Liverpool fans teased their Merseyside rivals Everton with a Rafa Benitez themed chant during their 2-0 victory at Anfield on Monday evening.
The Reds earned their first Premier League win since the New Year as goals from Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo either side of half-time saw them ease past Sean Dyche’s struggling Toffees. Whilst it is too early to say that Liverpool are back on track - Jurgen Klopp’s men still sitting ninth in the Premier League table - it gave supporters plenty to celebrate given their opponents.
Supporters at Anfield fired a brutal shot at their Everton counterparts as they loudly sung former boss Rafa Benitez’s name during the second-half of the showdown. The Spaniard is an iconic figure for Liverpool after winning the FA Cup and the Champions League during a six-year spell with the club. But his decision to manage Everton cast shade on his Liverpool achievements.
And he is also now not remembered fondly with Everton. He was appointed at Goodison Park ahead of the 2021/22 season and was faced with instant resistance from supporters.
Despite a bright start, he was sacked just six months into his deal following a horrendous run of form and left the club embroiled in a battle to avoid relegation. That was a fight they only narrowly won under his eventual replacement Frank Lampard.
Liverpool fans certainly did not miss the opportunity to remind Everton supporters of Benitez’s contributions to their rivals with many singing his name. Before the clash itself, the 62-year-old opened up on his spell with both the Reds and Everton.
Writing in the Crossing the Park: The Men Who Dared to Play for Both Liverpool and Everton book, he said: "When I first arrived at Anfield I was surprised by the people, they were very friendly, they tried to help with adapting to the new place from day one. Then at Everton, there were a lot of friendly people, but the difference was that some looked at you differently, they couldn't forget the past with Liverpool.
"I feel at home in Merseyside, my family is completely at home here and that is important. The Liverpool fans are still kind and close today, many of the Everton fans know what actually happened and are, let's say, friendly."
He added: "I don't think that managing Everton tarnished my reputation at Anfield; the Liverpool fans understood that my family and my home are here and that I hadn't been managing for a while, so many accepted this.
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"At the start, many of the Everton fans saw it as an opportunity to take advantage of my experience to reach another level, but others still didn't see it clearly. I think this has settled a bit now.
"I can't say I'm more Liverpool or Everton today. Logically, in six years there were a lot of highs at Liverpool, but I still have good friends amongst the Everton fans."
Those claims left Liverpool icon Jamie Carragher shocked and issued his response via Twitter in the form of two surprised emojis.
