Liverpool’s loss of composure after the final whistle at a boiling Goodison Park was absolutely normal, according to Virgil van Dijk. He was speaking in relation to Abdoulaye Doucouré’s provocative celebrations in front of the Liverpool support. Liverpool’s loss of control before the final whistle, however, was not normal for an Arne Slot team, though it also fuelled the anger that exploded on their final trip across Stanley Park.
There was comfort amid the mayhem of the last Merseyside derby at Goodison for Liverpool in the form of a seven-point lead over striker-less Arsenal at the top of the Premier League. There were also questions to be asked of Liverpool’s second successive below-par performance at the home of their oldest rivals. The visitors at least departed with a valuable point on this occasion but deserved no more, however much the manner of James Tarkowski’s 98th-minute equaliser stung.
