Jota fires Liverpool to win over Everton in bad-tempered derby

Liverpool restored their 12-point lead at the top of the Premier League after Diogo Jota's strike won a feisty Merseyside derby 1-0 over Everton on Wednesday.

Everton captain James Tarkowski escaped with just a yellow card from an early wild challenge on Alexis Mac Allister to set the tone.

The visitors hit the post through Beto in the first half, but saw their nine-game unbeaten league run come to an end when Jota fired home just before the hour mark.

Victory means Liverpool need just 13 points from their remaining eight games to be assured of a record-equalling 20th English top-flight title.

An explosive last derby at Goodison Park in February saw four red cards brandished after the full-time whistle in a dramatic finale.

Tarkowski's 98th-minute strike had salvaged a 2-2 draw for Everton.

Abdoulaye Doucoure's celebrations in front of the travelling Liverpool support and Curtis Jones' reaction saw them both sent off, while Liverpool boss Arne Slot and assistant Sipke Hulshoff were shown red cards for taking their protests towards referee Michael Oliver too far.

Temperatures rising

The bad blood between the players was still simmering and Tarkowski was the villain for what should have been another dismissal after just 11 minutes.

The centre-back lunged in to clear and caught Mac Allister high on the ankle with his studs but was shown just a yellow card by referee Samuel Barrott, who was not instructed by VAR to review his original decision.

Slot said he did not need to comment on the decision as so many others had spoken out on the challenge.

Even Moyes accepted that Tarkowski was lucky to stay on the field.

"Since I have seen it, we could have been lucky we didn't get a red," said Moyes. "It looked a high one. I think it was the follow through that looked worse."

Everton are still to win at Anfield in front of a crowd since 1999, but travelled across Stanley Park in confident mood thanks to their upturn since David Moyes' return for a second spell in charge which has virtually guaranteed survival.

The Toffees were twice inches away from going in front before the break.

Beto had the ball in the net but had strayed just offside before latching onto a ball over the top.

The Guinea-Bissau international then charged through on goal after Virgil van Dijk mistimed his clearance and hit the post.

Liverpool had suffered back-to-back defeats in their previous two games to Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle to end their hopes of lifting the Champions League and League Cup.

Slot's men upped their intensity after a flat first half to make sure the title is also not at risk of slipping away.

There was more controversy when the opening goal arrived as Luis Diaz was offside when Tarkowski cut out a pass aimed towards the Colombian.

Diaz pounced on the loose ball and flicked the ball into Jota's path, who kept his cool to cut inside Idrissa Gueye and Tarkwoski before smashing home his first goal since January.

Slot said he does not agree with the offside rule that meant the goal stood.

"It was not offside, according to the rules," said Slot. "Do I like the rule? No, I don't like the rule. I hate that rule but the execution of the rule was fortunately for us today well done in that situation."

Diaz had the best chance to double Liverpool's lead when he fired a powerful effort too close to Jordan Pickford.

The Everton 'keeper was involved in another flashpoint late on when he chopped down Darwin Nunez inside the area but after Barrott had already blown for a foul to Liverpool earlier in the move.

Slot's pledge not to lose his cool as he did when the sides last met was tested as Liverpool's frustration towards the officials threatened to boil over.

But they held out to get back to winning ways and take another big step towards just a second league title in 35 years.