Liverpool vs Everton FA Cup Classics: The Most Epic Mersey Derby Showdowns

The Reds meet the Blues at Anfield on Sunday for another massive encounter
07:00, 05 Jan 2020

Liverpool host Everton once again in the FA Cup on Sunday in what is one of the competition’s most iconic fixtures.

While the Reds’ focus this season is firmly on the Premier League title, they will still be hell-bent on knocking out the Toffees, who are desperate for their first piece of silverware since their 1995 FA Cup triumph.

Having met in finals and battled out classic contests, The Sportsman looks at five of the best FA Cup encounters between the two old rivals.

Everton 1-0 Liverpool (AET) - February 4, 2009

Dan Gosling scored a stunning, technically brilliant, curling winner deep in injury-time to clinch this replay for the Toffees but it’s best remembered for the fact millions of viewers at home missed the goal!

An error by broadcaster ITV meant the screening of the game cut to a Tic Tacs advert just as Everton winger Andy van der Meyde crossed the ball for the waiting Gosling.

With work to do, he jinked between three defenders before arcing the ball into the corner of the net past Pepe Reina.

However, viewers at home didn’t see it, with the feed of the game only returning as Everton players jumped on Gosling and Blues fans went crazy in the stands.

Everton 4-4 Liverpool - February 20, 1991

This one went back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, and within 48 hours it had proved enough to persuade Kenny Dalglish to resign as Liverpool manager.

Four times Liverpool took the lead at Goodison, and four times Everton replied.

Peter Beardsley scored twice, Rush hit one and Barnes netted a stunner too.

However, Tony Cottee and Graeme Sharp each got a brace in response in one of the most frantic games in Mersey derby history.

Amazingly, Blues boss Howard Kendall’s celebrations with friends lasted a little too long as he got locked in the stadium! Meanwhile, his opposite number was in the middle of deciding that he needed a break from football.

Liverpool 3-2 Everton - May 20, 1989

This was one of the most emotive FA Cup finals in history as Liverpool met Everton just a month after the Hillsborough disaster.

The tragedy which happened at the Reds’ semi-final clash with Nottingham Forest in Sheffield would eventually account for the lives of 96 fans.

Both clubs held a minute’s silence and wore black armbands as the city came together for the showpiece fixture.

John Aldridge put Liverpool ahead after only four minutes before Stuart McCall clinched a 90th minute equaliser for the Blues.

Rush scored to give Liverpool the advantage before McCall, an unlikely scorer, netted his second. However, just two minutes after Rush got another to clinch another FA Cup.

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Liverpool 3-1 Everton - May 10, 1986

This is when Merseyside ruled the football world.

Everton, who had won the First Division title and Cup Winners’ Cup a year previously and now had 40-goal Gary Lineker, booked a place in the FA Cup final against rivals Liverpool, who had dominated the 70s and 80s.

Could the Blues continue to match the Reds at the top? It looked likely when Lineker put them ahead.

However, perennial nemesis Rush had other ideas, scoring twice past Bobby Mimms, who played in the crushing absence of Neville Southall between the sticks.

Craig Johnston netted Liverpool’s second in the middle of Rush’s brace as Kenny Dalglish’s men won the day.

Everton 1-0 Liverpool - March 11, 1967

This game was thrust into modern consciousness when a BBC reporter stopped supporters to ask if they remembered the game in which Alan Ball struck the only goal of the game to send Everton through.

One older fan certainly recalled the match.

“I do, yeah. I played in it, I was goalkeeper for Liverpool,” he beamed.

Amazingly, the TV cameras had stopped Tommy Lawrence, a man who made over 300 league appearances for Liverpool between 1957 and 1971. And he was more than happy to recount his story of the day.

Sadly, Lawrence passed away in January 2018 but he will go down in Anfield folklore forever.

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