Everton captain James Tarkowski equalised deep into stoppage time to earn them a 2-2 Premier League draw against Liverpool in a dramatic final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park on Wednesday.
Liverpool extended their lead atop the league table to seven points over second-placed Arsenal with what had been their game in hand, while Everton climbed to 10 points above the drop zone in 15th.
And after 131 years of Goodison derbies, the draw was a fitting ending with the final tally totalling 41 wins apiece and 38 draws.
Liverpool looked poised for victory when Tarkowski struck in the 98th minute with a blistering shot into the top corner. Scores of fans piled onto the pitch before a lengthy VAR review ruled the goal was onside.
Everton’s Beto had the old stadium shaking with his 11th-minute goal, running onto a free kick that Jarrad Branthwaite cleverly slipped into the left side of the box and slotting the ball under the arm of goalkeeper Alisson.
The jubilation lasted all of five minutes as Alexis Mac Allister levelled, timing his run perfectly to meet Mohamed Salah’s cross then finishing with a glancing header to the bottom corner.
Both sides had chances in a chaotic match and Salah struck to give Liverpool the lead in the 73rd minute against the run of play. Everton struggled to clear and Branthwaite headed Curtis Jones’ shot into the path of Salah, who slammed the ball in.
–Reuters
