EVERTON manager Sean Dyche was understandably upset with the officials following Saturday’s Merseyside derby, in which Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate got away with a challenge that should have resulted in a second yellow card.
By that time, Everton had already had Ashley Young sent off in the first half for two bookable offences, but were still hanging on to a 0-0 draw with 10 men.
“I’d like to think there are a lot of fair-minded people in football and I think people who were here today would be stunned and that’s not a second yellow,” said Dyche of Konate’s challenge on Beto.
“Their manager, fair play to him, he took [Konate] off as quickly as he could after that.
“He’s realised they’ve got away with one there, I imagine. He couldn’t wait to get him off.”
Young’s sending-off didn’t change too much for Everton who defended with two banks of four before and after, and then came out in the second half in a narrow 5-3-2 in an attempt to stop Liverpool playing through the middle.
It worked to some extent and Liverpool were limited to trying shots from range.
These, along with numerous crosses, often lead to pinball in the penalty area, and there is always the danger one might hit a hand.
And when Michael Keane approached Luis Diaz with an outstretched arm, and when the subsequent cross hit it, there was only going to be one outcome once the referee went to the monitor to check the incident.
After some mind games between Mohamed Salah and Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, including the Everton goalkeeper’s penalty research detailed on his water bottle, Salah blasted the penalty into the corner while Pickford took a chance on it going down the middle.
In nine minutes of added time, with Everton making some attempt to chase the game, some space opened up for Liverpool substitute Darwin Nunez who stormed into it before feeding Salah for his second to seal the win.
