Everton vs. Liverpool score: Last Merseyside Derby at Goodison Park ends with dramatic late equalizer

The last Merseyside Derby in Goodison Park got the beautiful end of such a legendary rivalry. With a Houwisser from James Tarkowski who bonded the match 2-2 for the dying minutes, the way ends of title triumphs over the Stanley Park were silenced. The roar with the last whistle would make you think that Everton won it instead. You could hardly blame them.

It would have been so completely cruel if Everton had said goodbye to Liverpool in this way. The men of David Moyes were brilliant. Their aggression and energy yielded the Premier League leaders as nobody else has this season. Even Mohamed Salah at his best could only do so much, his goal and not helping enough to silence this big old ground. An all -powerful scrap interrupted by red cards at the end, held the friendly derby tag. It will not be the determining moment of saying goodbye to Goodison Park. Tarkowski’s thundering volley is one for the history books. Bramley Moore will certainly never sound like Goodison did tonight, long before the 99th minute equalizer.

Because of their noisy loyal, Everton was so over. They flew in every duel, each ball chased, knowing that a tackle, a header, even a grinding game would see them to the trusses. Nobody seemed like the opportunity as Beto, haunting the ball in the canals, so that Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk could never settle.

When he had to show a little more calm, he watches properly. Jarrad Branthwaite’s cute free kick from just within the Everton half pierced the space behind the high line of Liverpool. Beto had perfectly ruled his run to sneak behind Van Dijk instead of hit immediately, he let the ball over him and closer to Alisson, swing home with his stronger right foot before the Liverpool goalkeeper could reach him.

Maybe Everton was dragged along. Five minutes after hit their opener, the first passage of sloppy game of the hosts, a cavlacade of mistakes on the side that started with defenders who deposits Salah on the right flank, giving him room to look up and choose a man for his cross. Beto had not followed Mac Allister’s Run. Neither Branthwaite nor James Tarkowski took their husband, whose film with the back of his head should have really been caught by Jordan Pickford, who for some reason chose not to extend his arms.

Although they had had their foot on the ground, Liverpool struggled to control a game that was played on Everton. Lofts in the channel, second balls, full bloody tackles: those were the order of the day. Abdoulaye Doucoure and Beto were threats, even when Iliman Ndiaye was enforced with what seemed to be a knee injury, there was no loss in danger through the side of David Moyes. They continued to ask questions about the defense of Liverpool and were going to make mistakes. Conor Bradley, on a yellow card, was lucky that Michael Oliver opted against interfering when he polluted Doucoure.

It was not the only time that the fine margins preferred Liverpool. Branthwaite thought he won it when Everton won two headers from a corner, but Jake O’Brien had been offside when he was above Konate. Jack Harrison shuffled a shot just wide from the distant pole. When the filthy second goal came, it was on the other side. Tarkowski did not quite know a cross, but the impressive Branthwaite stood in the way of Curtis Jones on the rebound. Of course he could not determine where the deflection could fall, only his luck it was for Salah.

That felt like it would be. This has been a crooked rivalry for most of the last 30 years. It felt felt felt that the recent history had to be reflected with the 42nd derby victory of Liverpool in Goodison Park, making them a free of their hosts. But this was not one of those remediated modern derbys where the red side always seems to find a way. This was completely more blood and thunder. Everton would not be suppressed. A final cross thrown into the mixer. Konate was convinced that he had been pushed by Beto. He did not have and Vitaliy Mykolenko’s cross found Tarkowski on the rear post. He could try to replicate that he would never be so sweet again for 133 years.

Liverpool was glowing. Both Jones and Arne Slot saw red in the aftermath. Heads had disappeared. Following their FA Cup output in the hands of Plymouth, would this be the first sign of a wobbling of the League leaders? If so, that might be the only thing that could make this night sweeter for Evertonians. Even if that is not the case, those who were in Gwladys Street -end tonight, will never forget how Tarkowski delivered the perfect end of a derby that will stand there with one of the 119 others at Goodison.