It is almost the end of the Goodison Park era.
As Everton prepare to move into their new Bramley-Moore Dock stadium from next season, the farewells continue with what will be the final Merseyside derby at the ‘Grand Old Lady’ on Wednesday.
It will be the 120th time Everton have hosted Liverpool at Goodison, with the added intrigue that both sides have each won 41 matches at the ground – so a winner on Wednesday will tip the scales in blue or red favour.
The match was originally scheduled to be played in December but was postponed on safety grounds because of severe weather caused by Storm Darragh.
Can an Everton side that has improved quickly under David Moyes upset Liverpool’s title tilt? And what are some of the most memorable moments from Goodison derbies?
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Who will end with most Goodison derby wins?
The overall balance of power is remarkably tight in the fixture given it has been played since 1894.
The Toffees won the first derby match at Goodison and will hope to bookend their home matches against Liverpool with another victory on Wednesday to take them one clear in the list of total wins.
Across the 119 games, Everton have scored 141 goals while Liverpool have netted 147 times.
Although the Reds have seen more success generally than their city rivals in the 21st century, they have often found Goodison Park a difficult place to go.
Of the past 12 derbies held there, nine have been draws with two Liverpool wins and one Toffees success – a 2-0 victory last season that dented Jurgen Klopp’s hopes of winning the Premier League.
Image source,Getty Images
Image caption,
David Moyes won four of his 25 Merseyside derbies during his first term in charge of Everton
How has Moyes transformed Everton?
Moyes has quickly turned the Toffees’ fortunes around since returning.
When the Scotsman took charge, Everton were 16th in the Premier League – one point clear of the relegation zone – with only three wins from 19 games.
They remain 16th but have won their past three Premier League matches to put a nine-point cushion between themselves and the drop zone.
“I have the utmost respect for David,” said former Liverpool midfielder Ray Houghton on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Football Daily podcast.
“During his first spell at Everton I think he did an unbelievable job, he was a superb manager and it was one of the major reasons he got the job at Manchester United.
“He didn’t need to go back, his legacy at the club is there for everyone to see.
“Everton fans loved him for the football he played and the positions he got them into. He could have sat back but I think in his own heart he knew he could go back and do a good job.”
Moyes managed Everton from 2002 until 2013, taking them from a relegation-threatened side to the FA Cup final in 2009 and nine top-eight finishes in the Premier League – including fourth above Liverpool in 2004-05, which took them into Champions League qualifying.
During that time he guided Everton to four derby wins, eight draws and 13 losses.
He faces a similar task this time, with Everton consistently lurking around the relegation places in recent years.
“David has revitalised them,” said Houghton.
“They’re going into the match now with optimism and belief and that’s down to the last few results they’ve got.
“It will be a really interesting game, an absolute cracker. The fans that are there are going to make the absolute most of it.”
Memorable Merseyside derby moments at Goodison
Among the 119 derby games at Goodison there has been brilliant football, lots of controversy, stellar individual performances and moments that were much more significant than football.
Liverpool winger John Barnes backheeling a banana on the pitch in 1988 became an iconic image in highlighting racism in the game.
The following year, the teams faced each other 18 days after the Hillsborough disaster and both sets of fans joined together to remember those lost in the tragedy.
“We were in no frame of mind to play football,” said Houghton.
“It was a city in mourning. Everyone knew someone who had passed away, it hurt both Evertonians and Liverpudlians. I can’t remember anything about the game, it was of no relevance to me.”
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Media caption,
Goodison Park memories before final Merseyside derby
That emotional 1989 game apart, derbies at a raucous Goodison left a lasting impact on Houghton.
“I didn’t enjoy the derby matches, they were too ferocious for me,” the former midfielder added.
“When I played, they were very tough. It was always a feisty affair and the scorelines were always tight.”
Pat Nevin played in six derbies at Goodison, and agrees the tackles were ferocious in that era – but is keen to emphasise how different it is these days.
“Those sort of tackles could still be seen, but they’d only be seen once in the game now – then you’d be sent off!” he said.
Nevin believes the scenario – largely now consigned to history – of a few Liverpool fans sitting in the Everton sections made the Merseyside derby unique.
“It’s a very special derby. You’d score a goal or make a goal and you’d look towards the crowd and see dots of red among all the blue shirts,” he recalled.
“That was normal, that was acceptable. It changed, for various reasons, but it made it very special; so few derbies are or ever were like that.”
Five of the best Goodison derbies
It is hard to pick out standout matches from so many good ones in the 119, but here are five that highlight the drama and emotion of the derby:
11 March 1967 – Everton 1-0 Liverpool
Demand for tickets was so high for this FA Cup tie that Liverpool put eight giant screens inside Anfield to show the match live – a huge operation back then.
At Goodison, 65,000 fans watched the match – and a further 40,000 watched on the screens at Anfield. It was the biggest audience for a single FA Cup match outside the final and Alan Ball scored the winner.
6 November 1982 – Everton 0-5 Liverpool
A legendary performance from Liverpool icon Ian Rush, who scored four goals to condemn Everton to their heaviest derby defeat at Goodison.
The famous “Rush scored one, Rush scored two…” song was born at this match. Alan Hansen provided two assists for the Welshman against an Everton side in the early days of what would be a very successful era under Howard Kendall.
20 February 1991 – Everton 4-4 Liverpool
Liverpool led four times – including a brilliant goal with his ‘wrong’ foot by Barnes – in a pulsating FA Cup replay in what was to be Kenny Dalglish’s final match as manager in his first term with the Reds.
Everton found an equaliser each time and went on to win the second replay 1-0.
23 November 2013 – Everton 3-3 Liverpool
Daniel Sturridge’s late equaliser rescued a point for Liverpool in a see-saw classic of endless chances. Philippe Coutinho gave the visitors an early lead but Kevin Mirallas – who could have been sent off for a tackle on Luis Suarez – equalised.
Suarez restored Liverpool’s advantage but two Romelu Lukaku goals put the home side ahead before Sturridge’s 89th-minute leveller.
24 April 2024 – Everton 2-0 Liverpool
The most recent derby match will live long in the memory for Everton fans as Jarrad Branthwaite and Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored to dent Liverpool’s hopes of lifting the Premier League title and move themselves closer to top-flight survival.
“You lost the league at Goodison Park” was heard as the Toffees secured their first home win over Liverpool in 14 years.
