Liverpool clinches the Merseyside derby against Everton and continues its perfect start in the English league

Liverpool achieved a hard-fought victory with a score of 2-1 against their traditional rival Everton in the Merseyside derby held on Saturday evening at Anfield, as part of the fifth round of the Premier League, allowing the red team to maintain its perfect start to the season and stay at the top of the standings.

The Dutch Ryan Gravenberch opened the scoring in the tenth minute after a precise pass from Egyptian star Mohamed Salah, before the new signing Ougo Ekitike added the second goal in the 29th minute after a decisive assist from Gravenberch, placing it between the legs of goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

Despite Liverpool's dominance in the first half, Everton made a strong comeback in the second, with Idrissa Gueye managing to reduce the deficit with a powerful shot in the 58th minute, leading to a phase of tension and pressure on the home team, especially with the heavy rain that flooded the pitch.

Despite Everton's repeated attempts, including Jack Grealish's save from a dangerous header by Ibrahima Konaté in the 73rd minute, the blue team could not equalize, suffering their second loss of the season and dropping to seventh place.

The match witnessed protests from Everton players and the coach regarding the refereeing decisions, most notably the yellow card received by Kieran Dewsbury-Hall after executing a quick free kick, prompting Grealish to state: "I have never seen such decisions in my life."

For his part, Gravenberch expressed his happiness with the goal, saying: "Last season I didn't score much, so I am very happy, especially in such a big match," while Ekitike described the encounter as a "tough test," confirming that the team "fought until the last moment".