David Moyes makes Anfield claim after loss
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Image Credits: Imago ImagesEverton manager David Moyes shared strong post-match thoughts after his team’s hard-fought Merseyside derby defeat at Anfield.
Liverpool kept their perfect start to the new Premier League season with a 2-1 win over Everton at Anfield.
The Merseyside derby is one of the league’s most intense fixtures and once again delivered drama.
Ryan Gravenberch and Hugo Ekitike scored first-half goals to put the champions in control.
Everton pulled one back late through Idrissa Gueye, but the red half of the city took all three points.
The match was played at a high pace with the crowd adding to the pressure.
For Liverpool, it was also their third game in six days, yet they looked sharp and in command for most of the first half.
Everton tried to respond after the break and made it more competitive, but the deficit proved too much.
After the match, Everton boss David Moyes was open about his frustration, focusing on refereeing decisions and the flow of the game.
“Everybody who’s connected with Everton will tell you that coming to Anfield to try and get decisions is difficult,” he told TNT Sports.
He recalled last season’s experience, saying, “I continue to mention it because last year we lost 1-0 to what looked like an offside goal.”
“That was given.”
He questioned the time added on as well, “Today I found it really difficult to think there was only three minutes added time on.”
“I also found it difficult that there were quite a lot of free-kicks and the referee said we couldn’t play until he was ready.”
Moyes highlighted a key inconsistency.
“We’re trying to help our players all the time.”
“We get done a couple of times last week against Aston Villa.”
“They played quick free kicks, balls over.”
“I didn’t see the referee pulling that back.”
He admitted Liverpool’s strength early on, “I’m always disappointed to lose a game, 2-0 down at half-time, I was concerned where it might get to if we didn’t do better.”
“We certainly did do much better in the second half, performed better, became more aggressive in the whole round play.”
He credited Liverpool but wished his side had done more.
“We didn’t start the game well, but I have to give praise to Liverpool, they made it difficult and I think their two goals were really well-worked goals.”
“They dominated us physically and technically with the ball as well.”
Reflecting on the challenge, he added, “This is probably as tough in a league game as you can nearly get, and it also is a derby for us which makes it more galling when we don’t win.”
Moyes also pointed to timekeeping?
“I think three minutes [stoppage time] was very strange [and] we’ve been playing a couple of teams who’ve taken quick free-kicks in the games and they’ve caught us out.”
“But today, every quick free-kick had to be stopped and brought back for the whistle.”
“And then we got a booking for it.”
“I find it quite unbelievable.”
“They’re talking about trying to keep the game quick.”
Despite the defeat, he praised Everton’s response.
“But look, great credit, it was a bit more like Everton in the second half, a bit more like us.”
“Look, I don’t think anybody would have probably turned and said, ‘hey, you didn’t deserve it’, if we got back into the game, but I think we just gave ourselves probably a little bit of a task too far by going two down.”
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