Slipperduke
The Camden Cad
Liverpool won the battle for fourth place more comfortably than their 1-0 scoreline suggested with a confident, accomplished victory that will send them to London on a high. The fact that this mighty club was fighting for such a lowly league position is a searing indictement on this season's domestic underachievement, but the manner in which they won the battle is proof of their undoubted class and unfulfilled potential. All season long, I've said that there is a title-winning side somewhere in there. Finally now, we are beginning to see glimpses of it.
You might have expected Everton, trailing their city rivals by two points at kick-off, to be the more urgent from the outset, but instead it was Liverpool who left rubber all over the starting grid. Any suspicions that they might be saving something for their Champions League clash with Arsenal were firmly dispelled by a first half of staggering intensity. They threw themselves into this game as if it was a Cup Final and the only surprise at half-time was that they weren't leading by more than just Fernando Torres' seventh minute opener.
At their best, Everton are worthy gatecrashers to the private party in the top four. David Moyes has built a strong, solid structure and then slowly added the players capable of carrying them from mid-table safety to the big time. Unfortunately, when those individuals are missing, Everton can look very average indeed. Some like Tim Cahill, were absent through injury, but others like Mikel Arteta and Yakubu were so far below their potential that they may as well have joined their Australian team-mate on the sidelines. Granted, Everton improved in the second half and stemmed the flow of Liverpool chances, but they still failed to create enough chances and Yakubu's most notable achievement all afternoon was an attempt at the most blatant dive seen in front of the Kop since Didier Drogba last visited. The Nigerian striker is a better player than that.
After another electrifying performance, the only question mark over Fernando Torres is whether or not there is a limit to his talents. We all knew about his clinical finishing and his tireless running, but this was a mature display that showed off an ability to play as a linkman as well. Both teams attempted to open the game up with long balls, but only Liverpool could hold the possession high up the field, mainly because the young Spaniard was showing off a new found aerial superiority. His nod-down to Steven Gerrard just before the break was met with an explosive volley from the Liverpool captain that almost put a dent in Tim Howard's right post.
The victory takes the Reds five points clear of Everton and surely ends the debate over the destination of that final Champions League place. Liverpool will now travel to The Emirates with eight wins from their last nine games, but the more far-sighted of their fans will look at the eight point gap above them and ask a familiar question. Why can't Liverpool play like this all the time?
You might have expected Everton, trailing their city rivals by two points at kick-off, to be the more urgent from the outset, but instead it was Liverpool who left rubber all over the starting grid. Any suspicions that they might be saving something for their Champions League clash with Arsenal were firmly dispelled by a first half of staggering intensity. They threw themselves into this game as if it was a Cup Final and the only surprise at half-time was that they weren't leading by more than just Fernando Torres' seventh minute opener.
At their best, Everton are worthy gatecrashers to the private party in the top four. David Moyes has built a strong, solid structure and then slowly added the players capable of carrying them from mid-table safety to the big time. Unfortunately, when those individuals are missing, Everton can look very average indeed. Some like Tim Cahill, were absent through injury, but others like Mikel Arteta and Yakubu were so far below their potential that they may as well have joined their Australian team-mate on the sidelines. Granted, Everton improved in the second half and stemmed the flow of Liverpool chances, but they still failed to create enough chances and Yakubu's most notable achievement all afternoon was an attempt at the most blatant dive seen in front of the Kop since Didier Drogba last visited. The Nigerian striker is a better player than that.
After another electrifying performance, the only question mark over Fernando Torres is whether or not there is a limit to his talents. We all knew about his clinical finishing and his tireless running, but this was a mature display that showed off an ability to play as a linkman as well. Both teams attempted to open the game up with long balls, but only Liverpool could hold the possession high up the field, mainly because the young Spaniard was showing off a new found aerial superiority. His nod-down to Steven Gerrard just before the break was met with an explosive volley from the Liverpool captain that almost put a dent in Tim Howard's right post.
The victory takes the Reds five points clear of Everton and surely ends the debate over the destination of that final Champions League place. Liverpool will now travel to The Emirates with eight wins from their last nine games, but the more far-sighted of their fans will look at the eight point gap above them and ask a familiar question. Why can't Liverpool play like this all the time?
