The only consolation for Jurgen Klopp was that it was not far from him to return home. Safe by the water in Formby to reflect on the night when their last great title challenge in English football may well have been washed away by a blue tide of desire and longing.
Is this really it for Klopp and Liverpool? Well, the league table puts them just three points behind leaders Arsenal. But Liverpool are moving rapidly in the wrong direction and the statistics tell their own story.
Four points from their last four league games have left them in need of miracles that simply don’t usually happen when Manchester City are involved.
With Arsenal fueled by renewed fervor and City with two games in hand, there is surely no turning back for the third horse in the race. So it looks like Klopp will leave Anfield with honor next month but not in glory. There were four trophies up for grabs at any given time. It looks like he will walk away with just one, the Carabao Cup.
And what a place for the house to finally collapse. Goodison Park, of all places. Klopp had not lost at the neighbors before and the timing of this defeat was catastrophic.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin doubled the home team’s lead in the 58th minute of the clash
Jarrad Branthwaite gave Everton a deserved lead after 27 minutes of a frantic Merseyside derby.
Liverpool missed the chance to draw level with Arsenal at the top of the Premier League
Everton were like this all night. Energetic, determined and eager to run. Sean Dyche’s team also played some good football. Liverpool enjoyed some great possession, but Everton were better in both penalty areas and in everything they took on tonight.
In the end, Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk and centre-forward Darwin Núñez appeared to sarcastically applaud referee Andrew Madley. They continued to give each other about low fives. It was a strange sight and really a very bad looking one.
Madley was not the cause of this defeat, while Núñez had missed another clear opportunity with the score at 0-1 and Van Dijk had failed to deal with Dominic Calvert-Lewin when the Everton striker headed in his team’s second goal. Therefore, a look in the mirror may be more appropriate.
But this is what happens when teams lose important games. The nerves are exhausted. Perception is distorted. The simple truth was that Liverpool had not been good enough. Their form has abandoned them when they needed it most and it may take them a little time to get over it.
Meanwhile, Everton look destined to end this traumatic and difficult season with Premier League status secured. They will play top-flight football at Goodison’s final season next time and there is something pleasing about that. It looks like it’s grown old, but on nights like this it’s a strange, old place.
From the beginning Goodison jumped and Everton responded. The match was frenetic and, while the home team took advantage of it, Liverpool suffered.
As they chased hardworking blue shadows in midfield, Liverpool couldn’t help but push, shove and dive inwards. And when they inevitably made their tackles, they were mistimed.
When Everton took the lead in the 26th minute, it was with their eighth free kick of the game. They had been threatening.
Liverpool had already been given an exit when Everton were denied a penalty for offside in the build-up.
The 21-year-old scored his third goal of a breakthrough Premier League campaign and sent Goodison Park into a frenzy.
Darwin Núñez had a glorious opportunity to tie his team with the majority of the goal open.
Jurgen Klopp was in almost constant dialogue with the fourth official in the first half after his team’s poor start.
In fact, Everton thought they were about to take the lead in the opening moments. A pass from the right flank by Jack Harrison caught Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson hot on his heels.
As the Brazilian ran out, he knocked Calvert-Lewin to the ground. It was a clear foul, but when VAR intervened, the freeze frame showed Calvert-Lewin was offside. No penalty.
Twenty minutes later, however, Everton took the lead. The VAR looked again, this time at Jarrad Branthwaite’s position when a hopeful ball was lifted over. But the defender was just on the right side of the line and, as such, his goal, which came after Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate deflected a subsequent loose ball into his path, stood.
Everton deserved the lead at that time. They had already gone close thanks to Abdoulaye Doucoure, who fired wide from close range, and Calvert-Lewin, whose header was deflected by Alisson. Everton defender Ben Godfrey also headed away a good opportunity.
The home team was impressive while the visitors were not. When Liverpool discovered some fluidity and started creating chances towards the end of the first half, they were unable to convert them.
Almost inevitably, given his recent form, Nunez was guilty on one occasion, running onto a nice Mo Salah pass only to fire into Jordan Pickford’s legs. Pickford did it again a minute before the break, this time denying Luis Díaz from a similar distance.
On both occasions, however, Pickford probably shouldn’t have had a chance and that was the case once again in first-half injury time when Nunez returned a ball to Salah from 16 yards out and the Egyptian fired wildly.
Everton held on for a bit during that period and a Liverpool goal could have turned it around. But Van Dijk could only head past Pickford early in the second half, while Andrew Robertson failed to finish off Alexis MacAllister’s shot.
Liverpool had possession, had numerical overloads and had corners. But they had no objectives. And when Alisson deflected Dwight McNeil’s long-range shot in the 58th minute, the Everton player flicked the resulting corner to the far post and Calvert-Lewin rose to head low and in.
Calvert-Lewin rose above the Liverpool defense to beat Alisson
The Toffees moved eight points clear of Luton in 17th place with just four Premier League games left to play.
Klopp has seen what appeared to be a fairytale ending to his time as Liverpool manager turn into a nightmare.
Sean Dyche achieved his third victory over Jurgen Klopp in his fifteenth meeting against the German
Who marked Everton’s most dangerous player? Robertson was close and so was Van Dijk. But nobody was really making life difficult for Calvert-Lewin and his final was as comfortable as it was decisive.
Liverpool tried to come back again and Díaz hit the post. But there were really no signs of a return to tell the grandchildren. Instead, at full time a new song had entered the Everton songbook.
“You lost the league at Goodison Park,” they sang. Klopp will hear it above the sound of the waves.