Mohamed Salah was the Merseyside derby match-winner with a second-half double as Liverpool edged past 10-man Everton in the Premier League.
Salah’s confident penalty in front of the Kop End following Michael Keane’s handball ended a frustrating 75 minutes for the home side and he added a late second as the Reds went top of the table on Saturday lunchtime.
It took the Egypt international’s tally to 201 career league goals and victory maintained Liverpool’s recent dominance over their neighbours in this fixture.
Jurgen Klopp’s side searched for a way to break the deadlock in the second period after Ashley Young was sent off for two bookable offences, with both fouls coming on Luis Diaz.
The hosts had been finding it difficult to make in-roads despite having a man advantage, with many of their efforts from long range comfortable for Jordan Pickford to deal with.
The England international smothered Alexis Mac Allister’s rasping effort and Darwin Nunez’s strike, while dipping drives from Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dominik Szoboszlai both dropped narrowly over.
Everton maybe should have gone ahead in the opening couple of minutes but Dominic Calvert-Lewin could only divert his header straight at Alisson.
Dwight McNeil’s curling effort was also deflected over the crossbar, but they were finally breached with 15 minutes to go and again in injury time, leaving Sean Dyche’s side with only two wins in nine league games this season.
