10. Brainless Gerrard off but Liverpool dominate
Liverpool 3-1 Everton, March 2006
David Moyes struggled to beat Liverpool at the best of times, but twice failed to even get a draw when the opposition were reduced to 10 men. A psyched-up Steven Gerrard kicked the ball away and then scythed into Kevin Kilbane to earn two yellows within 40 seconds.
Everton had 72 minutes to make their advantage count but instead lost two crucial goals either side of half-time, one a delicious Luis Garcia chip, the other a Phil Neville own goal. Tim Cahill pulled one back but then Everton lost one of their own as Andy van der Meyde was carded for a stray elbow. A strangely fit Harry Kewell finished them off with a sweet strike, but Rafa Benitez wasn't best pleased with Stevie G. “We must learn, Steven and all the players, that you can play with the brain as well as the heart,” grumbled the Spaniard.
9. Rushie storms Goodison
Everton 0-5 Liverpool, November 1982
The scoreline was emphatic and so was the performance as Ian Rush cashed in on some poor defensive organisation from the Toffees. The Welshman recalls: “I was helped the day I scored four by Everton playing the offside trap and not doing it very well.”
There were even more gaps for Rush to find after Blues defender Glenn Keeley was sent off after 20 minutes for bringing down Kenny Dalglish. Bob Paisley had taken Rush aside before the match to say that no one had scored a hat-trick in the derby for decades. Talk about taking a hint…
8. Everton's King for a Day
Everton 1-0 Liverpool, October 1978
It had been 15 matches and seven years since Everton had beaten their city neighbours when the teams strolled out on a sunny Autumnal day in 1978. Andy King may have been from Luton, but Everton adopted him as of their own when his 20-yard drive sped past Ray Clemence.
After the match had finished, the BBC’s Richard Duckenfield tried to conduct an interview which made it to the immortal words: “Andy King…..” before being interrupted by a zealous policeman who barked: “Can you get off the pitch?! Come on! Get off the pitch!” Everton were actually unbeaten for the first 19 games of that season but were unable to catch Bob Paisley’s runaway train of a team.
Next: Everton robbed by 'The Book'
7. SAS destroy Everton
Liverpool 4-0 Everton, January 2014
Just a couple of months after their 3-3 thriller at Goodison, the two teams met again when they were virtually neck and neck in the running for a Champions League place. As soon as a pumped-up Steven Gerrard nodded in the opener, there was only one winner as Liverpool raced three goals clear in the first 35 minutes thanks to a Daniel Sturridge brace. Luis Suarez added a fourth early in the second half, and Sturridge could even afford the luxury of taking the worst-ever penalty in a derby.
Liverpool stormed Arsenal in the same manner just 10 days later to set up a title charge of 11 wins on the spin. So close...
6. Everton robbed by 'The Book'
Everton 2-2 Liverpool, FA Cup semi-final, April 1977
Evertonians still feel robbed almost four decades on from this cup semi-final encounter at Maine Road. Liverpool were on course for the title and their first European Cup, but their flow was interrupted by torrid weather and a resilient Everton side who had just lost an epic League Cup final against Aston Villa.
The Reds took the lead twice through an exquisite Terry McDermott chip and then Jimmy Case, but were pulled back by Duncan McKenzie's strike and a Bruce Rioch effort eight minutes from time. In the dying moments, Blues forward Bryan Hamilton turned in a cross from Ronny Goodlass to claim what they thought was the win.
But Clive Thomas, the Welsh referee nicknamed 'The Book', saw an infringement that no one else in the ground did. Liverpool skipper Emlyn Hughes couldn’t spot anything wrong with it either, but remembered with a trademark chuckle: "The thing was that when the goal was disallowed and the game finished 2-2 they knew they couldn't beat us in the replay." They didn’t. Liverpool won 3-0 but lost to Manchester United in the final.
5. Luis dives to prove a point
Everton 2-3 Liverpool, October 2012
The pre-match talk from David Moyes was that Luis Suarez went down too easily. The Uruguayan clearly took umbrage at the suggestion and started this match at Goodison on fire, his shot leading to a Leighton Baines own goal. Suarez immediately turned for the touchline, swallow-diving in front of the Everton boss.
Moyes later snapped: “If it had been me, I might have done it to him as well. He might have to dive in front of a lot of managers now.” Liverpool’s No.7 scored a second to make it 2-0, but their leaky defence couldn’t even hold to half-time as Leon Osman and Steven Naismith pulled it back to all square. Suarez scored what seemed like a perfectly good goal in injury-time but was denied a final belly flop by the linesman’s flag.
4. Epic cup final unites Merseyside after Hillsborough
Liverpool 3-2 Everton, FA Cup final, May 1989
A game was played in the shadow of the Hillsborough disaster. John Aldridge, who had struggled with the idea of ever returning to football after the events at Sheffield five weeks earlier, opened the scoring after just four minutes following a sweeping move. The remaining 85 were a long, slow prelude to an unexpectedly dramatic finale, with Liverpool dominating but unable to land the decisive blow in searing heat.
Stuart McCall bundled in a last-gasp equaliser to take the match into extra-time. Ian Rush came on to refresh a tired Liverpool as he fired into the top corner, only for McCall to expertly bring down the ball and volley another equaliser. Rush had the last word, though, with a header steered past a distraught Neville Southall.
The match was memorable for its total unity between supporters. The Guardian wrote: “Red and blue scarves were waved by people who climbed trees, lamp-posts and bus shelters. Hybrid scarves along the way read: Liverpool and Everton. We will remember April 15, 1989.”
Next: King Kenny's dethroning
3. Kenny abdicates after defensive shambles
Everton 4-4 Liverpool, FA Cup 5th Round Replay, February 1991
A tumultuous game for what happened on the pitch and after the match. The bare facts were this: Liverpool took the lead four times, only for the home side to equalise on each occasion. Peter Beardsley, Graeme Sharp and Tony Cottee all scored twice in a game that made Liverpool’s current back four look as safe as houses.
Howard Kendall conceded that Liverpool scored “four great goals, while we scrambled four”. It was a point that would resonate with Kenny Dalglish, who admitted: “After we took the lead for the final time, I knew I had to make a change to shore things up at the back. I could see what had to be done, and what would happen if I didn’t, but I didn't act on it. That was the moment I knew I was shattered.”
Dalglish resigned two days later. Everton won the replay 1-0 and Liverpool failed to retain the league title. It was the beginning of the end of the Reds' domestic domination.
2. Six-goal slugfest but no knockout punch
Everton 3-3 Liverpool, November 2013
Roberto Martinez and Brendan Rodgers were stuck in attack mode during the 2013/14 season, and for a large period of time this philosophy worked a treat for both clubs. This flawed but fabulous six-goal thriller had no respite whatsoever, with an unmarked Philippe Coutinho putting the Reds ahead only for Kevin Mirallas to equalise just minutes later.
Luis Suraez’s sneakily placed free-kick restored the advantage, but Joe Allen missed an open goal from eight yards out which swayed the course of the match; Romelu Lukaku suddenly hit full flight and powered up with a double that seemed certain to claim the points. But it wasn't to be. Rodgers threw Daniel Sturridge into the mix and his guided header from Steven Gerrard’s free-kick flew into the corner in the 89th minute.
Even then, there was still time for chances at both ends. It was like a breathless boxing match with punches thrown after the bell.
1. Gary Mac sneaks it late
Everton 2-3 Liverpool, April 2001
There were five goals, two controversial penalties, 12 bookings, a sending off and a 44-yard winner in this pulsating derby. Emile Heskey opened the scoring but raging bull Duncan Ferguson equalised just before half-time. Markus Babbel regained the lead for the Reds but when Robbie Fowler rolled his penalty against the post a minute later, Everton surged back to equalise with a spot-kick of their own. In between, the Frankenstein lookalike Igor Biscan was sent off. Liverpool were in their treble year of UEFA Cup, League Cup and FA Cup. Everything was coming off for Gerard Houllier’s team, most notably the signing of the 35-year-old Gary McAllister from Coventry. When a free-kick was awarded in the 94rd minute at 2-2, the Scot rolled the ball forward a few extra yards - as you do when the ref isn’t looking - and hit the ball inches inside the unsuspecting Paul Gerrard’s right hand post. The look on Houllier’s face was a picture…
- READ THIS One-on-One with... Gary McAllister
