Curtis Jones and Abdoulaye Doucoure were both sent off following a huge brawl in the closing stages of an action-packed Merseyside derby. And there was also another TWO red cards shown to Liverpool manager Arne Slot and his assistant, Sipke Hulshoff, on a night that will live long in the memory at Goodison Park. The drama started when Jones and Doucoure clashed after the latter celebrated Everton's dramatic late equaliser right in front of the travelling Liverpool fans.
Players from both sides then piled in and both were sent off for their actions once the dust had settled by referee Michael Oliver, who had already blown the final whistle. Slot was also sent off to cap an eventful few minutes; James Tarkowski's dramatic 98th minute equaliser for Everton - in the final Merseyside derby to be played at Goodison Park - was the catalyst for all the drama. Rio Ferdinand, covering the game for TNT Sports, defended Jones for retaliating to Doucoure's antics, saying: "I have been there. Mario Balotelli at Wembley in front of our [United] fans. I was incensed.
"Curtis Jones saw Abdoulaye Doucoure celebrate in front of the Liverpool fans in the away section, he started giving it to the fans and Jones wasn't happy.". A statement from the Premier League after the final whistle confirmed that Slot and Hulshoff were shown straight red cards after the final whistle by Oliver. Slot was visibly unhappy with Everton's late equaliser and former Toffees defender Phil Jagielka admitted: "You can see why Arne Slot was furious. There was a slight little nudge in the box and if that was my team I would be appealing. I would be getting sent off after the game too.
"Slot always talks about staying composed but it seems like he lost a bit of his composure at the end there. That's what a derby does to you.". Did Michael Oliver get it right? Vote in our poll HERE to have your say. Beto had given Everton a shock early lead in the derby, which will be played at the Toffees' new stadium next season, before Liverpool hit back through goals from Alexis Mac Allister and Mohamed Salah.
But Tarkowski struck at the death to ensure Everton signed off against their arch-rivals at Goodison Park in style. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
