Advertisement League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories Diogo Jota (right) after his goal.Alamy Stock Photo FreeClosing In Liverpool's march towards Premier League title continues with win over Everton Diogo Jota scored only goal of the game to re-establish 12-point lead at top. 10.08pm, 2 Apr 2025 Share options LIVERPOOL RE-ESTABLISHED their 12-point lead at the top of the Premier League with Diogo Jota’s strike against Everton settling a second controversial Merseyside derby of the season. Jota’s first league goal since mid-January was potentially one of his most important of the campaign as the 1-0 victory kept second-placed Arsenal at more than arm’s length. It also ended Everton manager David Moyes’ nine-match unbeaten league run since taking over in January and extended his personal record to 22 Anfield visits without a win. But the main talking point was Everton defender James Tarkowski seemingly getting away with an excessive challenge on Alexis Mac Allister early in the first half. That former Toffees striker and renowned hard man Duncan Ferguson called it a “straight red all day” told its own story. Sam Barrott had never refereed at Anfield before, never mind handled a Merseyside derby, and there were times when it looked like he was reluctant to make a decision. Advertisement None more so than Tarkowski’s 11th-minute tackle which appeared to receive universal condemnation from pundits and commentators for its unnecessary ferocity. Jarrad Branthwaite had just bailed out his centre-back partner by blocking a shot by Jota, who had turned Tarkowski too easily on the edge of the area. The veteran defender seemed to want to re-establish his authority and the next time the ball came his way he took it cleanly but followed through wildly, catching Mac Allister halfway up his calf. Barrott issued a yellow card and VAR saw no reason to upgrade it, with the Premier League subsequently describing the tackle as “reckless”. Ferguson, a Sky Sports pundit, said the decision was “unbelievable”. Liverpool head coach Arne Slot, who had been sent off for his protests at Goodison Park in February after Tarkowski’s equaliser in the eighth added minute, just about managed to keep a lid on his frustrations. It set the game on edge, which played into the visitors’ hands, and they had the best two chances of the half. Beto’s goal was ruled out for offside before the striker hit a post in a one-on-one with Caoimhin Kelleher, in because Alisson Becker failed concussion protocols following a clash on Brazil duty, after capitalising on a rare error by Virgil van Dijk. The best Liverpool could muster was a Mohamed Salah header straight at Jordan Pickford and a Ryan Gravenberch shot deflecting kindly into the England goalkeeper’s arms. Gravenberch set the tone for the second half with a shot which was parried by Pickford and headed behind by Branthwaite. But the breakthrough finally came in the 57th minute. Jota retrieved Diaz’s backheel and jinked his way past Idrissa Gueye and Tarkowski before firing past Pickford. There was a degree of karma in the fact Diaz had been offside until Tarkowski stuck out a leg to half-block Gravenberch’s intended pass, on which Jota pounced. Barrot got himself into a mess late in the game when he blew for a foul inside Liverpool’s half as substitute Darwin Nunez chased the ball and collided with Pickford in the penalty area, with the Uruguay international getting himself booked for unsporting behaviour for rolling back onto the pitch to receive treatment. It was far from a classic but after back-to-back defeats, in two cup competitions, for the first time under Slot just before the international break a return to winning ways brought a second title in five years one step closer. Press Association View 27 comments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “Liverpool's march towards Premier League title continues with win over Everton”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “Liverpool's march towards Premier League title continues with win over Everton”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please give full details of the problem with the comment... This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy before taking part. Leave a Comment Submit a report Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines. Damaging the good reputation of someone, slander, or libel. Racism or Hate speech An attack on an individual or group based on religion, race, gender, or beliefs. Trolling or Off-topic An attempt to derail the discussion. Inappropriate language Profanity, obscenity, vulgarity, or slurs. Advertising, phishing, scamming, bots, or repetitive posts. Please provide additional information Thank you for the feedback Your feedback has been sent to our team for review. Leave a commentcancel Access to the comments facility has been disabled for this user View our policy ⚠️ Duplicate comment Post Comment have your say Or create a free account to join the discussion Premier League News in 60 seconds Freeflashpoint Jose Mourinho grabs Galatasaray boss by nose amid wild scenes at end of Fenerbahce defeat Freepl wrap Rashford scores first Premier League goal for Villa as Isak makes Newcastle history 20 mins ago Freearound the grounds Dublin bounce back from Meath loss, Sligo strike late to defeat Galway 42 mins ago Freemaking a point Man City fans stage ticket price protest ahead of win over Leicester City 51 mins ago FreePoints On Board Tipperary and Clare get first wins in Munster U20 hurling championship 56 mins ago FAI take action after three First Division clubs field ineligible players 65 years on, Cork and Tipp meet in another league final in another world chance missed Evan Ferguson endures tough night as Wolves take big step towards safety against West Ham Crowley yet to agree new contract but 'hopes to continue' with Munster Munster duo and Connacht's Tucker join O'Connell's coaching team for Ireland's summer tour Standing Room Only Up to seven Munster senior hurling games set to sell out amid high demand for tickets more from us Investigates Daft.ie Property Magazine Allianz Home Magazine The 42 Sports Magazine Money Diaries The Journal TV Journal Media Advertise With Us About FactCheck Our Network FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition more from us TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Journal Media Advertise With Us Our Network The Journal FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition © 2025 Journal Media Ltd Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition Switch to Desktop Switch to Mobile The 42 supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and the Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at https://www.presscouncil.ie, PH: (01) 6489130, Lo-Call 1800 208 080 or email: mailto:info@presscouncil.ie Report an error, omission or problem: Your Email (optional) Create Email Alert Create an email alert based on the current article Email Address One email every morning As soon as new articles come online Sign in or create a free account To continue reading create a free account Or sign into an existing account