Liverpool made a dream start to the Merseyside derby against Everton when Sadio Mane opened the scoring in the eighth minute.The Senegalese, who has emerged this season as one of Liverpool’s most important players, collected the ball inside Everton’s half before advancing into the box and finishing past Joel Robles.It was just the start Jurgen Klopp will have wanted.Quite how Ronald Koeman’s side wasn’t ready for one of the biggest games of their season is a mystery but the Toffees made an incredibly slow start to the match.Philippe Coutinho nearly doubled the hosts’ lead but Robles managed to get a hand to the Brazilian’s shot.Then, out of nowhere, the equaliser. Some woeful defending from a corner - a sentence we keep on file where Liverpool are concerned - allowed Matthew Pennington, making his first start of the season, to steer the ball past Simon Mignolet.It was definitely out of the blue.But the away side were level for just three minutes. It was Coutinho, and it was brilliant.
Coutinho's stunning equaliser
Like Mane, the Brazil star picked the ball up some distance out and weaved into Everton’s box. He opened his body up and sent a delicious shot into the top right corner.
Check out Coutinho’s goal below.
Magic.
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No wonder Neymar is so eager to see Coutinho swap Anfield for the Camp Nou.
Barca move?
“A Premier League player that I would like to have in Barcelona is Coutinho,” Neymar recently told the Daily Mail. “I believe Philippe Coutinho is a player that would totally fit in Barcelona.”
It’s hard to argue with that statement. On his day, the 24-year-old is capable of sheer genius.
As Everton just found out.