Moyes may have found the new Gareth Barry in Everton's £100k-p/w "leader"
da betobet： Everton were a day late and a dollar short once again at Anfield, though most of a Toffees persuasion will have spilled out Liverpool’s turnstiles with a sense of grievance and perhaps frustration that parity wasn’t restored.
da spicy bet： Diogo Jota’s neat footwork preceded a tidy finish to wrong-foot Jordan Pickford and send Liverpool deeper into their seat at the summit of the Premier League.
For Everton, their Anfield purgatory continues. David Moyes’ pre-match comments bespoke a chasmic gap between the neighbours: “We might be further away from Liverpool than we ever have been at the moment.”
However, the two contests over the past two months have shed some new light on Everton’s startlingly sharp development with the Scotsman at the helm once again.
This is a new Everton team revived and confident and hungry for new levels of success. Much has changed in short time, but the derby itself hasn’t, insofar as hackles were raised and jaws were bared from both sides of the sphere.
A fiery Merseyside derby
Everton versus Liverpool hasn’t been without its fracas-laden moments over the years, and while Wednesday’s Anfield clash won’t fall into the most tempestuous of meetings in modern history, it wasn’t that far away.
Moyes, certainly, was left feeling aggrieved after one or two controversial moments. In particular, Jota’s goal carried a hint of contention that left the 61-year-old frustrated post-game, for Luis Diaz was in an offside position during the build-up. Albeit the Colombian didn’t touch the ball while walking back into legality, not seeking to interfere with play.
However, that wasn’t the only, or indeed more scrutinised, point of controversy on the evening. Beto had actually put Everton ahead in an impressive first half but saw his goal chalked off for a marginal offside, but the biggest issue came on the Toffees’ defensive side.
James Tarkowski’s first-half challenge on Alexis Mac Allister sent Anfield into a maddened frenzy. It was, colloquially, a ‘leg-breaker.’
However, Liverpool’s midfielder walked off fine and so too did Everton’s veteran defender, who accepted a booking for his reckless sliding clearance – which he technically won – after VAR official Paul Tierney failed to recognise the gravity of the incident. Even Moyes suggested the 32-year-old was “lucky” not to have received his marching orders.
Everton's new Gareth Barry
The Merseyside derby has often been a game of brinkmanship on both sides, but Tarkowski pushed his chances to the limits on the disciplinary front, with former Premier League referee Mike Dean branding the incident a “horrible challenge and 100% a red card.”
It’s the kind of combativeness, though, that harkens wistful thoughts of a former era, one many fans resonate with as being more real and nostalgic, for better or worse.
Standing in for the rarely-seen Seamus Coleman as Everton captain, Tarkowski evoked the spirit of that era, evoked the spirit of Gareth Barry, combining leadership with, frankly, a whole lot of yellows.
He may have been the Blues’ hero in the reverse fixture at Goodison Park, but – the VAR drama aside – he suffered a few shaky moments. Namely, it was his half-cleared swipe that sparked Jota’s goal.
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Although given that the £100k-per-week Tarkowski incredibly made 12 clearances in total, as per Sofascore, it’s understandable that at least one might not travel the length of the field.
The acting skipper also won six duels, blocked three shots and made three interceptions, highlighting his gritty, no-nonsense nature.
For the most part, he leads by example, indeed showing that he has become a “really strong leader,” recognised as such nearly three years ago by former boss Frank Lampard.
Barry used to be that man for the Merseysiders. The all-time leading appearance maker in the Premier League – having played 653 games – the 44-year-old featured 153 times for the Toffees, scoring five goals and placing 11 assists across a four-year period, instrumental in driving Everton through the halcyon, pre-Moshiri days.
Of course, the retired England international was strong in the challenge himself, facing card-brandishing referees on more than a few occasions throughout his long Premier League career.
Most Yellow Cards in Premier League History
Player
Bookings
1.
Gareth Barry
123
2.
Wayne Rooney
102
3.
Lee Bowyer
99
3=
Kevin Davies
99
5.
Paul Scholes
97
Stats via Premier League
Barry, who captained the Three Lions at one point, was an understated midfielder, a man of industry and intelligence as he controlled games plum in the centre of the pitch.
His defensive quality and positional understanding were virtues that could also be attributed to Tarkowski at Everton right now, the centre-back upholding Sean Dyche and now Moyes’ values and adding an almost foundational element to the team, which allows others to flourish.
Barry – who now plays in England’s 12th tier with village club Hurstpierpoint F.C., four years on from retirement – was once hailed as “one of England’s best players ever” by his one-time gaffer Roberto Martinez, so industrious and an expert at the rudiments of football.
Tarkowski might not boast the same degree of wider acclaim, but he’s certainly made his mark at Goodison Park since leaving Burnley on a free transfer in 2022, playing in every single Premier League fixture since moving to Merseyside.
Thankfully, that record won’t be snapped by a VAR intervention. Regardless of the Englishman’s over-zealous challenge, his tough, protective approach has borne dividends for Everton over the past few years, and he’s not done yet.
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