Everton 1-2 Liverpool
Liverpool won at Goodison Park for the third successive season, 88 years since such a feat was first achieved, and moved closer to their goal of fourth place in the Premiership as a result.
With Sami Hyypia suspended, Igor Biscan took his place in the starting line up, and Gerard Houllier stuck with the same forward line of Owen, Heskey and Baros which had played in Liverpool's win against Fulham a week earlier. Gerrard was made captain for the day in the absence of Hyypia, playing alongside Hamann and Murphy across the Reds' midfield.
Everton started the game looking the more lively of the two sides and the first chance of the game fell to Alan Stubbs, but the Blues defender fired over from just outside the area.
A back injury picked up by Biscan meant that for the second time in his Liverpool career, he'd be finishing a Goodison derby early, two years after he was sent off in the fixture during the 2001 Easter period. Fortunately a replacement was available this time though, and it was Salif Diao who was brought on, slotting into the right back position with Carragher moving into the centre to partner Djimi Traore.
But the early Everton pressure continued, and their second chance of the afternoon was just a couple more minutes away. A long ball into the box by Carsley was not dealt with by Dudek, who dropped the ball as Rooney clattered into him, and Kevin Campbell attempted to lift the ball over him and into the net, though Carragher was on the line to make the clearance.
However, Dietmar Hamann immediately conceded a free kick for a fould on Lee Carsley and Liverpool were under yet more pressure, while Hamann collected the game's first booking, with Gerrard also having his name taken by Paul Durkin for dissent.
Gerrard's comments lead to the ball being moved forward 10 yards, and that gave Everton the opportunity to go straight for goal, and the shot by Gary Naysmith had to be well saved by Dudek to prevent the Reds from falling behind.
It took Liverpool around twenty minutes to really settle into the game and a further 10 minutes later, Liverpool were ahead.
Danny Murphy played the ball to Owen just outside the left edge of the Everton penalty area, and after running at Yobo and Carsley, Owen struck a fierce shot towards Richard Wright's near post which the Blues' goalkeeper got hands to but failed to turn the ball around the post, and Liverpool were one-nil up.
The second half started in similar fashion as the first, with Everton looking the stronger of the two teams, and they were almost level within minutes of the restart as Thomas Gravesen picked up a short clearance by Traore and hit a great shot towards Dudek's goal, but the ball flew inches wide of the post and into the side netting.
Everton were level on 57 minutes though, thanks to a David Unsworth penalty after Carragher had clumsily brought down Gary Naysmith just inside the area following a great one-two between Naysmith and Unsworth.
Milan Baros failed to instantly restore Liverpool's lead as he beat two Everton defenders to win a header from a well delivered Riise free kick, but Baros' effort was off target.
Liverpool began to play their best football of the afternoon in search of a winner, and just six minutes after conceding the equaliser, Danny Murphy delivered what eventually did prove to be the winning goal, and when it arrived, it was a goal worthy of winning any game.
Dietmar Hamann stormed his way through the Everton midfield and after his run was blocked by David Weir, Murphy took control of the ball and the failure by Carsley and Weir to close him down quick enough gave Murphy enough time to pick his spot and curl an unstoppable shot past Richard Wright from 25 yards out.
And Murphy could even have bettered his 63rd minute strike moments later when he hit a ferocious volley just wide of the post.
Everton's afternoon was to get worse though, as both David Weir and Gary Naysmith went on to recieve their second yellow cards of the game for challenges on Gerrard and Diouf respectively, the latter of which arrived in the final minute of the game.
It was a priceless victory for Liverpool, and thanks to defeats for both Newcastle and Chelsea, Liverpool moved to within two points of a Champions League place.
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