Everton facing crunch Beto contract decision as Liverpool regret once again clear

Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version from Echo or go back to LFC Live.

The Chris Beesley talking points after Everton lose the first-ever Merseyside derby at Hill Dickinson Stadium 2-1 to Liverpool in the worst possible fashionOnce again, we saw the two sides of Beto, the man who now wears the most coveted of Everton jerseys, the legendary number nine.For the second consecutive home game against Liverpool, he found the scoresheet, but as often with the striker, it was not always straightforward.The 28-year-old was spotted missing a clutch of shots from close range in the pre-match warm-up – perhaps better to get those out of the system before the real thing – but then after a promising early header that brought the best out of Giorgi Mamardashvili, a one-on-one chance was tamely struck and went woefully wide.It was in sharp contrast to when Beto smashed an effort onto the crossbar in similar circumstances in the 3-2 win at Newcastle United but even more disappointing.FOLLOW OUR EVERTON FC FACEBOOK PAGE! Latest EFC news and analysis from via the Liverpool Echo’s dedicated FB pageBut credit to the player, as his manager David Moyes and team-mates continue to concur, he always keeps on trying and refused to let the disappointment thwart him.

He got his goal, and if it hadn’t been for Everton’s lapse in the dying moments, it should have earned his side a share of the spoils.For significant periods of the season, Beto hasn’t even been the Blues’ first-choice frontman, but now as the campaign reaches its climax, he very much looks to be the main man up front overThierno Barry Food for thought as he prepares to enter the final 12 months of his contract this summer.History repeats itselfIt wasn’t just a case of Virgil van Dijk heading in a late winner for Liverpool that history repeated itself for Everton in painful fashion on derby day.It was of course the Reds’ dual purchase of the Dutch centre-back and goalkeeper Alisson in 2018 – for world record-breaking fees in their respective positions – that transformed their team into a dominant force but while Van Dijk was leading by example again against the Blues, the Brazilian remains sidelined through injury.Mamardashvili – himself making his Merseyside derby debut – had proven to be an able deputy until he injured himself in a collision as Beto equalised, but from that moment onwards, Everton were guilty of not testing third choice custodian Freddie Woodman, which echoed of their shortcomings against Liverpool in the 2012 FA Cup semi-final, one of the biggest disappointments of Moyes’ first spell as manager.Unlike now, with Arne Slot’s side for all their relative struggles, still reigning Premier League champions, Kenny Dalglish’s strugglers were out of form and there for the taking at Wembley – especially after the Blues went ahead.Woodman, 29, is no rookie and he has over 200 games at Championship level under his belt, but coming in cold to a fixture of this magnitude should have been a golden opportunity for Moyes’ men to fire a few pot shots in at him or deliver a few crosses into the box.However, just as they’d failed to do against Brad Jones in the national stadium some 14 years ago when Pepe Reina and Doni were both missing, they were guilty of just not doing enough in the final third to exploit the situation.Scouse heartbeat missingEverton’s pre-match tifo had already caused a stir with supporters of both of the city’s clubs, because such is the inability of some people to hold their own water, the latest creation by fan group the 1878s had been leaked online.The inclusion of The Beatles proved somewhat controversial given that only Paul McCartney was the only one of the Fab Four to have any genuine True Blue credentials, having watched Harry Catterick’s side in the 1968 FA Cup final at Wembley.These days ‘Macca’ diplomatically claims to have a foot in both camps, quipping that he’s got special dispensation from the Pope to cheers for Everton and Liverpool, but what is perhaps even flakier in terms of historical accuracy is the image showing the group wearing a long blue and white scarf given that the original was seemingly red and white.What can’t be dispute though on the graphic titled ‘The Originals’ is the Liver Bird motif on the medal that was handed out to Everton players for winning their first League Championship while still at Anfield in 1891, the year before their neighbours were formed.Unlike John Houlding’s Liverpool with his ready-made ‘Team of Macs’ in the form of Scottish imports to fill the financial void when Anfield’s former tenants crossed Stanley Park, Everton were formed because a group of young Scousers wanted to play football. However, by the time the first league derby at Goodison Park came around in 1894 it was Liverpool who fielded the only locally-born player in Harry Bradshaw.Fast-forward to 2026, and that was the case for the inaugural derby at Hill Dickinson Stadium as the Reds fielded Curtis Jones.The Blues have had plenty of home-grown heroes themselves over the years such as Brian Labone, Tommy Wright, Peter Reid, Derek Mountfield and Wayne Rooney under Moyes first time around but there were none there for this occasion.The Glaswegian gaffer of course brought on Harrison Armstrong as a last-minute substitute for the first competitive game here against Brighton & Hove Albion and following a loan spell at Preston North End, the West Derby prospect has been back for the second half of the season.But with Charly Alcaraz fit again and on the bench, the teenage midfielder was not included in the squad for this landmark occasion.