Stephen Pienaar's second yellow card to join the ever growing ranks of players sent off in the Merseyside derby. Photo via Liverpoolfc.tv

The most fiery derby fixture in the Barclays Premier League supported by the highest number of sending offs especially in the last 5 derbies between the two teams! Martin Atkinson was the referee for the game and it must be said that he did play his part in continuing the tradition of the match by allowing tackles after tackles which were yellows and not reigning in those challenges from both sides. Certainly, both sets of players were instead encouraged by Atkinson’s leniency and hence the match become a gentle version of Rollerball (James Caan 1970’s version, not the lame 2000 version!).

Our Greek defender, Kyrgiakos’s two footed challenge on Fellani was deffo a red card. Kyrgiakos has no business going in two-footed as it has been the rule now for two-footed challenges even if he had won it fair and square. However, Fellani should have also been sent off when he showed his studs on Kyrgiakos in the same incident.

But Fellani was not only guilty of the incident with Kyrgiakos but he had earlier kicked Kuyt in the face when the latter was down after the whistle and lucky referee, Atkinson did not spot it. Pineear himself was no angel as well as he had the worst tackle of the match on Mascherano and got away with it. It’s amazing that only Kyrgiakos and Pineear was sent off at the end andthere were no further casualties.

From the moment Kyrgiakos was sent off, there was only going to be one winner – the team that scores from a set-piece as it was hardly a match going on. From a corner, Gerrard delivered his trademark swerving ball into the centre and Kuyt was tussling with Phil Neville as well as Tim Howard but somehow, managed to squeeze between two and glace the ball into the empty net for a one goal lead and down to ten (10) men.

The Everton players tried their best to trouble Pepe in our goal but never came close to it as they resorted to long balls which were brilliantly handled by Carragher (replaced Kyrgiakos in the middle after the latter’s sending off) and Agger in the middle of the park. Compeleing the backline were Mascherano (After Kyrgiakos’s sending off!) and Insua on the opposite end.

Bruised, battered and kicked but the Red men did not blink. Instead, it inspired the Red men to raise their efforts and battle harder than ever for the Red half of Merseyside and their much-maligned manager, Rafa Benitez. Not much football on display at Anfield this time but this is Bloodsport Derby, the mother of all Derbies. Plenty of heart and endeavours and minimal tactics on display as Everton resorted to long balls as the match wore on. And the frustrations boiled over for the men in Blue and Pienaar continued the latest trend in the Mersey Derby by getting himself sent off for a second bookable offence as he clanged late into Gerrard late in extra time.

With another 3 points in the pocket, Rafa’s men will be looking for another 3 points from Wednesday night’s big away clash with the Gunners (why the hell on earth would they play these ‘BIG’ matches on a weekday? Its beyond logic!) would set us up nicely for the following home game against Manchester City.

Written by,

William Tan