On Saturday at Goodison Park, the red and blue havles of Liverpool converged to put on with heck of a spectacle.
The pulsating 3-3 draw between Everton and Liverpool, watch above, showcased Premier League soccer at it’s finest. No doubt.
We had late goals, great goals and controversy galore as Roberto Martinez’ Toffees fought tough and nail with Brendan Rodgers’ high-flying Liverpool. After 90 minutes of exhausting end-to-end action, the 220th episode of the Merseyside derby had to go down as one of the greatest, certainly in modern history.
Let’s take a quick look back at some of the other classic matches this intense rivalry has thrown up in the past. Here’s three that could rival, or surpass, Saturday’s sensational draw.
1. FA Cup fifth-round replay, 1991 (Goodison Park) Everton 4-4 Liverpool (Everton won second replay 1-0)
This game had it all, what a tremendous cup tie. Just a few days earlier in the original tie the two teams drew 0-0 at Anfield, safe to say this one was a much better occasion as Peter Beardsley put Liverpool ahead only for Graeme Sharp to equalize a minute later. Beardsley then put Liverpool back ahead but Sharp again equalized, after a defensive mix up, to make it 2-2. Ian Rush popped up to put the away side ahead with just over 10 minutes left but Tony Cottee’s dramatic late equalizer sent the game into extra time. The goal of the game came from John Barnes as the England international smashed home a beauty from 30-yards but that fox-in-the-box Cottee scored five minutes from time to force another replay which saw Everton prevail. Can we do away with penalty kicks and just have endless replays return to the FA Cup? Thanks.
2. FA Cup final, 1989 (Wembley) - Liverpool 3-2 Everton
Back when the FA Cup meant much more than it does today, sorry soccer purists it’s true, this game was an incredible occasion down at the Old Wembley stadium. Underneath the famous twin towers fans of both Liverpool and Everton piled into the famous stands in North London after traveling down from Merseyside together. Then their two teams played out one of the finest FA Cup finals in memory. Add into the mix that this game came just five weeks after the Hillsborough disaster, both sets of fans behaved impeccably as they mourned those fans who perished in the tragedy during Liverpool’s semifinal. John Aldridge opened the scoring and it wasn’t until late on that Stuart McCall equalized to send the match into extra-time. Ian Rush jumped off the bench to put Liverpool ahead, only for the ginger menace McCall to equalize once again. But the ‘divine mustache’ himself had the last laugh in the 104th minute as Liverpool won the FA Cup.
3. Premier League, 2001 (Goodison Park)- Everton 2-3 Liverpool
It’s been 12 years since there was a real humdinger in front of the Gladwys Street End and boy, it’s fun to reminisce about this clash. These were heady days at Liverpool as Gerrard Houllier sent them on a one man mission to win every trophy known to man (except for the PL or Champions League, but we’ll forget that) and the likes of Steven Gerrard, Michael Owen and Jamie Carragher were just becoming legends at Anfield. But it was an older pro by the name of Gary McAllister who stole the show in this derby as his cheeky free kick right at the death stole all three points and stunned the Evertonians. Back and forth this game went as Emile Heskey and Marcus Babbel had given Liverpool a 2-0 lead but then big Duncan Ferguson and David Unsworth leveled it at 2-2... before Gary Mac had the last laugh. Sublime, superb, sensational.
