Liverpool secured a 2-1 victory over Everton in a tense Merseyside derby at Anfield, extending their perfect start to the Premier League season.
Early goals from Ryan Gravenberch and Hugo Ekitike rewarded the Reds for a dominant opening spell and proved just enough to secure a fifth consecutive league win.
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Idrissa Gana Gueye struck after the break to give Everton hope, but Liverpool held firm despite fading energy in their third game in seven days.
Arne Slot’s side, who had required late goals in their previous four league games and Champions League opener against Atletico Madrid, made their mark this time inside the first 30 minutes.
“We needed mentality today in a different fashion than the few times before,” Slot said. “You can see how well we can play when we are fresh in the first 45 minutes. We ran out of a bit of energy, but we didn’t run out of mentality.”
Slot opted to leave record signings Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak on the bench, instead restoring balance with Alexis Mac Allister in midfield alongside Dominik Szoboszlai and the impressive Gravenberch. The Dutchman opened the scoring after nine minutes, guiding in Mohamed Salah’s cross with a smart half-volley.
Everton, unbeaten in four ahead of the derby, improved after the interval but could not overturn their wretched record at Anfield, where they remain winless this century.
