Abdoulaye Doucoure and Curtis Jones were at the centre of a huge bust-up in the immediate aftermath of Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Everton on Wednesday night. Liverpool appeared to be on course to secure a 2-1 victory in the final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park but James Tarkowski struck in the eighth minute of injury time to rescue a draw for David Moyes’ men. Doucoure then sparked a mass brawl between both sets of players immediately after the full-time whistle as he celebrated Everton’s last-gasp goal directly in front of Liverpool’s supporters in the away section.
![[Soccer Football - Premier League - Everton v Liverpool - Goodison Park, Liverpool, Britain - February 12, 2025 Liverpool's Curtis Jones clashes with Everton's Abdoulaye Doucoure after the match REUTERS/Phil Noble EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO USE WITH UNAUTHORIZED AUDIO, VIDEO, DATA, FIXTURE LISTS, CLUB/LEAGUE LOGOS OR 'LIVE' SERVICES. ONLINE IN-MATCH USE LIMITED TO 120 IMAGES, NO VIDEO EMULATION. NO USE IN BETTING, GAMES OR SINGLE CLUB/LEAGUE/PLAYER PUBLICATIONS. PLEASE CONTACT YOUR ACCOUNT REPRESENTATIVE FOR FURTHER DETAILS..]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/SEI_239660468-a26f.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
Television replays caught Doucoure making a shushing gesture towards the Liverpool fans before Jones rushed over to push the Everton midfielder. Jones rushed over and Doucoure by the shirt before he was pulled away by Ashley Young and Carlos Alcaraz. Both sets of players then rushed in with both police and matchday stewards forced to step in to stop the fighting. Doucoure was also seen making a talking gesture with his hand towards Virgil van Dijk as he was leaving the pitch.
Both Doucoure and Jones were sent off by referee Michael Oliver after the full-time whistle, while Liverpool manager Arne Slot and assistant coach Sipke Hulshoff was also given a red card. The draw at Goodison Park has left Liverpool seven points clear of Arsenal at the top of the Premier League with 14 games remaining. Everton, meanwhile, move up to 15th and are 10 points clear of 18th-placed Leicester City.
When asked about Doucoure’s actions after the game, Van Dijk told BBC Sport: ‘It was a very big provocation from one certain player. ‘We all saw it and reacted as a team as we were able to do. You know what happens nowadays, it becomes one big tussle. ‘Then it is not me who has to deal with it, it is the referee and today I am not sure he had it fully under control.’. Speaking about Doucoure’s red card, Moyes said: ‘I’m disappointed with Doucoure because we need him, we’re down on numbers at the moment.
![[Soccer Football - Premier League - Everton v Liverpool - Goodison Park, Liverpool, Britain - February 12, 2025 Liverpool manager Arne Slot remonstrates with referee Michael Oliver after the match before being sent off Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO USE WITH UNAUTHORIZED AUDIO, VIDEO, DATA, FIXTURE LISTS, CLUB/LEAGUE LOGOS OR 'LIVE' SERVICES. ONLINE IN-MATCH USE LIMITED TO 120 IMAGES, NO VIDEO EMULATION. NO USE IN BETTING, GAMES OR SINGLE CLUB/LEAGUE/PLAYER PUBLICATIONS. PLEASE CONTACT YOUR ACCOUNT REPRESENTATIVE FOR FURTHER DETAILS..]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/SEI_239660275-7662.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
‘We’ve got to be careful what we do. Discipline is never easy sometimes in these games and tonight was a game where quite easily sending offs happen.’. For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Arrow MORE: Chelsea suffer huge injury blow with first-team star ruled out until April. Arrow MORE: Pep Guardiola urges Man City to sign £125m midfielder ahead of Arsenal.
