Liverpool went ahead, went behind and made a late comeback in a thrilling Merseyside derby against Everton. See player ratings here.
Simon Mignolet 9/10
Could do little about any of the goals despite a lax Liverpool defence, and made some vital and impressive saves. Distribution still needs work before he can be declared a better player than Pepe Reina.
Glen Johnson 6/10
Glen Johnson offered a decent outlet on the right, but almost appeared a bit too used to Liverpool’s 3-5-2 formation that he played more wing back than full back, and Everton often found successful avenues in the channels.
John Flanagan 5/10
John Flanagan ought to have been selected on the right flank, with Glen Johnson more accustomed to playing on the left.
Had a hard time dealing with the pace and skill of Kevin Mirallas and Gerard Deulofeu, and muscle of Romelu Lukaku.
Martin Skrtel 6/10
Martin Skrtel was lax in possession, and struggled positionally at times in a frantic match.
Daniel Agger 6/10
Romelu Lukaku was such a handful for the Liverpool defence that he kept both Skrtel and Daniel Agger occupied throughout.
Agger was more comfortable in possession than his centre back partner, but his lack of pace meant he too found it difficult against a rampant Everton attack full of pace.
Lucas Leiva 7/10
Lucas Leiva was part of a Liverpool midfield that played some impressive passing moves, but was occasionally overrun by the speed and intensity of the Everton side.
Leiva was still on hand to clean up on a couple of occasions when Everton broke through, and was the best player of the midfield three.
Steven Gerrard 6/10
Steven Gerrard provided brilliant set pieces, helping set up Philippe Coutinho’s opener and Daniel Sturridge’s late equaliser, but besides that it was one of his quieter performances in recent Merseyside derby memory.
Given the pace and fluidity of the Everton side, Gerrard occasionally looked his age, but his assists show he still has the capability to make the crucial difference.
Joe Allen 6/10
Joe Allen was industrious, passed with composure, and got forward well, but his small stature meant he could be shrugged off the ball, and a shocking miss from ten yards summed up his afternoon.
Philippe Coutinho 6/10
Philippe Coutinho has so much potential – he is a brilliant dribbler with fantastic vision.
However, the Brazilian rarely seems to grab games by the scruff of the neck, instead drifting in and out of the match after scoring the opener.
Luis Suarez 7/10
Luis Suarez had a difficult afternoon against a strong Everton defence, but took advantage of a gap in the wall to score a wonderful free kick goal to put Liverpool ahead.
It was one of his quieter games as the dynamism and bite of the game meant he was occasionally starved of support, but perhaps a horrific studs to the knee tackle from Kevin Mirallas played a part in his tempered performance.
Substitutes:
Daniel Sturridge 7/10
Daniel Sturridge came on as a substitute to score a fine header, and but for an offside flag could have grabbed another.
Had he not been injured, the famous SAS may well have started – and Suarez and Sturridge could well have been the difference over 90 minutes.
Victor Moses 6/10
Appeared late on and made some incisive runs, and ought to have scored a headed opportunity in the dying moments.
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