"Divock Origi seals Derby tussle with the Blues"

The second in my "Garden Sessions" as the UK basks in a late Summer heatwave returns us all to the Anfield Merseyside Derby in the 2021-2022 season, and a sour, dour nothing of a game until, the entrance of the Patron Saint of Merseyside Derby goals!

More to come from this mini-series but first, here's a link to a self-published book I'm immensely proud of, an extract from the chapter being read here and other ways and means of supporting me to put the thumb in the eye of traditional publishers who refused to read my original manuscript!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C6W6TYCL

https://www.patreon.com/TheBlackfordBookClub
https://www.paypal.me/TheBlackfordBookClub
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/steveblackford

"Divock Origi, the Patron Saint of late goals, important goals, substitute goals, cheeky goals, Merseyside Derby goals and even a Champions League Final winning goal, was back to his old tricks today. The Belgian striker is also the Patron Saint of the widest of smiles that light up the darkest of rooms, the laid back attitude of a Californian surfer dude riding the sporting waves and the very epitome of the definition of a “team player”.

And boy did we need his divine intervention today.

Until his introduction, as substitute once again, and in tandem with the newest of all Kop End idols Luis Díaz on the hour mark, Everton had dominated a dreadful opening 60 minutes of this Merseyside Derby. For dominated, read spoiled, niggled, dived and wasted their way through an hour of stop/start, sour and dour football. Anthony Gordon entered Derby Day folklore with dives that Tom Daley (Greg Louganis for older American readers) would have been ashamed of, Richarlison, Everton’s unlikeable Brazilian striker, was up and down more often than the proverbial underwear of a lady of the night and whilst these tactics could best be described as one of a team “fighting for their lives” or the rough and tumble of an old school Merseyside Derby, it was a horrible spectacle indeed.

Prior to the introduction of Divock Origi, Everton had also carved out the better of the very minimal chances on goal and local youngster Anthony Gordon was at the centre of their best, and more footballing authentic, passages of play. His pace down Everton’s left hand side posed Trent Alexander-Arnold constant problems in a game the passionately Red born youngster wasn’t anywhere near his spectacular best. His defensive mate Joël Matip certainly was, yet he too fell into the spell of Anthony Gordon, both collapsing in a heap in the Liverpool penalty area after a lengthy chase, and Gordon’s second penalty appeal of the afternoon went correctly unanswered from the referee.

Post match, Liverpool Manager Jürgen Klopp dismissed suggestions that his players were “nervous” in the first half, but in truth they were and, more crucially, they were playing to the Blue half of Merseyside’s tune. The facts are bare: The Reds wanted a high tempo game in a condensed field of 70 yards.

It’s their modus operandi.

The Blues wanted a stop/start nothing of a game in a pitch as big as possible to eke out a crucial point against relegation and perhaps a sneaky goal that might secure all three. Anthony Gordon had chances to score that elusive goal and before the introduction of a match winner from the Red half of Merseyside. But he didn’t take them.

The Patron Saint of Merseyside Derby goals did".

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