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
Alcaraz powers into Indian Wells quarter-finals
- Alcaraz will next face 2021 champion Cameron Norrie, who earlier beat Australia’s Rinky Hijikata 6-4 6-2
World number one Carlos Alcaraz continued his dominant run at Indian Wells, beating Norway’s Casper Ruud 6-1 7-6(2) on Wednesday to reach the quarter-finals in the California desert.
The Spaniard relied on a near-flawless service game to seize control of the match, racing through the opening set in just 37 minutes after breaking Ruud’s serve three times.
Thirteenth-seeded Ruud raised his level in the second set and forced a tiebreak, hoping to push the match to a decider, but Alcaraz kept his foot on the gas to seal his 15th consecutive victory of the season to reach the quarter-finals for a fifth straight year.
“The conditions were difficult to be honest. Today the ball was tough to control but we both played great,” two-time champion Alcaraz said in his on-court interview.
“My first set was incredible I’m really happy of playing that kind of level, really happy to get through and hopefully I’ll play this level on the next round.”
Alcaraz will next face 2021 champion Cameron Norrie, who earlier beat Australia’s Rinky Hijikata 6-4 6-2, with the Spaniard looking to avenge a defeat to the Briton at last year’s Paris Masters.
SWIATEK, PEGULA THROUGH
World number two Iga Swiatek delivered a dominant 6-2 6-0 victory over Czech 13th seed Karolina Muchova, reeling off 10 consecutive games to secure her fifth win over the Czech, whom she also beat at the same stage of the tournament last year.
“I felt I was playing better and better, just great,” Swiatek said.
“I love playing here ... It’s a great place to play tennis, hopefully I can keep doing that until the end.”
Swiatek, chasing a third Indian Wells title, will face ninth seed Elina Svitolina in the quarter-finals after the Ukrainian advanced when Katerina Siniakova retired injured.
American fifth seed Jessica Pegula overcame Belinda Bencic 6-3 7-6(5) to secure her first victory in five meetings between the pair.
Pegula, coming off a dramatic comeback win over Jelena Ostapenko, took control as she clinched the opening set — her first ever against the Swiss — before edging a tightly contested tiebreak to close out the match.
Russian 11th seed Daniil Medvedev beat Alex Michelsen 6-2 6-4 in a commanding performance, needing just one hour and 27 minutes to dismantle the American and maintain his strong form after winning last month’s Dubai Open.
