The final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park ended in “mayhem” as Everton and Liverpool shared a feisty 2-2 draw.
Liverpool were on course to pile the misery on to their city rivals with one last victory on Toffees turf, only for James Tarkowski to hammer home a stunning volley to make it 2-2 in the eighth minute of added time.
After an agonising wait for VAR to confirm the goal, things took an incendiary turn inside the old stadium as Abdoulaye Doucoure's wild celebrations in front of the away fans sparked a furious reaction.
Here is a timeline of how it all unfolded.
Why so much added time
90+4 min: Liverpool lead 2-1 after goals from Alexis Mac Allister and Mohamed Salah, and are heading towards a nine-point lead at the top of the table with victory in the final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park. But Everton duo Carlos Alcaraz and Jarrad Branthwaite clash heads and require almost exactly two minutes of treatment, adding more time on to the five minutes already indicated by the fourth official’s board.
Pickford’s knee slide
90+8 min: As the clock ticks over 97 minutes, Everton’s Vitalii Mykolenko hooks the ball into the box for what is surely the final play. Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate and striker Beto challenge and miss the ball, it bounces in the box, midfielder Tim Iroegbunam flicks it on and centre-back James Tarkowski – who has run all the way from the halfway line – arrives at the far post to volley home a famous equaliser.
Goodison Park goes berserk and a pitch invasion breaks out, but on the touchline Arne Slot is furious, indicating he felt Konate was pushed by Beto while trying to clear the cross that eventually found its way to Tarkowski.
In the background, meanwhile, Jordan Pickford pulls off an all-timer of a knee slide:
Arne Slot's reaction to Everton's 98th minute equaliser ????
Jordan Pickford's knee slide in the background ????
That ending was ridiculous. pic.twitter.com/T4EqIiAtRA
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 12, 2025
90+11: After an agonising wait for VAR to check whether Abdoulaye Doucoure was offside in the build-up, referee Michael Oliver signals that the goal stands and Goodison Park erupts all over again.
Alcaraz tries to quell Doucoure
90+12: The full-time whistle goes to seal Everton’s 2-2 draw. Doucoure charges straight to the away fans and begins goading them. What wasn’t noticed was how his Everton teammate Alcaraz initially runs across to stop him, only for an incensed Curtis Jones to get there first. The Liverpool-born midfielder grabs Doucoure and they tussle before players, stewards and police all pile into the melee.
Van Dijk’s war of words
After the initial clash is broken up, referee Oliver issues a still seething Jones a second yellow card – he was booked during the match – and subsequently a red card.
As Oliver then approaches Doucoure, who has run down the other end of the pitch to celebrate with Everton fans, Liverpool assistant Sipke Hulshoff rushes on to the pitch to furiously confront Oliver, seemingly over the Konate incident, and he is shown a straight red card.
Oliver finally reaches Doucoure and shows him a second yellow card – like Jones, he too was booked during the game – and subsequently a red card.
“How do you like that?” a smiling Virgil van Dijk can be heard saying to Doucoure.
“F****** go inside!” responds Doucoure, putting his finger to his lips and then pointing towards the tunnel.
Beside them, Arne Slot is now confronting Oliver with some words and an aggressive handshake, and the referee responds by showing the Liverpool manager a straight red card.
“Ah, that’s it!” Doucoure can be heard shouting as he walks away.
As Liverpool’s players head down the tunnel, Everton’s Seamus Coleman angrily remonstrates with Liverpool’s Mac Allister and they have to be separated.
Moyes unhappy with Doucoure
Slot is not allowed to attend media duties after being sent off, but his captain speaks to TNT Sports after the game.
"We saw how they celebrated the goal, they have all the right to," Van Dijk says. "I think Doucoure wanted to provoke our fans, I think that is what I saw and Curtis Jones didn't think it was the right thing to do. And then you know what happens if there is a little tussle.
"I didn't think the referee had the game under control. Both teams had to deal with it. This was their cup final. I think the referee had a big part in the game, in terms of certain challenges were given as fouls and similar weren't."
Everton manager David Moyes is delighted to escape the “mayhem” with a point, but is disappointed by Doucoure.
"It was mayhem all game, it was a bit of an old-fashioned throwback. The bit after the game, I could tell you about it but the truth is, it's not really what we should be talking about," says the Scot.
"What I do know is Doucoure got a yellow that led to a red which I am disappointed with as we are short of players. The place was boiling hot all night, emotional, it was an incredible atmosphere inside the stadium.”
Did VAR consider Konate foul?
The Premier League releases a short statement explaining VAR’s decision to allow Tarkowski’s late goal, but it fails to explain whether a potential foul on Liverpool defender Konate in the build-up was specifically reviewed and, if so, what exactly was concluded.
The Premier League simply states: “The referee’s call of goal was checked and confirmed by the VAR, who established that Doucoure was in an onside position in the build-up.”
