Moyes believes furious Goodison derby showed football should not be sanitised

David Moyes said of the 2-2 derby draw that ended with four red cards after full time: ‘So many people enjoyed that game in many ways.’ Photograph: Jason Cairnduff/Action Images/Reuters

David Moyes has said the enter­tainment provided by the most recent Merseyside derby is a prime ­example of why authorities must be careful not to “sanitise” Premier League football.

Everton and Liverpool meet again on Wednesday, 49 days after their tumul­tuous 2-2 draw in the final derby staged at Goodison Park. Four red cards were shown after the final whistle – to Curtis Jones, ­Abdoulaye Doucouré, Arne Slot and Slot’s assistant Sipke Hulshoff – after James Tarkowski’s 98th-minute equaliser sparked wild scenes at the end of a competitive and controversial game. The match itself, Moyes insists, is what many football fans want to see.