The last Merseyside derby between Everton and Liverpool at Goodison Park ended in a dramatic 2-2 draw, but the aftermath has been dominated by controversy surrounding referee Michael Oliver’s performance.
The match saw four red cards, a late equalizer, and accusations of weakness and incompetence leveled against the official.
Everton took an early lead through Beto, which was quickly cancelled out by Alexis Mac Allister. Mohamed Salah then put Liverpool ahead in the 73rd minute, only for James Tarkowski to equalize deep into stoppage time, sending Goodison Park into a frenzy. The celebrations, however, quickly turned sour.
A scuffle between Abdoulaye Doucoure and Curtis Jones resulted in both players being sent off. Following the final whistle, Liverpool manager Arne Slot and his assistant were also shown red cards for their protests, the exact nature of which remains unclear.
Slot approached Oliver, shook his hand firmly, and appeared to say something, but the audio was not captured by television cameras.
Former Premier League referee Keith Hackett did not hold back in his criticism of Oliver, branding his performance “weak” and highlighting several key incidents.
Hackett argued that the free-kick awarded to Everton, which led to their opening goal, was incorrect.
“A huge error!! By referee Oliver who did not have his best performance,” Hackett wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
He also criticized Oliver’s handling of the crowd surge following Tarkowski’s late equalizer, stating, “The celebration of goals creates dangerous crowd surges. Thought Oliver was weak.”
Hackett’s critique extended beyond specific decisions, claiming that Oliver lacked control throughout the match.
“There was a lot wrong in this performance from Oliver. You are only as good as your last game. I would not be happy with that effort by him,” Hackett added.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk echoed Hackett’s sentiments, stating that Oliver “didn’t have the game under control.”
He acknowledged the passion of the Everton celebrations but suggested that Doucoure’s actions provoked Liverpool fans, leading to the confrontation with Jones.
“I think the ref didn’t have the game under control in my opinion… Both teams have to deal with it. It is what it is. We just need to move on,” van Dijk told TNT Sports.
The draw leaves Liverpool seven points clear at the top of the Premier League table, while Everton move further away from the relegation zone, now ten points clear of Leicester City.
