Blue Letter Day

The image was still fuzzy when Kevin Campbell picked up Francis Jeffers' audacious through-ball to finish past a despairing Sander Westerveld dive to give Everton the decisive lead in the 4th minute of an intense Merseyside Derby back in 1999. To give you an idea of how long ago it was; Sami Hyppia was still playing; Britney Spears was still at her peak; and I had just begun my working life...

So shapes the essence of this iconic; seismic-like; gravity-defying Everton victory on the arch-rivals of Anfield; a bewildering 2-0 victory that left little to dull the senses. From almost an asymmetrical 4th minute; icon James Rodriguez had played a trademark through-ball to leave the Liverpool defence Frozen; and Richarlison had snapped up a patented goal to send the home side into shockwaves. It was no doubt helped by the statuesque and nervous-looking Ozan Kabak; Liverpool's new Turkish defender who is not having the best of starts at life here at Anfield.

Liverpool's already-injury hit defence was left in even further tatters; when skipper Jordan Henderson; already a reserve of Liverpool's reserve central defence; was inflicted by injury; leaving a similarly nervous-looking Nathaniel Phillips to come on early and form what was Liverpool's 18th different central defensive-partnership this season.

For the home side; this was an incorrigibly-shocking fourth home defeat in a a row; and the sudden stricken-ness of confidence seems to be traversing throughout the team; with their lack of confidence in front of goal complementing their deficiencies in defence.

And to cap off this win; it was left to another masterstroke fro the man himself; Carlo Ancelotti; who brought on the bounding Dominic Calvert-Lewin to pulverise Liverpool's tired defence in the waning moments. The young Phillips was a mistake waiting to happen; and so it did late in the game; when his rather naive stepping-out proved fatal for Richarlison to turn him strongly and run towards the Liverpool goal. His pass found Calvert-Lewin; who was tripped up by an increasingly-desperate Trent Alexander-Arnold; resulting in an ice-cool penalty from the Iceman himself; Gylfi Sigurdsson.

As Duncan Ferguson punched the air in delight and hugged everything that moved; it was indeed a seismic victory in Everton's brilliant season. The Toffeemen; for so long the eternal sufferers at Anfield; had gained an incredible victory at the toughest place of all.