Liverpool

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Former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock says there has been a drop-off in performances in the second half of the season and warns they will not want to "limp over the line" after such a strong run at the top of the table.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast, Warnock acknowledged a terrific bit of skill from Diogo Jota was required to break down Everton's stubborn backline on Wednesday at Anfield.

"When you think about the way Liverpool have played this year," he said, "the first half of the season was very controlled and organised so teams found it difficult to break them down. That has been a bit different since the start of this new year.

"What we are seeing now is that teams are finding ways to get at them and find a way through.

"They rode their luck a little bit against Everton, stayed in the game and waited for the opportunity that can give them that moment of magic.

"Of the front three, Luis Diaz was the bright spark but had no end product and Mohamed Salah was non-existent. That is a concern for Liverpool.

"You can't limp across the line with your strikers not being at your best. They are making it harder for themselves."

Warnock also highlighted a drop in intensity from those behind the forwards as being something to worry boss Arne Slot.

"My main concern is the three midfielders look dead on their feet," he said. "Alexis Mac Allister doesn't look anywhere near the player he was and his passing control in games has run away from him a little bit. Ryan Gravenberch doesn't look like he can get back at players which is different to the driving runs we saw up until the new year.

"Slot has struggled to rotate that area more than he would have liked to. I think we will see back-up for those positions come in so that he can rotate.

"It is difficult because if you are a successful team then by the end of the season all the minutes you have played catch up with you. That is what we are seeing."

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Nat Hayward
BBC Sport journalist

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game at Fulham (14:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Slot confirmed Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez "will not be back in the coming weeks" and Conor Bradley "will have to wait and see if he will be with the squad on Sunday."

• On Alisson's fitness: "For Ali, it is a concussion so you have to follow the protocol and tick boxes. The moment he does, he will be in goal."

• Asked if Curtis Jones could continue at right-back after playing there in Wednesday's win over Everton, Slot said: "Curtis is an option because he did well. It depends if players are coming back. It is good to have versatile players in different positions, Curtis is definitely one of them and has a skillset where he can defend and attack. Some want to stay in their comfort zone but Curtis wants the challenge."

• He added a squad fitness update: "The boys still haven't come in yet [for training]. I hope because [Alexis] Mac Allister finished the game that it's all good but sometimes adrenaline can help you and when you've had a sleep you do feel something. I hope everyone is ready to play again from the ones who were on the pitch yesterday."

• On Wednesday's goalscorer Diogo Jota's "special quality": "For most players, if they think they can score, they get mixed up in their head. He stays calm in those moments and knows where he has to shoot and what the goalkeeper might expect."

• On the PGMOL saying the decision not to send off James Tarkowski for the challenge on Mac Allister was a mistake: "It's always good that if they think they made a mistake, they acknowledge that. We all know mistakes are being made in a football match and it's good they acknowledged. But it was so clear - so many pundits who are not Liverpool fans were clear about it as well."

• On how close Liverpool feel to winning the Premier League: "We felt yesterday how hard it is to win a Premier League game. It tells you that with eight games to go, every game is a challenge - starting with Fulham, who are having a very good season as well. We are not working on theories about how many points - we are taking the challenge of Fulham."

Follow all of Thursday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

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We asked for your views on Liverpool's Premier League win over against Everton.

Here are some of your comments:

Liverpool fans

Tommy: Hard-won game with Everton parking the bus and time-wasting. Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah's form has dropped dramatically and both were carried throughout the match while Andy Robertson and Ibou Konate were best at the back. Luis Diaz was like a wasp at a picnic and Dominik Szoboszlai never stopped running. We do need to play better though.

Tyra: Not a great performance but we'll take the three points. If one of our players did what James Tarkowski did, it would have been a straight red immediately without any need for VAR. Ridiculous.

Ken: It was never going to be easy against this Everton team and their tactics so it feels even more satisfying to come out on top after a war of attrition. The team was the star here in battling for every ball. That said, the standard of officiating on the pitch and in the VAR booth was woeful again.

Tim: On the whole we deserved the win but I was concerned how easy our centre-backs were beaten by Beto. Poor defending by both at times and they are world class . And what has happened to Salah? It was like playing with 10 men. That said three hard-fought points and we move on.

Yusuf: Great way to bounce back from a difficult period and no better opponent than our enemies across Stanley Park. Diaz gave 100% throughout and it was a well-taken goal from Jota. And please cut Salah some slack - he has been quiet recently but that is just natural - he's not going to score or assist every game. Just need to keep the machine going for another eight games.

Everton fans

Lee: A decent hard-working performance, and definitely a red card! But the game was won by a goalscorer, which sadly is something we lack! Tough run of games to play but it's in our own hands to stay up.

Mozza: Decent performance but was expecting more. Doucoure and Harrison were a complete waste of time and should not get on the pitch again this season. We should play Broja or Chermiti instead of Beto if they are going to be the future.

Jeff: We could - and might even should - have been ahead with Beto's chance. That's the crucial moment in the match for me. Not the two VAR decicions. But on those matters: Tarkowski was lucky to get away with a yellow and he defended clumsily for their goal. Instead of critising the VAR for a possible offside, we should rather be critical at Tarkowski. He has become a liability this season.

Barry: The right result. We didn't create too much and the massive difference of Liverpool's spend on their squad compared to ours ultimately showed through. Might have been different if Beto had scored rather than hitting the post, but the gulf in class will need to be closed if we hope to get anywhere near European spots, starting with a major overhaul this summer.

Alan: Not the best performance from Everton but considering the injuries list it wasn't bad. I'll take a 1-0 defeat at Anfield by the champions elect. But we must invest in the summer.

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Shamoon Hafez
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Even Everton manager David Moyes considered his captain James Tarkowski "lucky" to stay on the pitch.

Explaining the decision, the Premier League Match Centre said on X: "The referee's call of yellow card for a reckless foul by Tarkowski was checked by the VAR, with contact on the follow through after Tarkowski had played the ball deemed to be reckless."

The key word here is "reckless", which according to the laws of the game merits a yellow card rather than a red.

However, Liverpool - and many onlookers - felt Tarkowski's challenge was not just reckless but also was made with excessive force.

According to law 12, as explained on the Football Association's website, "a tackle or challenge that endangers the safety of an opponent or uses excessive force or brutality must be sanctioned as serious foul play".

It continues: "Any player who lunges at an opponent in challenging for the ball from the front, from the side or from behind using one or both legs, with excessive force or endangers the safety of an opponent is guilty of serious foul play."

More on the talking points over here

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The earliest date Liverpool could win their 20th league title is 20 April, when they play Leicester away.

The Reds, who have lost just once in the league this season, need 13 points out of a possible 24 to guarantee the title, with Arsenal only able to obtain a maximum of 85 points.

To win in 17 days' time, Arsenal need to lose their next two matches against Everton and Brentford, and third-placed Nottingham Forest need to drop points against either Aston Villa or Everton, with Liverpool beating Fulham and West Ham in that time.

That would leave Arsenal 18 points behind Liverpool with 18 points left to play for, and a point against Leicester would be enough for Liverpool to claim the title.

Statisticians Opta give Liverpool a 99.2% chance of winning the title. Arsenal, who are 12 points behind, have just a 0.8% chance of finishing top.

Twelve points could also be enough given Liverpool's goal difference is vastly superior to Arsenal's (currently +43 to +30).

Image source, The Mirror / The Times

The Merseyside derby rarely disappoints and Wednesday's didn't either.

Diogo Jota's goal, which Everton boss David Moyes insisted should have been ruled out for offside, was all that separated the two sides at Anfield as Liverpool edged closer a 20th top-flight title.

But before that moment of magic from Jota, there was another controversial incident with Everton defender James Tarkowski fortunate to stay on the pitch for his challenge on Alexis Mac Allister.

Tarkowski received only a yellow card and the video assistant referee (VAR) decided not to upgrade the tackle to a red card.

While praising Jota, Thursday's back pages are labelling it a "horror tackle" and questioning how it was not a red card.

Image source, Mail / Daily Telegraph

Highlights and analysis from nine midweek Premier League fixtures.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Arsenal 2-1 Fulham

• Nottingham Forest 1-0 Man Utd

• Liverpool 1-0 Everton

• Newcastle 2-1 Brentford

Liverpool, Arsenal and Nottingham Forest are interested in Algeria striker Mohamed Amoura, 24, who is currently on loan at Wolfsburg from Union St-Gilloise (L'Equipe - in French), external

The Reds have also been in contact with representatives of Japan winger Takefusa Kubo, 23, and could make a move in the summer if Real Sociedad fail to qualify for Europe.(Teamtalk), external

Meanwhile, Mohamed Salah, 32, is set to extend his contract at Anfield after all. (Foot Mercato - in French), external

Manchester United and Newcastle are showing interest in Como's 19-year-old Senegal winger Assane Diao. (Caught Offside, external)

The Reds and Chelsea want to sign 19-year-old Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen this summer, but will face competition from Real Madrid for the £50m-rated Spain international. (Independent), external

Finally, 19-year-old Scotland winger Ben Doak, who is on loan at Middlesbrough, could move to Everton this summer in a £30m deal.(Football Insider), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Liverpool boss Arne Slot, speaking to Sky Sports: "A very, very difficult team to play against because of their playing style. That's not only for us, but for every team because they were nine games unbeaten.

"A very good manager has brought them back to life. The amount of shots they blocked, the effort they put in to defend inside their own box, and then the threat they had on the counter-attack - so difficult to play against. But our boys showed immense character, I think we created more than in the away game, and in the end we scored a good goal and kept a clean sheet.

"I liked much more what I saw here than the away game. I could feel that we were getting closer, but there's a reason they hardly ever concede a goal or a chance. They bring so many bodies back, and they have players who are so good at blocking shots. We knew if we wanted to win this game we had to keep a clean sheet. To score more than one goal would have been very hard."

On the James Tarkowski VAR decision: "Alexis [Mac Allister] is OK because he kept on playing. He's used to something because he's from South America.

"I think everybody has said something about it, so why should I add to it. It's so obvious that it's not necessary for me to comment. I'd prefer to talk about the goal or Curtis Jones' performance or something else."

On Diogo Jota's goal: "It's not easy to score against them. Great goal, according to the rules it was a goal so no one can complain about that. There is always question marks, but the good thing is we've got rules. At least they just showed on TV that it's a clear goal.

"I would be frustrated if I concede that goal, but then I'm frustrated about the rule and not the execution of the rule. The rule itself is frustrating because I think you always have to help, in my opinion, the offensive team."

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Liverpool have lost just one of their past 25 home Premier League matches against Everton (W15 D9) - a 2-0 defeat in 2020-21.

This was the Reds' first 1-0 Premier League win at Anfield since May 2023 against Brentford – between that win and tonight, they had won at home with seven different scorelines.

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Liverpool's goalscorer Diogo Jota, speaking to Sky Sports: "Massive, of course. Not only because it is a derby, but because of the international break.

"It was important to start with three points and hopefully that gives us momentum for the rest of the season.

"I always believe in myself and believe that the chances will come. The three points was the most important today."

On the title race: "The only way is to keep winning games."

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Liverpool's performance

What did you make of Everton's display?

Come back to this page on Thursday to find a selection of your replies

Six matches make up Wednesday's Premier League action and BBC Sport will bring you every kick.

• Bournemouth v Ipswich

• Brighton v Aston Villa

• Man City v Leicester City

• Newcastle v Brentford - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Southampton v Crystal Palace

• Liverpool v Everton (20:00) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

All kick-off times 19:45 BST unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

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"Things happen in football" so Liverpool cannot take "anything for granted" as they head into the Merseyside derby, says former striker John Aldridge.

The Reds sit top of the Premier League table with a nine-point cushion over second-placed Arsenal, with a game in hand.

With the league title their one remaining trophy to play for this season, Liverpool will be looking to reinstate their 12-point lead when they host city rivals Everton on Wednesday.

"Liverpool have [something to worry about]. We're in a tricky situation which we haven't been in all season," Aldridge told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"We've lost a bit of confidence, going out to PSG and then Newcastle deservedly winning the [League] Cup, with a couple of dodgy games in between. They've gone off the boil a little bit.

"We shouldn't have any problems being nine points clear with a game in hand, but things happen in football.

"I don't take anything for granted. The points are there to be had and we need to make sure we don't slip up."

The Toffees have a poor recent record at Anfield and boss David Moyes has never won there in his managerial career. However, Aldridge feels the form of both sides will give them confidence.

"I've spoke to a couple of Everton fans and they fancy themselves for the first time in a long time against Liverpool," he added.

"They will look at the Newcastle game. A lot of things will come out of that game tonight for Everton - corners in particular, free-kicks, make it scrappy in midfield, don't let Liverpool get any fluency.

"Anfield is not Goodison Park - that is a cauldron at times but Anfield is a cauldron in itself. It will be tough, but if we play well then we will win the game."

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The Athletic's Liverpool reporter James Pearce believes the memories of the final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park will be "looming large" when the Reds host Everton on Wednesday.

There were four red cards handed out after full-time of the 2-2 draw, including for Arne Slot and his assistant Sipke Hulshoff.

Since then, Liverpool have extended their lead at the top of the Premier League but been knocked out of the Champions League last 16 by Paris St-Germain and beaten in the Carabao Cup final by Newcastle

"There was definitely a burning sense of injustice in terms of some of the decisions that went against Liverpool," Pearce said. "We saw those emotions bubble over.

"There's definitely that sense of Liverpool owing Everton one.

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"The biggest thing for Liverpool going into this derby is they have to learn lessons from that Newcastle game. If you're Everton, you would look at what Newcastle did and the blueprint is there.

"They broke the game up, there wasn't much fluency and they were physical and combative. They outmuscled and outfought Liverpool and caused them a lot of problems from set-pieces.

"Liverpool can't let it become the game Everton want it to be in the same way they allowed Newcastle to dictate things at Wembley.

"I think there will be an element of those memories from Goodison looming large when Liverpool take to the pitch on Wednesday night."

Listen to the full chat on BBC Sounds

Liverpool have had a break since going out of the Champions League and losing the Carabao Cup final, and I don't think we will see them wobble here. Quite the opposite in fact, now their focus is just on the Premier League.

The Reds also felt wronged by Everton's late equaliser at Goodison Park in February so there will be all of that bubbling under, and Arne Slot's side will feel they have a point to prove.

They are going to put Everton under all sorts of pressure, but the Toffees will be well organised defensively and have an eye on a counter-attack too.

Everton boss David Moyes has transformed a team that was lacking belief, and he would love nothing more than to go to Anfield and get something.

I am expecting a typical derby, in that I would not be surprised if this is another emotional game as well as an explosive one, with maybe a couple of players losing their heads.

There will be plenty of drama along the way, but I am pretty sure Liverpool will be back to their best form and end up taking the three points.

Sutton's prediction: 2-0

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