Merseyside derby

During the 1960s, Liverpool and Everton were regular winners of domestic trophies, but while Liverpool went from strength to strength in the 1970s and 1980s, Everton went through a relatively barren spell after their 1970 title triumph and did not win a major trophy for the next 14 years.

Everton, however, started to emerge as a serious threat to Liverpool's dominance of the domestic scene following the appointment of Howard Kendall as manager at the start of the 1981–82 season. The first Merseyside derby that Kendall oversaw was at Anfield on 7 November, when his side lost 3–1 to Bob Paisley's.[11] This saw Liverpool standing seventh in the league and Everton 13th.[12] An identical scoreline followed in the return game at Goodison Park in late March, by which time Liverpool had overcome a dismal start to the season to muscle in on a title race which they eventually won, while Everton were still mid-table.[13]

Historical league game outcomes from the Merseyside derby as of April 2022.
Key: Everton wins – ■; Liverpool wins – ■; Draws – ■.

In 1982–83, the final season of Bob Paisley's management before he retired to make way for Joe Fagan, Liverpool were champions once again with Everton finishing mid-table, and the most notable of the two derbies occurred in early November when Liverpool triumphed 0–5 at Goodison Park. The return match at Anfield in mid-March brought a goalless draw.[14]

1983–84 was the season when Everton (who won the FA Cup at the end of the campaign) really started to emerge as a serious threat to Liverpool. Though Liverpool won the league title and Everton still couldn't even make the top five, Liverpool needed a replay to see off Everton 1–0 in the League Cup final at Wembley. The Anfield derby in early November saw Liverpool triumph 3–0, while the clash at Goodison Park four months later ended in a 1–1 draw.[15]

The 1984–85 season began with a Merseyside derby in the FA Charity Shield at Wembley, when league champions Liverpool faced FA Cup winners Everton in a game which Everton won 1–0 due to an own goal by Bruce Grobbelaar. The first league clash came on 20 October 1984, when a 0–1 win for Everton at Anfield saw Howard Kendall's team occupy fourth place in the league and show signs of challenging for the title for the first time in his four seasons in charge, while Liverpool were a lowly 17th and just 2 points outside the relegation zone.[16] Liverpool's final game of the season came on 23 May when they lost 1–0 to Everton (who still had two games left to play) at Goodison Park. Everton had been crowned champions by this stage, while Liverpool had rallied since their terrible start to the season to occupy second place.[17][18]

1985–86 was perhaps the most exciting season for the fans of both clubs, as Liverpool and Everton battled it out for both the league title and the FA Cup. The first Merseyside derby of the season came at Goodison Park on 21 September 1985 and was won 2–3 by Liverpool, who stood second behind Manchester United while Everton occupied sixth place.[19] Everton triumphed 0–2 in the return match at Anfield five months later, by which time Everton had just taken over from Manchester United as league leaders and Liverpool were eight points behind them in second place.[20] The climax to this exciting campaign came at Wembley Stadium when Liverpool and Everton contested the first all Merseyside FA Cup final on 10 May 1986. An early goal by Gary Lineker suggested that Everton could gain revenge on Liverpool for beating them to the league title by defeating them in the FA Cup final, but in the second half the tables were turned as a double from Ian Rush and another goal from Craig Johnston made Liverpool only the fifth English club to complete the double.[21]

The FA Charity Shield for 1986 was shared between Liverpool and Everton, who drew 1–1 at Wembley, but the first league derby of the season between the two clubs did not happen until late November in a goalless draw at Goodison Park. Both clubs were challenging for the title at this stage alongside Arsenal (leaders), Nottingham Forest and unlikely contenders Luton Town and Coventry City.[22] The League Cup quarter final on 21 January 1987 saw Liverpool win 0–1 at Goodison Park. The Anfield derby in late April saw Liverpool triumph 3–1, but it was not enough to prevent Everton from winning the title within the next couple of weeks.[23] The 1986–87 season was the last time that Everton overshadowed Liverpool.

In the 1988–89 season, Everton were Liverpool's first opponents in a competitive game after the Hillsborough disaster on 15 April 1989, which resulted in the deaths of 96 Liverpool fans at the FA Cup semi-final. The game between the two sides was a league fixture on 3 May which ended in a goalless draw.[24] On 20 May, the two sides met at Wembley for the second all Merseyside FA Cup final in four seasons. The match went into extra time before Liverpool triumphed 3–2, with Ian Rush (twice) and John Aldridge scoring for Liverpool and both of Everton's goals coming from Stuart McCall.[25]

Side-by-side comparison of Everton's and Liverpool's final league positions beginning in 1889

By 1990–91, Everton were in something of a slump (finishing ninth that season having started the season near the foot of the table), while Liverpool finished second in the league, but the campaign still brought one of the most pulsating clashes between the two clubs. Liverpool and Everton were drawn for the FA Cup fifth round at Anfield on 17 February 1991. The match ended in a goalless draw, and the replay three days later ended in a thrilling 4–4 draw at Goodison Park, in which Peter Beardsley scored twice. 1990–91 was Kenny Dalglish's last season as Liverpool manager, as he resigned two days after the 4–4 draw with Everton. It was also the last season of "replays of replays" as penalties after extra time took over as the competition's ultimate tie winner decider for the 1991–92 season. The second replay ended with a 1–0 win for Everton on 27 February, and ended the Reds double hopes.[26]

The close season of 1991 saw Peter Beardsley move from Liverpool to Everton, followed within a year by defender Gary Ablett, causing more tension in the Merseyside derby, though the first couple of years after their transfers saw Liverpool and Everton firmly overtaken by Manchester United and the likes of Blackburn Rovers and Arsenal as the biggest challengers in English football. On 7 December 1992, in the first derby of the Premier League era, Everton defeated Liverpool 2–1 at Goodison Park in a game where Peter Beardsley became only the second man in history to score for both clubs in the derby.[27]

The 1993–94 derby at Anfield saw Liverpool defeat Everton 2–1, not having much effect for a mid-table Liverpool side but increasing the risk of relegation (a battle which was ultimately won) for Everton. Perhaps the most notable event of this game was the winning goal by Robbie Fowler, who turned 19 the following month and was one of the most promising young players in England at the time.[28] It was the last Merseyside derby Liverpool would win for five years during a period of success for Everton in the fixture. Joe Royle's appointment as Everton manager in November 1994 following Mike Walker's dismissal began with a 2-0 win over Liverpool at Goodison Park which lifted Everton from the bottom of the table and saw Duncan Ferguson score his first goal for the club. Royle's team followed it up with an away win at Anfield with two goals from Andrei Kanchelskis the following season. Everton's derby form at Goodison Park, despite the club's travails through most of the decade, was a strong suit in the 1990s, with five victories and no defeats at home in the ten years from February 1991.

In 1997-98 Everton triumphed 2–0 at Goodison in a victory that ultimately saved them from relegation (they only stayed up by having a greater goal difference than Bolton Wanderers) and helped end Liverpool's title bid.[29] The following season Liverpool would end their barren run with a 3–2 victory over Everton at Anfield.[30]

The 2000–01 season saw one of the most exciting derbies of the Premier League era. Liverpool, having won the first derby at Anfield, completed the double with a thrilling 2–3 victory over Everton at Goodison in April, with the injury-time winner by Gary McAllister proving to be crucial at the end of the season in helping Liverpool qualify for the UEFA Champions League—which replaced the European Cup in 1992—for the first time.

By the end of the 2001–02, Liverpool had finished above Everton in the league for 15 seasons in succession. After a brilliant run of form saw Liverpool top the Premier League in October, an 11-match winless league run followed their 2–0 home win over West Ham United in early November and during that barren spell they drew 0–0 at home to an Everton side who were briefly above them in the table after several seasons of persistent relegation battles. However, they were on course for their fifth-place finish when they next met Everton on 19 April and won 1–2 at Goodison Park, a result which pushed their city neighbours towards seventh place and narrowly deprived them of European football.[31]

In 2004–05, Everton finished fourth in the league and Liverpool came fifth, the first time since Everton's 1987 title win that Liverpool had finished below them. In a season which saw Liverpool win the Champions League title, Everton gave their neighbours a reminder of how far they had progressed under the management of David Moyes with a 1–0 win at Goodison Park on 11 December 2004, though Liverpool won the return match at Anfield 2–1 three months later.[32]

In the derby in March 2006, Steven Gerrard of Liverpool and James Beattie of Everton wore the number "08" as the city had been voted European Capital of Culture for 2008[33]

Everton had a setback and finished mid-table in 2005–06, while Liverpool's compensation for their prolonged title wait came in the form of a narrow FA Cup final triumph. And Liverpool triumphed 3–1 in both of the Merseyside derbies that season.

In 2006–07, Everton recovered to finish in the top six, while Liverpool finished third, and there was an early season triumph for the blue half of Liverpool as Everton beat Liverpool 3–0 at Goodison Park in early September, in a game that saw an uncharacteristic mistake from Liverpool 'keeper Pepe Reina. They also held them to a goalless draw at Anfield in early February.[34]

Liverpool did the double over Everton in 2007–08. The first meeting of the sides that season saw one of most controversial derbies in recent memory, with Everton finishing an ill-tempered game with 9 men. Everton took a first half lead as Sami Hyypia skewed a left footed clearance into his own goal from a corner. The scoreline was levelled by Dirk Kuyt from the penalty spot after Everton's Tony Hibbert fouled Steven Gerrard in the area. Referee Mark Clattenburg earned the ire of the Goodison faithful as Steven Gerrard appeared to persuade him to change his mind in favour of a red card after first brandishing a yellow. Kuyt was fortunate to escape with a yellow card following a two-footed, aerial lunge on Phil Neville. Liverpool's pressure against the 10 men eventually told, as Liverpool were awarded a second penalty when Neville handled a goal bound shot from derby debutante Lucas Leiva. Neville was dismissed and Everton finished the game two players short. Kuyt scored his second goal of the game from the spot as Liverpool won the game 2–1. The victory helped secure a top-four finish and Champions League qualification for Liverpool, leaving Everton to settle for a UEFA Cup place. Referee Clattenburg was not chosen to officiate again at Goodison Park after that match until December 2013, six years later, and in that period only officiated one Everton game, away at Aston Villa.

In the 2008–09 season, Liverpool and Everton met four times, Liverpool winning the League encounter at Goodison Park 0–2 while drawing the other League fixture that dealt a blow to their title ambitions. The FA Cup saw Everton defeat ten-man Liverpool in extra time in the replay thanks to an injury-time winner by Dan Gosling after a 1–1 draw at Anfield. Both teams enjoyed strong campaigns in the Premier League, as Liverpool challenged for the title and Everton qualified for Europe finishing in fifth place and 9 points adrift of the Champions League places. Everton also progressed to the 2009 FA Cup Final, but lost to Chelsea, despite taking the lead through a Louis Saha goal after just 25 seconds - the fastest goal ever in an FA Cup Final.[35]

When the sides met in the 2009–10 season, both clubs were suffering from a poor start to the season. Liverpool won the first meeting at Goodison Park with a 2–0 victory despite Everton enjoying a greater share of possession for the game, with poor finishing and the heroics of Pepe Reina costing the home side.[36] The following game saw 10-man Liverpool win 1–0 following a first-half red card for Greek centre-half Sotirios Kyrgiakos. The Greek fiercely contested a tackle with Fellaini who was fortunate to escape similar punishment having caught the centre-back high on the shin. A solitary goal from Kuyt was enough to secure the three points, as the Dutchmen nodded home smartly from a Steven Gerrard corner.[37]

In the Goodison Park encounter on 17 October 2010 in the 2010–11 season, Everton won 2–0 with goals from Tim Cahill and Mikel Arteta, while the return league game at Anfield in January 2011 ended in a 2–2 draw. This was the last win for Everton in the derby in all competitions for more than a decade,failing to win in the following 23 games whilst losing 11 times.

In the 2011–12 season, Liverpool and Everton met three times, twice in the league and once in the FA Cup, with Liverpool winning all three. The first meeting took place on 1 October 2011, with Liverpool winning 0–2 in the league at Goodison Park (goals from Andy Carroll and Luis Suárez) against an Everton side depleted by Jack Rodwell's early, controversial red card, which was later rescinded by The Football Association. On 13 March 2012, Liverpool won the Anfield fixture 3–0 after a hat-trick by Steven Gerrard, who became the first player to score a hat-trick in the derby since Ian Rush in 1982. The third meeting of the season was the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley on 14 April. Everton took the lead through Nikica Jelavić's goal in the first half. Liverpool equalised through a Luis Suárez goal midway through the second half, and Andy Carroll scored the winning goal for Liverpool in the 87th minute.[38] However, despite Liverpool having success throughout the season against their traditional rivals, Everton finished one place higher than Liverpool at the end of the Premier League season, whilst the Reds finished the season as the winners of the League Cup.

In the 2013–14 season, the two sides contested an eventful 3–3 draw at Goodison Park, with the lead changing on three separate occasions between both teams.[39] Later that season, Liverpool beat Everton 4–0 at Anfield during the beginning of an improbable title challenge for the Reds.[40] The result was replicated in the 2015–16 season, as Liverpool again ran out 4–0 winners in Jürgen Klopp's first experience of the Merseyside derby.[41] The game was notable for a Ramiro Funes Mori red card which saw in-form striker Divock Origi injured - the Belgian would miss the remainder of the season. The result ended a run of three consecutive draws in the fixture, which was Everton's best streak in the derby for six years.

Liverpool won both derbies in Klopp's first full season at the club, as dominance continued from the Red half of Merseyside. Sadio Mané scored an injury time winner at Goodison Park in December 2016, following a Daniel Sturridge left footed shot that rebounded off the post.[42] The second meeting was a more straightforward affair for the Reds, with a 3–1 victory following goals from Mané, Philippe Coutinho and Origi.

In the 2017–18 season, Mohamed Salah scored a curling left footed effort for the Reds, which would go on to win the 2018 FIFA Puskás Award for goal of the year, picking up 38% of the public vote.[43] The match ended in a 1–1 draw, after returning Evertonian Wayne Rooney equalised with a penalty.[44]

In the following season, Divock Origi would score one of the most memorable goals ever witnessed in a Merseyside derby. With the score goalless after 90 minutes, Virgil van Dijk volleyed a speculative effort towards goal which skewed off his boot and high into the air. Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford attempted to catch the ball but missed, as it came back down off the crossbar in front of the waiting Origi, who nodded in the winner in the sixth minute of added time.[45] The return game in March 2019 ended in a 0–0 draw at Goodison Park and saw Liverpool move down to second place, where they remained until the end of the season.

The first meeting of the following season saw Liverpool, whose Champions league win was some compensation for their failure to secure the Premier League, welcoming a struggling Everton to Anfield. The Reds had surged into an early lead at the top of the Premier League table while the Toffees sat just above the relegation zone, which lead to the derby being described as perhaps "the most unbalanced meeting" in recent years.[46] Liverpool won the match 5–2 despite playing a rotated side, and soon after Everton sacked their manager, Marco Silva.[47] The return league fixture, which was both sides' first match in the Premier League since the season had been halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was played on 21 June 2020 behind closed doors at Goodison Park, and ended in a goalless draw.

In between these two games, on 5 January 2020, a Liverpool team largely made up of reserves and teenagers defeated Everton 1–0 in the third round of the FA Cup at Anfield, with the winning goal coming from a curling strike outside of the area, courtesy of 18 year-old Toxteth born Curtis Jones.[48]

The first meeting of the 2020–21 season saw Everton, with a 100 percent record after four games, welcome champions Liverpool to Goodison Park. The game ended in a 2–2 draw after Jordan Henderson’s strike to make it 3–2 to Liverpool in second half stoppage time was ruled out by VAR.[49] With 23 matches unbeaten in the Merseyside derby, Liverpool set a new club record for highest number of games unbeaten against the same opponent.[50] The record lasted only until the return game at Anfield on 20 February 2021, which Everton won 2–0, their first win at Anfield in any competition since 1999.[51] The defeat was also a fourth consecutive home defeat for Liverpool, a run not endured since 1923.[52]

In the 2021–22 season, goals from Henderson, Mohamed Salah (two) and Diogo Jota saw Liverpool record a 4–1 away win against Everton in the Premier League, the club's biggest winning margin at Goodison since a 5–0 win in 1982, as Liverpool became the first team in English top-flight history to score at least two goals in 18 successive games in all competitions.[53] The victory also took Liverpool ahead of Everton in the number of wins in Everton's home stadium.[54] In the reverse fixture at Anfield in April, Liverpool won 2-0, with a goal from Andrew Robertson and Divock Origi's sixth goal matches against Everton. This was the first season since 2016-17 that Liverpool did the Double over their rivals.

Matches between Everton/Liverpool and Tranmere Rovers, based in Birkenhead on the other side of the River Mersey, are also classed as Merseyside derbies, but as Tranmere have spent all of their history outside the top flight, competitive matches are a rarity. They have occasionally faced Everton and Liverpool in cup competitions. Their last meeting with both clubs came in the FA Cup in 2001. Tranmere caused an upset by beating Everton 3–0 in the fourth round,[55] before losing 4–2 to Liverpool in the quarter-finals.[56]

Ian Rush, top goalscorer in the derby with 25 goals for Liverpool

Statue of Dixie Dean, top league goalscorer in the derby with 18 goals for Everton

The following players have scored four or more goals in the derby. This includes Premier League matches, its predecessor the Football League First Division, the FA Cup, the League Cup, the Football League Super Cup and the Charity Shield. This list is correct as of the match played on 20 February 2021.

Dixie Dean is the top goalscorer in league games, with 18 goals, while Steven Gerrard is the top goalscorer in the fixture in the Premier League era, with 9 goals.[57]

Nation	Player	Club(s)	League	FA Cup	League Cup	Charity Shield	Screen Sport	Overall	Years
	Ian Rush	Liverpool	13	5	1	1	5	25	1980–1987 1988–1996
	Dixie Dean	Everton	18	1				19	1925–1937
	Alex "Sandy" Young	Everton	9	3				12	1901–1911
	Steven Gerrard	Liverpool	9	1				10	1998–2015
	Harry Chambers	Liverpool	8					8	1915–1928
	Jimmy Settle	Everton	8					8	1899–1908
	Jack Parkinson	Liverpool	6	2				8	1903–1914
	Peter Beardsley	Liverpool / Everton	4/1	2/0				7	1987–1991 (L) 1991–1993 (E)
	Graeme Sharp	Everton	4	2			1	7	1980–1991
	Jack Balmer	Liverpool	6					6	1935–1952
	Robbie Fowler	Liverpool	6					6	1992–2001 2006–2007
	Bobby Parker	Everton	6					6	1913–1922
	Divock Origi	Liverpool	6					6	2014–2022
	Gordon Hodgson	Liverpool	5	1				6	1925–1936
	Tim Cahill	Everton	5					5	2004–2012
	Kenny Dalglish	Liverpool	5					5	1977–1990
	Fred Howe	Liverpool	5					5	1935–1938
	Jack Taylor	Everton	5					5	1896–1910
	Dirk Kuyt	Liverpool	5					5	2006–2012
	Luis Suárez	Liverpool	4	1				5	2011–2014
	Roger Hunt	Liverpool	4			1		5	1958–1969
	Duncan Ferguson	Everton	4					4	1994–1998 2000–2006
	Tommy Lawton	Everton	4					4	1936–1939
	Michael Owen	Liverpool	4					4	1997–2004
	Sam Raybould	Liverpool	4					4	1900–1907
	Roy Vernon	Everton	4					4	1960–1965
	Daniel Sturridge	Liverpool	4					4	2013–2019
	Sadio Mané	Liverpool	4					4	2016–2022
	Mohamed Salah	Liverpool	4					4	2017–

Current scorers: Current players with multiple derby goals include Liverpool's Mohamed Salah (4) and Everton's Michael Keane (2).

Goals from "overseas" players: A total of 33 non-British (Isles) players from 20 countries have scored in the derby (not including own goals, which add four countries to the list) since Liverpool's Craig Johnston became the first such player to do so, in the 1986 Cup final (though Bruce Grobbelaar was the first non-British Isles player to get on the derby scoresheet with his own goal in the 1984 Charity Shield). Most recently Liverpool's Xherdan Shaqiri added the newest country (Switzerland) to this list. Divock Origi (Belgium) is the leading "overseas" player with six goals. In terms of countries, France leads the way with five different scorers, but Australia is just behind, with four.

More goals than years: Liverpool's Fred Howe and Everton's Tommy Lawton bear the distinction of scoring more goals than they actually spent in years in the city of Liverpool, with Howe scoring five goals in three years and Lawton four goals in three years.

Hat-tricks: The first derby hat-trick was scored by Everton's Alex "Sandy" Young, who scored four in a 5–1 win at Goodison in 1904. Other Evertonians to manage hat-ticks include Bobby Parker in 1914 and Dixie Dean twice, in 1928 and 1931, the last Everton player to net a treble. Liverpool hat-tricks have come from Chambers (1922), Forshaw (1925), Barton (1933) and Howe (four goals in 1935). Nearly fifty years passed before the next derby hat-trick, scored by Ian Rush, who managed four goals in a 5–0 win at Goodison in 1982; a further thirty years passed until Steven Gerrard scored a hat-trick against Everton at Anfield in a 3–0 win. Of all the league hat-tricks, only two (Young's in 1904 and Rush's in 1982) were managed at Goodison; all the others were at Anfield.

Own goals: Sandy Brown's famous own goal in Everton's championship winning 1969–70 season was, surprisingly, only the second own goal in the history of the fixture, the first having been scored by Balmer (Everton) in 1902. Since then, eight Evertonians have been "credited" with an own goal, including two in the same match at Anfield in 1972. There have only been three Liverpool own goals. Leighton Baines's unlucky deflection at Goodison in 2012–13 is the most recent of all derby-day own goals.

Scoring in consecutive matches: Between May and September 1986, Ian Rush scored for Liverpool in four consecutive derbies, none of them league games (Cup final, Charity Shield and two Super Cup finals). Several players have scored in three consecutive games: Hardman (Everton, 1905–06), Freeman (Everton, 1909–10), Parkinson (Liverpool, 1910–11), King (Everton, 1978–79), Lineker (Everton, 1985–86), Barnes (Liverpool, 1989–90) and Fowler (Liverpool, 1995–96).

Youngest derby goalscorer: Although difficult to verify, since birthdates of early players are not always known, the youngest confirmed derby goalscorer is Everton's Danny Cadamarteri, who scored the winner at Goodison six days after his 18th birthday in October 1997.

Nation	Player	Club	Clean sheets	Games	Years
	Ray Clemence	Liverpool	15	27	1967–1981
	Neville Southall	Everton	15	41	1981–1998
	Bruce Grobbelaar	Liverpool	10	33	1980–1994
	Gordon West	Everton	9	20	1962–1973
	Tommy Lawrence	Liverpool	8	16	1957–1971
	Pepe Reina	Liverpool	8	17	2005–2013
	Cyril Sidlow	Liverpool	6	10	1946–1952
	Billy Scott	Everton	6	15	1904–1912
	Ted Sagar	Everton	6	20	1929–1953
	Tim Howard	Everton	5	18	2006–2016
	Elisha Scott	Liverpool	5	20	1912–1917 1919–1934
	Jordan Pickford	Everton	5	13	2017–present
	Alisson	Liverpool	5	7	2018–present
	Dai Davies	Everton	3	5	1970–1977

League games only. Highest ever attendance 100,000 estimate at 1984 Milk Cup final and 1984 Charity Shield. Highest attendance at Anfield 56,060 for the 1962–63 league game.

• Not including matches played behind closed doors due to COVID-19 pandemic.

There have been twelve derby games played on neutral grounds: six at Wembley (both the old and new grounds), four at Maine Road and one each at Villa Park and Old Trafford:

Since the war, Everton have been awarded just three penalties during Anfield derbies (all scored), while Liverpool have had eleven at Goodison, of which three have been missed (though only one of these misses affected the final result). A full list is available here.

Only two players have scored for both sides in a Merseyside derby:

• David Johnson famously scored on his derby debut for Everton in November 1971, then scored two derby goals during his spell with Liverpool, the last of them on 1 March 1980.
• Peter Beardsley added to his tally of six derby goals for Liverpool with one for Everton on 7 December 1992.