Season › 2024-25 › News What A Game Charles Taudin 12/02/2025 56comments | Jump to last What a Finish! A Dramatic Ending to the Last Merseyside Derby at Goodison Park Final score: 2-2, with James Tarkowski scoring a dramatic equalizer in the 98th minute. Beto had opened the scoring early in the match before McAllister and Salah put the Reds ahead. That opening goal set the tone for the heated derby everyone had been anticipating. The physicality was evident on both sides, but the first half was clearly in Liverpool’s favor. Beto’s goal came from a cleverly taken quick free kick, but it wasn’t enough. Moyes’ men failed to trouble the Reds in the first half, allowing them to dictate the tempo without much resistance. However, something changed at halftime. Everton came out with a different mindset. The pressing was finally there. The physical intensity went up a notch, and Everton looked like the stronger side. Chances started piling up right after the break, and the net even rippled, but an offside call crushed the Toffees’ hopes. Beto, leading the line, proved to be a solid focal point throughout the match—a bright spot, but too isolated. Then came the crushing blow. Despite Everton’s dominance, Mo Salah found the back of the net against the run of play, giving Liverpool what seemed to be a definitive lead in the derby. That’s when David Moyes decided to introduce his winter signing, Carlos Alcaraz. But the changes came far too late. The energy in the stands faded gradually, and Everton’s legs grew heavier. With no real solutions and some questionable decisions—such as keeping Doucouré on the pitch—it looked like the Toffees were heading for defeat. But then, in one final moment, one last ball into the box—James Tarkowski found the back of the net, sending Goodison into chaos. The VAR review, after a few tense moments, confirmed the goal. The closing minutes were chaotic, with heated exchanges between players and a few red cards handed out by referee Mark Oliver. This draw leaves a bittersweet feeling. Ndiaye’s early injury might have altered the course of the match. Liverpool’s two goals came from avoidable defensive mistakes. Yet, the intensity Everton displayed, the passion they put into this last-ever derby at Goodison Park, made it a historic moment. Reader Comments (56) Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer () Christine Foster 1 Posted 12/02/2025 at 21:50:18 I ran around the room shouting, whooping, crying. I swear half the town could hear me, well done blues, sodding well done, one for the old lady.. Ben King 2 Posted 12/02/2025 at 21:54:25 Thank the lord for the goal. Thank the lord the goal stood and well done to the players not giving in and giving the Old Lady a decent send off vs the enemyLucky VAR didn’t rule it out for the Beto push but we deserve some luckWell done Blues!!! Shaun Parker 3 Posted 12/02/2025 at 21:55:00 Everton thoroughly deserved that, was excellent tonight. It’s great to see the redshite spit their dummies out at the end.You’d have been hard pressed to say who was top of the league tonight. Great performance from everyone. Jerome Shields 4 Posted 12/02/2025 at 21:55:19 Great game and great result. Paul Armstrong 5 Posted 12/02/2025 at 21:56:34 How Moyes has changed our toughness. Mihir Ambardekar 6 Posted 12/02/2025 at 22:00:23 Relieved to get a draw. I thought we definitely deserved something from the game. Shame that Ndiaye got injured. The game would have been totally different otherwise. Hoping that his injury is not critical as feared. We desperately need quality. One relief is we will not see Doucoure in the next match. He is awful this season. Steve Shave 7 Posted 12/02/2025 at 22:00:33 Great result and performance. They tried so hard to find fault with the equaliser but it stood to my amazement! Well done blues and Moyes. Andy Crooks 8 Posted 12/02/2025 at 22:01:26 Charles, I think you get it now. Welcome and enjoy!! Barry Rathbone 9 Posted 12/02/2025 at 22:03:26 Get in!!!Get right fuckin' in!!!!! Charles Taudin Editorial Team 10 Posted 12/02/2025 at 22:03:59 #8 Andy.My first derby on the Live Forum was amazing ! I knew this community was crazy but really I enjoyed my time tonight ! Christy Ring 11 Posted 12/02/2025 at 22:09:54 Listening to VanDick interview, 'everton's cup final' total prick' brilliant finish Derek Thomas 12 Posted 12/02/2025 at 22:11:21 BBC, state 3 reds, who was the 3rd? Paul Conway 13 Posted 12/02/2025 at 22:11:21 fantastic Roof Buster by Tarks. All the more sweeter, that it was clocked almost three minutes after added time.That’s called « a Break ! »Very much what we deserved.This could be the change we wanted.Change of ownership, change of manager change of Stadium and a long awaited change of luck !So Happy for the team and my Fellow Blues. Shaun Parker 14 Posted 12/02/2025 at 22:11:29 He’s got the best haircut in the game Christy 😁Total bellend. Shaun Parker 15 Posted 12/02/2025 at 22:12:49 Derek.Doucouré (can never spell it right)Liverpool playerLiverpool manager Ian Donnarumma 16 Posted 12/02/2025 at 22:17:29 Everton thoroughly deserved their point.By limiting Liverpool to just six shots all game, (their lowest total in a Premier League match this season), the Blues certainly deserved their share of the spoils.Fingers crossed for Ndiaye - but it doesn't sound good. David Hallwood 17 Posted 12/02/2025 at 22:23:01 Arne Slot got the 3rd red Hector Blaukugel 18 Posted 12/02/2025 at 22:24:33 Do one Van Dyke & your shit Steven Seagal hairdo. Bill Gall 19 Posted 12/02/2025 at 22:25:33 Never watched the game put it on to record, reason, I guess I used to watch the wrong games as usually when I watch live they either loose or draw that must have been S.Dyche days as Moyes seems to have brought a different attitude to the club, but I just cant watch that other lot no matter who they play and it is definitely going to make my year listening and reading the moans and groans from ex players of how poor the officiating was in allowing their players to be roughed up and will raise a petition up to get the referee banned for showing a red card to their manager who they will claim was innocent. Congratulations to the manager and players to show playing Everton is no easy game at Goodison Park the old lady still has all her teeth. Jamie Sweet 20 Posted 12/02/2025 at 22:26:09 Tarkowski puts that into Row Z 99 times out of 100. What a time to hit it so sweetly! Derek Thomas 21 Posted 12/02/2025 at 22:27:15 Shaun @ 15; you won't need to Vs Palace. Slot why am I not surprised - a 'worthy' successor to Norbert the Trivago gurner...thats another company to cross off the list of degsy's approved suppliers.We seemed to be able to get behind them,just not finish and that's before VAR gets involved.Is there a worse Referee than Oliver, sadly yes, plenty. But he was poor today On our (and Moyes's) part a game of coulda, woulda, shoulda.I'll take it though - oh yes indeedy. John Daley 22 Posted 12/02/2025 at 22:29:02 What a time for the recently maligned Tarkowski to find a hammer of a finish. That lot having more derby victories than us at Goodison would have been a grave injustice, aided as they have been over the years by gormless refereeing and the goat-headed football god.What is it with them though and their unnerving ability to find the most unlikeable, ungracious ingrates to manage their malignant club? Condom Head is merely the latest in a long, long list and deserved a red card for simply having a shinier dome than a lubed up ‘Lou Dobin’s Good Time Weiner Pouch’. Prick. Brian Williams 23 Posted 12/02/2025 at 22:40:01 What makes that last gasp equalizer even more sweet is reading the BBC's HYS comments on the game.They're apoplectic! Martin Berry 24 Posted 12/02/2025 at 22:43:46 Tarks "They don't like it up them Mr Moyes" ! Dermot O'Brien 25 Posted 12/02/2025 at 22:46:13 You'll never walk al...oh. Wow. Just Wow. What a finish to a game. UTFT. Justin Doone 26 Posted 12/02/2025 at 22:48:23 Brilliant draw, we played well too but that is not 'all' Evertonians could wish for. I wanted a win!Red sheete CJ Caused the scuffle at the end because he's an ASS WHOLE!Jags (a former player and Evertonian) saying thats what we hoped and wanted, no, we wanted to destroy the red ass wholes. Why belittle Everton?Mcmnmnmn on about everyone wanting chaos, and a fitting end too the game, no, the red ass wholes caused that. We waned to celebrate although only a draw. They wanted to cause upset.Gutted Ndiaye is injured, I'm writing him off for at least 6 months. It looked bad as soon as contact was made. Referee did not do enough to protect our players.Harrison much better on the left. Not exactly a shock.. Dyche played him completely out of position for 18 months. He's no Ndiaye but can do a job for the remainder of the season. Mal van Schaick 27 Posted 12/02/2025 at 22:48:32 Well, what a game we were down and out and they thought that they had won, but what a volley to earn us a point. Well done lads great effort. The Goodison fans were fantastic again Ok, a couple of red cards and Slot got shot down by Oliver with a red card. Ho!Ho! But it all added to the drama of the last ever derby game at Goodison. Another game to add to the historic memories of our fantastic club and we will enter pastures new to fight for points in more derby games. Bring it on! Mike Hayes 28 Posted 12/02/2025 at 22:51:57 Thank fuck that was given - almost makes up for his bum game last week - good to take a point off the Devils spawn - let’s hope this derails their season to win the title - Hope arsenal find their scoring boots - but not against us! Doucoure out hopefully gives Alcaraz the chance to start, but not having Ndiaye in the team gives us less of an attacking threat. Great to see Beto get on the scoresheet yet again - let’s hope he keeps it up. Bring on palace 💙💙💙 Tom Bowers 29 Posted 12/02/2025 at 22:56:59 I watched the first half and then got busy, logged on here thinking the game was well over and the comments seemed to indicate we had lost but had Sky on when the panel reported the Tarks. goal and couldn't believe it then went to VAR.Thought for sure it would be chalked off but thank God it wasn't.It felt like a victory and for RS it probably feltlike a loss. Wonderful. Ashley Roberts 30 Posted 12/02/2025 at 23:04:18 #6 MihirWhile I’d do not disagree that Doucoure has not been up to standard this season, I have to say he was my man of the match with Branthwaite by a country mile tonight. Why oh why can he not perform like that week in and week out?? In fact him and Beto were a complete handful for the shite tonight and used their strength and muscle. Actually I thought Oliver had a good game tonight and did not blow up for every push or shove. Nobody cannot say we did not deserve a point, especially when the shites second goal was really against the run of play. Paul Conway 31 Posted 12/02/2025 at 23:05:40 Branthwaite really showed up and O’Brien was very composed. Myko had a good game also.I thought our defense really shone as a unit and Tarks topped it off with a scorcher. Peter Moore 32 Posted 12/02/2025 at 23:08:34 FTRS. 💙 Well in Tarky's Rocket 💙UTFT Dave Abrahams 33 Posted 12/02/2025 at 23:20:02 We deserved a draw at least, Oliver bottled it by not sending Bradley off early in the second half when he looked to be getting a yellow card out but changed his mind when he realised he had already booked him, his manager did Oliver’s job for him by taking Bradley off a few minutes later.We battled and battled them and Pickford had little to do with Liverpool having more possession but doing little with it but scored with a header in the six yard box. Doucoure missed a great chance heading wide with net glaring at him.Salah got a goal for Liverpool’s after more poor defending by Everton.Liverpool looked like they had took the sting out of the Blues after that goal but we never gave up and Tarkowski’s rocket shot gave us a point although we had took bite our nails waiting for those VAR refs to decide it was a genuine goal, what the fxxk were they looking for!Then the melee at the end with Davis and Doucoure getting sent off and Van Dijk trying to wind Doucoure up and Doucoure blowing him a kiss and smiling at him and his hands telling the Dutchman to carry on talking.Evertonians dancing and singing all around the streets of Goodison at the end and Snotty Slot getting his red cause he couldn’t stop wingeing and moaning and his mouth got a him a three match ban, Davis might get a bit more than a one match ban when they look at the punch he threw at Doucoure. Jimmy Cormack 34 Posted 12/02/2025 at 23:24:05 What a finish!! Nearly ripped the net off!Watched it with my dad and my son we ran around the room like mad men.Was the least that the blues deserved to be fair. We created the better chances throughout.Fitting the last goal at a Goodison derby was scored by an Evertonian at the Gwladys st end! Will be watching the replay all day. Jack Convery 35 Posted 12/02/2025 at 23:26:17 We've known it for ages but St Virgil (Wanker) has now proved himself to the whole UK what a real bell end he is.It;s their cup final - boo hooBeto pushed for their second goal - boo hooDoucoure caused all the trouble - boo hooCurtin Jones was stopping him taunting our fans - boo hooThe ref was no good - boo hoo.We had 3 sent off - boo hoo Slot, boo hoo Jones boo hoo and some bloke who works with Slot boo hoo.Now how many times have the RS players taunted us blues. Did we whinge, did our players whinge - nah.How many iffy goals have the RS scored - it must be none surely, why else complain when others may or may not have done too. As I say a WANKER and total BELL END. Have a nice night St Virgil. Remember most of the pundits in the Netherlands think you're SHITE. Just ask a certain Mr Van Basten - now there is / was a player. Colin Glassar 36 Posted 12/02/2025 at 23:29:36 Oh what a night, as Frankie used to sing Paul Ferry 37 Posted 12/02/2025 at 23:34:34 One thing that really thrilled and cheered my was Davey Moyes after that goal (what a way to say bye to the Old Lady derby!) and the final whistle.Whatever any one of us thinks about Moyes, and I'm not one of his biggest fans, no one should be in any doubt that he loves Everton.Quite frankly, I was unhappy with the appointment but I will be happy to see Moysey lead us out at BMD in August.COYFB Mike Keating 38 Posted 12/02/2025 at 23:35:42 Exhausted after that but it feels like a win - have to say the match report is hopeless.Anyone who was there tonight could have come up with something which had a sense of the intensity of the game and the explosive finale.P.S. pity Doucouré's Red doesn't keep him out for the rest of the season John Keating 39 Posted 12/02/2025 at 23:37:17 That fuckwit Oliver bottled it big timeBradley should have been off.Last week the RS subbed off a plater moments after he should have been offLast season after a clear foul on Beto Konate should have been off, subbed moments laterThey really are the spawn of the devilDoucoure only went over to the Norwegians to remind them of their flight times back home.Jones is a dickheadHad Doucoure - twice, and Harrison, in the second half not had brainstorms we would be mid table tonight.Great result in the circumstances, regardless, VAR is the worst thing ever happened in footy Michael Connelly 40 Posted 12/02/2025 at 23:38:08 Doucoure played well. Although, he still gave the ball away for the first goal, and fluffed a great chance to get a 2nd goal. Complete mixed bag of a player. Colin Glassar 41 Posted 12/02/2025 at 23:44:04 I can’t believe the shite are complaining about shoving when they’ve turned shoving into an art form. Paul Kossoff 42 Posted 12/02/2025 at 23:44:07 And, scene.😁 Brent Stephens 43 Posted 12/02/2025 at 23:52:38 Well, I'm lachrymal after that finish. But where are all the usual posts? Shaun McGough 44 Posted 12/02/2025 at 23:52:52 when you are to directly blamed for murdering 39 italians but shrugg it off, how can you have a level and intelligent analysis of a a depleted good Everton performance goodnight to goodison derby nights💙onwards to in few seasons time, domination in derby’s on the banks of the royal blue mersey Peter Mills 45 Posted 13/02/2025 at 00:17:34 This report, and the response to it, is feeble. Brent Stephens 46 Posted 13/02/2025 at 00:20:16 Peter, this site has lost its vibrancy. The reports have no soul. Eugene Ruane 47 Posted 12/02/2025 at 00:23:33 Everton supporters take a bow, because after Oliver heard fuuuuuming blues loudly and VERY clearly singing "you're not fit to referee" (twice!) I believe things took a bit of a turn in our favour and you could almost see the cogs in his head start to turn and his brain possibly telling him (re decisions) "maybe you'd better try and even this up a bit, there's a chance you're looking as biased as fuck". I say that because when we need a little slack from him later in the game, it seems (to me) we got it. As for the predictable whining and bitching afterwards from the lovable reds, I wonder if it occurred to them that there may have only been about 4 mins added time, had cheating Alisson not wasted SO much fucking time pissing about with his goal-kicks. Up The Toffees! Colin Malone 48 Posted 13/02/2025 at 00:27:36 Ashley $ 30Doucoure, man of the match. OMG. Doucoure was shite. He was the cause of there first goal. Missed two sitters, not because of bad luck, it's because he is shite. Tarkys goal was nearly disallowed because Doucoure was judged to be offside. Tell me of a worse number 10 in the Premier League. Well done blue boys. Rob Dolby 49 Posted 12/02/2025 at 00:37:32 We would have been hard done to not getting a draw.I thought Oliver helped them out a lot tonight. 7 fouls Diaz no card plus stamp on tarkowski, 5 fouls McAllister no card. He went for his card for Bradley and let him off, then he gets subbed off. Curtis Jones on Lindstrom was worse than the arsenal lad 2 weeks ago.I shouldn't feel hard done to after all of these years of shitty arse decisions in derbies but I do.Thought everyone played well. Beto and Doucoure gave their 2 CBS as much trouble as anyone this year. Gana, mykolenko and Branthwaite immense.Tarks great goal after his nightmare last weekend I just hope Ndiaye isn't out too long, a knee injury apparently.A win on Saturday could put us above spurs and united.Coyb utft. Steve Cleary 50 Posted 13/02/2025 at 00:52:58 Peter,Brent nothing on evertonia about game at all. Anthony Dwyer 51 Posted 13/02/2025 at 00:57:07 A draw was the bare minimum we deserved, massive credit to Moyes, he's improved us 10 fold. Expected the worst after there quick equaliser, then Ndiaye going off injured. Paul Ferry 52 Posted 13/02/2025 at 01:05:48 Not sure why you posted that Steve Cleary (50).You clearly have not bothered to read what Lyndon has said about Evertonia's intentions and directions. He made it quite clear that there will be match reports - did you see the one on the cup game (top quality)? - but not instantaneously. It will be like waiting for the morning paper before the WWW. I'm sure that you can do that, for the quality of the writing alone, compared to, hmmmm, the instantaneous match 'report' at the head of this thread. George Stuart 53 Posted 13/02/2025 at 01:07:37 A good shift.Very proud of the boys. Even before the end.About 8 good chances, 2 goals.Not a good enough return. Work to do. In Moyes we trust 😁I Havnt watched liverpool much. Why would I?They were niggling, spiteful despite being an excellent football team. I guess it comes with the territory.All the gear, no class.Imagine if Dyche had been in charge.Nightmare. Chris Davies 54 Posted 13/02/2025 at 01:31:06 Not very often the main stream Journos do this, but I found it a fantastic write up.https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/czd41jzgl66t Chris Davies 55 Posted 13/02/2025 at 01:40:01 Steve and Paul, (50 and 52 respectively),Go to Evertonia, menu, forum, EFC v LFC, and it’s just like the trusty site we all know and love (with all the usual suspects). Steve Brown 56 Posted 13/02/2025 at 01:45:49 With Slot and his first team coach sent off, I assume Heitinga will be responsible for managing the redshite in their next match.Time for us to activate Agent Orange. Add Your Comments In order to post a comment, you need to be logged in as a registered user of the site. » Log in now Or Sign up as a ToffeeWeb Member — it's free, takes just a few minutes and will allow you to post your comments on articles and Talking Points submissions across the site. How to get rid of these ads and support TW © ToffeeWeb