Everton strike late to hold Liverpool in last derby at Goodison Park / Photo: Paul ELLIS - AFP
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Everton strike late to hold Liverpool in last derby at Goodison Park
James Tarkowski struck in the 98th minute to salvage a 2-2 draw for Everton against Liverpool in a dramatic final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park on Wednesday.
Liverpool edge seven points clear at the top of the Premier League but were denied a vital win by Tarkowski's blistering strike after Mohamed Salah put Arne Slot's men in front.
Abdoulaye Doucoure, Curtis Jones and Slot were then sent off as tempers flared at the final whistle on a night Liverpool will come to regret if they do not go on to lift a record-equalling 20th English top flight title.
Everton are set to move to a new 53,000 capacity stadium in Liverpool's Bramley Moore Dock next season and gave their home since 1892 a night to remember against their local rivals.
Liverpool's quest for a quadruple came unstuck with a shock FA Cup exit to second-tier strugglers Plymouth on Sunday.
Slot made 10 changes as he resorted to his strongest available side with Salah and Virgil van Dijk among those who had been afforded the weekend off.
Everton's own FA Cup exit to Bournemouth on Saturday had punctured some of their momentum since David Moyes' return for a second spell in charge.
The Toffees had won their previous three Premier League games to pull nine points clear of the relegation zone and got off to a flying start.
Liverpool were caught napping on 11 minutes by a quick free-kick by Jarrad Branthwaite to free Beto, who beat Alisson Becker for his third goal in two league games.
The visitors could have been swept away in the feverish atmosphere early on but the Reds immediate response was the making of champions.
Alexis Mac Allister started and finished the move as the diminutive Argentine midfielder ghosted into the penalty area to head in Salah's teasing cross.
- Salah strikes -
Everton then suffered a huge blow as their creative hub Iliman Ndiaye limped off in tears after a long stoppage.
The first half never recovered its flow amid a flurry of fouls and yellow cards as the Premier League fixture with the most red cards in history threatened to boil over once more.
Everton started the better once more in the second period. Doucoure wasted a great chance to retake the lead when he headed wide when unmarked inside the area.
The home crowd briefly erupted once more when Branthwaite fired home only for the celebrations to be cut short by the offside flag.
Slot was growing visibly frustrated with his side's lack of penetration going forward and turned to his bench for an impact with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jones and Darwin Nunez sent on to find a winner.
The changes worked as Salah delivered what looked like a potential title-clinching moment.
Jones and Nunez exchanged a one-two and when the midfielder's shot was blocked by Branthwaite, it fell kindly for Salah to prod in his 27th goal of the season.
Only a brilliant save by JOrdan Pickford crucially denied Salah a second late on.
And Everton rallied when Liverpool failed to deal with a hopeful ball into the box and it fell to centre-back Tarkowski to fire into the top corner.
A lengthy VAR check followed for offside and Everton fans had to be cleared off the pitch before the game could restart.
When it did there was more fireworks as Doucoure and Jones were both shown a second yellow card for clashing after the Everton midfielder celebrated in front of the travelling Liverpool support.
Slot was also shown red for his protests towards referee Michael Oliver.
M.F.Schmitz--JdB
