Diogo Jota fires leaders Liverpool to victory in controversial Merseyside derby

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.

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.