A heated Merseyside derby at Goodison Park ended in chaos after James Tarkowski's dramatic stoppage-time equalizer sparked confrontations between players and resulted in multiple red cards.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk accused Everton midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure of deliberately provoking Liverpool fans during celebrations following Tarkowski's 98th-minute goal that secured a 2-2 draw. The late equalizer denied Liverpool the chance to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League to nine points.
The tension escalated when Doucoure was seen making a shushing gesture toward the away supporters, leading to a confrontation with Liverpool substitute Curtis Jones. The incident triggered a mass melee between both teams, with a bottle reportedly thrown at the group of players. Both Doucoure and Jones received second yellow cards and were subsequently sent off by referee Michael Oliver.
The drama didn't end there, as Liverpool manager Arne Slot and his assistant Sipke Hulshoff were also shown straight red cards after protesting to officials about a potential foul in the build-up to Tarkowski's goal.
"We saw how they celebrated the goal, they have all the right to," Van Dijk told TNT Sports. "I think Abdoulaye Doucoure wanted to provoke our fans, I think that is what I saw and Curtis Jones didn't think it was the right thing to do." The Liverpool captain also criticized the referee's performance, stating, "I didn't think the referee had the game under control. Both teams had to deal with it. This was their cup final."
Former Liverpool winger Steve McManaman criticized Doucoure's actions, saying on TNT Sports, "Abdoulaye Doucoure had 37,000 of his own fans to go and celebrate in front of. To go and antagonise the Liverpool fans was a silly decision. It was only going to end one way."
Rio Ferdinand, former Manchester United defender, offered a nuanced perspective on the situation: "Going against opposition fans I don't think is wrong. The difference is when it is a local derby, you don't like them but there is a respect and you know there is a torch paper that will be lit."
Everton manager David Moyes expressed frustration over losing Doucoure to suspension for their upcoming match against Crystal Palace. "I'm disappointed because Doucoure played really well and I'm going to now lose him because he's got a second yellow card which turned into a red," Moyes said. He acknowledged the electric atmosphere of the evening, describing the stadium as being at "fever pitch" and the scene as "mayhem," adding that "It was one of the big nights."
The match, which proved to be the last derby at Goodison Park, saw Everton move level on points with Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham, positioning them 10 points clear of the relegation zone.
