لاعب كرة قدم يرتدي الزي الأحمر يجلس القرفصاء في الملعب ويغطي فمه بيديه، ويبدو متأملاً.

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Everton Stalls Liverpool and Denies Them a Chance to Extend Their Lead

With a dramatic last-gasp goal in stoppage time, Everton snatched a point from their neighbors and visitors, Liverpool, in a thrilling 2-2 draw in a rescheduled match from the 15th round of the English Premier League.

This match marked the last Merseyside Derby at Everton’s historic stadium, Goodison Park, before their awaited move to the new Bramley-Moore Dock Stadium. The hosts started strong, taking the lead through Equatorial Guinean striker Beto (11’), only for Liverpool to respond with goals from Argentine midfielder Alexis Mac Allister (16’) and Egyptian star Mohamed Salah (73’). However, Everton captain James Tarkowski salvaged a dramatic draw with an equalizer in the eighth minute of stoppage time.

This was the 245th encounter between Liverpool and Everton across all competitions and the 211th in the English top tier.

With the draw, Everton denied Liverpool the chance to extend their lead at the top of the table to nine points over second-placed Arsenal. Instead, the gap between the two title contenders remains at seven points (57 to 50).

Liverpool entered the match under pressure after their shocking FA Cup elimination last weekend against Plymouth Argyle, the bottom-placed team in the Championship, suffering a 1-0 defeat with a heavily rotated squad.

That loss ended Liverpool’s hopes of securing a quadruple, despite leading the Premier League, reaching the EFL Cup final against Newcastle on March 16, and advancing to the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 after topping their group.

The game started with high intensity from both sides, though without clear-cut chances until the 12th minute, when referee Michael Oliver awarded Everton a free-kick near midfield. Defender Jarrad Branthwaite sent a long ball towards Beto who broke the offside trap and slotted a low shot past Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker (11’).

Everton’s joy was short-lived, as Liverpool equalized just four minutes later. Salah whipped in a precise cross, finding Mac Allister, who headed past goalkeeper Jordan Pickford from close range.

In the second half, Everton looked slightly more dangerous, but Salah put Liverpool ahead in the 73rd minute. The Egyptian capitalized on a deflected header by Branthwaite following a close-range effort from Curtis Jones, burying the ball with his right foot. The goal marked Salah’s 22nd league strike, further strengthening his position as the Premier League’s top scorer, three goals ahead of Manchester City’s Erling Haaland.

Salah nearly sealed the win for Liverpool in the 88th minute, latching onto a precise pass from Portuguese substitute Diogo Jota before unleashing a left-footed strike, but Pickford produced a brilliant save to deny him.

Then, in the dying moments, Tarkowski rose to the occasion, capitalizing on a well-placed ball into the box. The center-back fired a powerful strike past Alisson, sending Goodison Park into a frenzy.

The late equalizer sparked tensions on the pitch, leading to a heated altercation between Everton’s Malian midfielder Abdoulaye Doucouré and Liverpool’s Curtis Jones. Both players were sent off, while Liverpool manager Arne Slot was also shown a red card for strongly protesting the referee’s decision.

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