LIVERPOOL: Liverpool held off a spirited Everton fightback to claim a 2-1 Premier League victory in a tense Merseyside derby at Anfield on Saturday, preserving their perfect start to the season and moving further ahead atop the table after five games.
First-half goals from Ryan Gravenberch and Hugo Ekitike gave Arne Slot’s men a commanding lead, but Idrissa Gueye’s second-half strike ensured a nervy finish for the hosts, who have now won all five league matches to open their campaign.
Everton dropped one spot to seventh in the table after their second loss of the season.
Gravenberch struck in the 10th minute when Mohamed Salah sent a ball over the top that the Dutch international met on the bounce for a superb finish, hooking his shot beyond the outstretched hands of goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
Close-season signing Ekitike, who started ahead of Britain’s record signing Alexander Isak, doubled the lead in the 29th when he took one touch from Gravenberch’s pass before finishing through Pickford’s legs.
But Everton grew into the game and Gueye pulled one back in the 58th when he lashed a shot into the far left corner after Iliman Ndiaye had cleverly cut back Jack Grealish’s cross.
The nerves were palpable over the final few minutes of an entertaining afternoon in lashing rain as Everton parked in Liverpool’s end but, try as they might, the Toffees could not find the back of the net.
Liverpool had 11 shots to Everton’s nine.
Jack Grealish, who has been excellent since his loan move to Everton from Manchester City, stopped what looked to be a sure goal in the 73rd minute when he blocked Ibrahima Konate’s blistering header with his chest.
Grealish and Everton boss David Moyes made a beeline for the officials after the final whistle to have an angry word. Grealish was shown a yellow card before Pickford pushed him away.
Liverpool needed last-gasp goals in their four previous league wins along with their 3-2 Champions League victory over Atletico Madrid on Wednesday, but they stormed out of the gate on Saturday and needed no late-game heroics.
Liverpool hold on to beat Everton 2-1 in Merseyside derby
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Liverpool hold on to beat Everton 2-1 in Merseyside derby
- First-half goals from Ryan Gravenberch and Hugo Ekitike gave Arne Slot’s men a commanding lead
- Idrissa Gueye’s second-half strike ensured a nervy finish for the hosts
Inter moves top of Serie A after Milan and Napoli drop points
- Inter won 2-1 at relegation-threatened Genoa to move a point ahead of Milan and two points above Napoli, which lost 1-0 at Udinese
MILAN: Teenage defender Davide Bartesaghi scored his first senior goals but couldn’t prevent AC Milan from being held to a 2-2 draw at home to Sassuolo and being overtaken at the top of Serie A by city rival Inter Milan on Sunday.
Inter won 2-1 at relegation-threatened Genoa to move a point ahead of Milan and two points above Napoli, which lost 1-0 at Udinese.
At San Siro, Ismaël Koné gave Sassuolo a surprise lead in the 13th minute but Milan leveled in the 34th as Ruben Loftus-Cheek rolled the ball across the area for Bartesaghi to power in from close range.
The 19-year-old Bartesaghi doubled his tally immediately after halftime when he ran onto Christopher Nkunku’s smart pass and fired inside the near post.
Christian Pulisic and Loftus-Cheek both had goals disallowed for Milan before Sassuolo equalized in the 77th minute through substitute Armand Laurienté.
Laurienté, who had changed the match when he came on, almost scored a stunning winner in the 88th minute following a solo run from his own half but his effort crashed off the left post.
Napoli stunned
Napoli knew it could move atop the standings following Milan’s result.
However, it was Udinese that had the better of the chances and twice thought it had broken the deadlock only to have both goals struck off on video review.
Keinan Davis’s strike was ruled out in the 52nd minute for offside and Nicolò Zaniolo also saw his effort chalked off in the 69th because there was a foul in the buildup.
Between those decisions, Udinese also hit the crossbar through Jakub Piotrowski.
The hosts finally broke the deadlock in the 73rd minute when Jurgen Ekkelenkamp curled a magnificent strike into the far top corner from outside the area.
Rasmus Højlund should have leveled two minutes from time but he somehow fired over an open goal from point-blank range, while Lorenzo Lucca — who joined Napoli from Udinese in July — hit the post in stoppage time.
Inter goes top
Instead it was Inter which moved into the sole lead of Serie A with what looked set to be a routine win, until the final 25 minutes.
Yann Bisseck got Inter off to a perfect start with an early goal and Lautaro Martínez doubled his side’s advantage shortly before halftime.
Vitinha pulled one back for Genoa midway through the second half after squeezing his way through two defenders and rounding Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer.
Genoa was two points off the relegation zone.
Fiorentina jokes
Gift Emmanuel Orban scored twice — including in stoppage time — as Hellas Verona won 2-1 at last-placed Fiorentina in a relegation battle to move to within two points of safety.
Fiorentina was without a win and eight points from safety. Its fans displayed a banner addressing their Verona counterparts with the words “whoever finishes last pays for the drinks.”
