Everton supporters have been accused of causing several thousand pounds worth of damage to Anfield during Sunday’s Merseyside derby defeat that kept Frank Lampard’s team in the bottom three.
Pictures and video posted online showed significant damage to bathrooms in the away end and a number of television screens smashed on the concourse. One video showed the ceilings above a section of urinals smashed, while a monitor displaying food and drink menus in addition to another broadcasting Sky Sports News were shattered. Mirror Football understands that both Liverpool and Everton are liasing around the incident. Merseyside Police have not replied to a request for comment.
Online rumours of a supporter being stabbed outside the ground Sunday evening were false. "Aware of a few posts on social media. I can confirm there was no stabbing incident in Stanley Park after today's game," confirmed the officer in charge of Merseyside Police's Everton account on Twitter.
Liverpool won the game 2-0 thanks to second half goals from Andrew Robertson and Divock Origi but the title chasers, who remain one point behind Manchester City with five games to play, made hard work against a team battling to preserve their status as Premier League ever presents.
"I've been in a relegation battle before, so I know what it's like," Robertson told Sky Sports afterwards. "It was tough, we started playing their game and not our own game. We weren't at our best. We had to focus on ourselves and be patient and create chances.
"Everton are fighting for every point they can get. We didn't create anything first half. We had to be patient and fortunately we got the goals. My first at the Kop end, it was an amazing feeling, I'm really pleased with all our contributions today and now we've got a tough week ahead."
Jurgen Klopp's side host Villarreal in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final on Wednesday evening before resuming league action away to Newcastle United on lunchtime Saturday.
Everton, meanwhile, host third-placed Chelsea on Sunday - the first time Lampard will have faced his former club since taking over at Goodison Park. They now sit two points behind Burnley but with a game in hand and Lampard, who has lost all seven away games in the job, left Anfield yesterday raging that winger Anthony Gordon was not awarded a penalty after going down in the area under pressure from Joel Matip with the game scoreless. Gordon had already been booked for diving.
“It is a penalty for me,” Lampard said. “You don’t get them here. If that was Mo Salah at the other end he gets a penalty. I’m not trying to create conflict; it’s just the reality of football. I have played in teams in the top half of the league – you get them. That was a penalty for sure. It’s a clear foul.”
