Jamie Carragher insists he is not the bitter celebration police after Everton’s late equaliser in a ‘classic’ Merseyside derby, hoping the Toffees fan who grabbed the corner flag got to take it home.
The final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park did not disappoint with a memorable contest which ended in dramatic fashion and then chaos on the pitch and in the stands.
Beto gave the home team an early lead, but Alexis Mac Allister quickly equalised and the game was level again after just 16 minutes.
Mohamed Salah struck on 73 minutes and Liverpool looked to be going nine points clear at the top of the Premier League table, that was until James Tarkowski hammered in an effort eight minutes into stoppage time.
That was not the end of the drama as both Curtis Jones and Abdoulaye Doucoure were shown red for a scuffle, then Liverpool boss Arne Slot and his assistant Sipke Hulshoff were also given red cards after the final whistle by referee Michael Oliver.
Tarkowski’s equaliser was followed by Everton fans spilling onto the pitch and wildly celebrating, with one supporter grabbing a corner flag and waving it above his head.
Carragher was obviously disappointed to see his former club drop two points deep into stoppage time, but said he did not begrudge the home fans their moment of ecstasy.
‘Everton vs Liverpool was a classic!’ Carragher wrote on X. ‘Sickener at the end but fair play to the blues as the ⚽️ was a cracker.
Fitting way I suppose to end this fixture at Goodison 🤝. I know people think I’m the celebration 👮🏻♂️but I do hope that lad kept the corner flag! 7pts clear 14 to go🤞🏻.’
Liverpool were fuming with Doucoure, with Jones feeling that the Everton man was provoking Reds fans, which caused their dust-up.
The league leaders were also unhappy with referee Oliver, who they felt missed fouls in the build-up to both Everton goals.
Speaking after the game, Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk told TNT Sports: ‘We saw how they celebrated the goal, they have all the right to. 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. And then you know what happens if there is a little tussle.
‘I didn’t think the referee had the game under control. Both teams had to deal with it. This was their cup final.
‘I think the referee had a big part in the game, in terms of certain challenges were given as fouls and similar weren’t.’
Everton boss David Moyes said of Doucoure’s red card: ‘I have had a chance to see it and 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.
‘The emotions were running high here all night, the stadium was at fever pitch. It was mayhem. You could see what it meant to supporters at the end of the game, the crowd was rocking.
‘It was one of the big nights.’
