Going into Wednesday night’s Merseyside derby, Liverpool were unbeaten at Goodison Park since 2010 - however, they’d won just two of those 10 games.
It was a curious record, with Jurgen Klopp therefore praising his side post-match for having been able to avoid the emotion of a derby to record their biggest victory away to Everton in 39 years.
“The two derbies for us against Everton and United are big games and you have to learn to keep yourself calm and together if you want to play your best football,” he praised after the emphatic 4-1 win.
“We are a very emotional football team but, first and foremost, you need the right mood and mindset.”
Liverpool certainly had the right mood and mindset, racing into a 2-0 lead and eventually coming away with their biggest win against their neighbours since 1982.
By the time Klopp was fist-pumping in front of the away end, the only Evertonians left in Goodison were those spitting their anger at chairman Bill Kenwright.
It was an enjoyable trip across the park for Kopites, so let’s take a look at where it ranks in Liverpool’s top five wins at Goodison…
5. Everton 1-4 Liverpool (September 1986)
Not many teams get to lift a trophy at the home of their nearest rivals.
Liverpool did it in 1986 with the ‘English Super Cup’ - a competition set up after English teams were banned from Europe, featuring Liverpool, Everton, Man United, Tottenham, Norwich and Southampton.
After a group phase that started in September 1985 and with semi-finals in spring of ’86, the two-leg final took place between the Reds and Blues at the start of the following season.
Liverpool ran out 3-1 winners in the first leg at Anfield, then went one better with a 4-1 win in the second leg at Goodison.
Sadly, after such a result in the first leg, there were only 26,000 there to see Ian Rush slot a hat-trick, and even fewer by the time captain Alan Hansen lifted the ‘silverware’. Oh, and a cash prize of… £2,000 (yes, two thousand pounds).
4. Everton 0-3 Liverpool (December 1969)
"I’ve waited 10 years for this result,” beamed the legendary Bill Shankly after this one. “We’ve beaten Everton before but never at Goodison in the League. It’s a great feeling.”
Over 57,000 were there to witness Liverpool’s first league win at Goodison in 19 years - in part due to the Reds being in the second division for much of that time. There had, though, been a 4-0 FA Cup win in that time.
It was an Everton side featuring greats like Howard Kendall, Joe Royle and Alan Ball, while Liverpool had Emlyn Hughes, Ron Yeats, Ian Callaghan and Ian St. John among their ranks.
The Reds inflicted Everton’s first home defeat of the season, with The Guardian’s match report saying of Liverpool that they “never do things by halves” - something that certainly rings true to this day.
3. Everton 1-4 Liverpool (December 2021)
We’re bringing in Klopp’s class of 2021 in third place, but with time it might well rank higher. It had it all, with the Reds’ former European Cup winning manager and first man in the modern era to manage both sides, Rafa Benitez in the home side’s dugout.
Klopp’s side produced a masterclass, becoming the first team in English football history to score two or more goals in 18 consecutive matches.
Mo Salah notched two to take his tally to 19 goals by the first day of December.
2. Everton 0-5 Liverpool (November 1982)
‘Rush scored one, Rush scored two, Rush scored three and Rush scored four. Na na na na na’
This match is still referenced on the Kop on every match day. Some say this is where the joke ‘Five past Southall’ (or whichever chosen goalkeeper) began.
Liverpool were absolutely dominant in England and Europe at the time, this being in the midst of three consecutive title-winning seasons and the year after the Reds’ third European Cup. A fourth was added two years later, too.
It was only 1-0 at half-time, but a red card for the home side before the break eventually saw Liverpool profit, with Rush completing his hat-trick midway in the second half then adding the fourth late on. The Reds' other goalscorer was the unlikely source of Mark Lawrenson.
It remains the biggest win by an away side in a Merseyside derby since 1914.
1. Everton 2-3 Liverpool (April 2001)
This classic from Liverpool’s treble-cup winning campaign comes out on top for sheer drama.
Another that is immortalised in song by Kopites singing about Gary Macca’s 'baldy head' and his ‘derby goal’ - scored from all of 44 yards out in the fourth minute of stoppage time. Cut to Gerard Houllier’s beaming face, mouth wide open, arms aloft on the sidelines in disbelief.
When McAllister stepped up to take the free-kick, Everton ‘keeper Paul Gerrard clearly didn’t expect him to shoot, but the veteran midfielder spotted a gap and deliciously bent it over the wall and into the bottom corner.
Liverpool were pushing on all fronts and the season was littered with these dramatic moments as they went on to win the FA Cup and UEFA Cup then qualify for the Champions League for the first time - all inside one week the following month.
“It not only won us the derby,” recalled assistant manager Phil Thompson. “But gave us real belief that we could get into the Champions League and reestablish the club among the biggest and best in Europe. It was huge.”
It was an incredible ending to an Easter Monday feast of football that had seen goals from Emile Heskey, Markus Babbel, Duncan Ferguson and David Unsworth before it.
A truly incredible game and finish.
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