minutes of injury time at the end of the game. Five minutes added time was shown by the assistant referee at the end of full-time. And all five minutes were played when two Everton players collided with each other in the middle of the park, requiring medical assistance.

That, in itself, lasted about five minutes. And then the play resumed with Everton given possession of the ball, despite no foul being involved. Oliver should have blown it up immediately as the time was up and the injuries were not as a result of a Liverpool foul but a collision between team-mates, so should not have resulted in Everton getting the advantage of more time. Maybe 30 seconds but not the four added minutes, as tensions grew. Then James Tarkowski scored his wonderful equaliser in the 98th minute, it was not surprising that things unravelled quickly on the pitch. When Oliver did eventually blow it up. Everton’s Abdoulaye Doucoure unwisely, but understandably, made sure he rubbed in the Toffee celebrations right in front of the away Liverpool fans. Something that Liverpool’s own Sco, Curtis Jones, was unwilling to put up with, and he barrelled into Doucoure leading to an unsightly melee as tempers and frustrations on all sides spilled over.

Red cards followed for Curtis and Doucoure and then for Liverpool boss Slot and his assistant manager Sipke Hulshoff, when they confronted Oliver after the game.

Liverpool have themselves to blame

Plenty for the Reds to be resentful for, but then again Liverpool did not play like champions in waiting on Wednesday night and they will have to question themselves and their defending for the equaliser, no matter how many minutes remained. The agro at the end of the game will provide opponents the hope that the draw has rattled Liverpool, that the setback has got into the heads of Liverpool leaving the door ajar for them to close in.

Maybe so, we will soon see any lasting effect when Liverpool host Wolves at Anfield tomorrow, without Slot on the sideline too. But if Liverpool can find a way to set aside the result, and their frustration with Michael Oliver, then they will realise they added a point to their lead at the top of the table, as Wednesday’s game was a game in hand. Sure, they were seconds away from a nine-point lead but are still a point better off than before the game.

With 14 games left in the season, the title quest is still in their hands, as long those hands are not holding their heads in frustration.