Liverpool’s dramatic 94th minute Merseyside derby win

Liverpool improved in the second half, but solid attacking football remained rare. We were very aggressive.

Ronald Koeman seemingly remains safe in his job with the Toffees however, as he’s a 25/1 chance to be the next Premier League manager to leave his post.

“James played well in the first 45 minutes, but he was not sure about his hamstring and we couldn’t take that risk”, Koeman said.

Liverpool players celebrate Sadio Mane’s winning goal over Everton.

While there were a lack of clear cut goal-scoring opportunities in the first period, Everton just shaded it due to their superiority off the ball, and deserved to have a lead come the end of the first half. Obviously a derby match will bring out the best in the players, but as they did against Arsenal, the Toffees looked interested in grinding out a result.

Adam Lallana is playing with more confidence in the Liverpool side this season, according to Jamie Redknapp.

Everton were suddenly opened up on their left flank, with Nathaniel Clyne being offered a Carlos Alberto-sized overlap. “We gave them no chance”.

Seamus Coleman had arguably been Everton’s most committed and effective player by that point, constantly surging down the right and looking for space to cross, but generally finding Ragnar Klavan and Dejan Lovren in charge in the middle. “So we didn’t have a lot but we had our moments and second half we had more, much better, could have scored earlier”, said Juergen Klopp, Liverpool manager.

Jurgen Klopp wasn’t a fan of the flares thrown onto the pitch when Liverpool scored our last minute victor against Everton on Monday night.

Only twice in the last 12 years have Liverpool been in the top two on Christmas day – the last time was three years ago when Brendan Rodgers’s side came so close.

However, Daniel Sturridge’s addition turned the fortunes around for Liverpool and they kept pushing till they got their deserved victor late into the second half.

Meanwhile, Klopp felt his team could have played the final 20 minutes against 10 men after Ross Barkley’s rash challenge on Jordan Henderson.

Merseyside derbies are notoriously feisty affairs with 27 red cards dished out in the history of the fixture and Origi reckons the Reds will ready.

He said: “I don’t like the flares too much”.

The game looked to be heading for a goalless draw until deep into eight minutes of stoppage time when Sturridge, returning as an 82nd-minute substitute after a calf injury, ran across the area and rolled a shot against the post from which Sadio Mane followed up to score. Following an impressive start under new manager Ronald Koeman, Everton had won just one of its last 10 matches to foster a growing mood of discontent at a club that has always been cast in the shadow of its neighbor from across the city.