Everton's interminable wait for an away win over Liverpool finally came to an end on Saturday evening. 

Following 22 years of misery, frustration and psychological conflict, the Toffees finally laid their Anfield hoodoo to rest courtesy of goals from Richarlison and Gylfi Sigurdsson. 

It was the first time Everton had won on the red half of Stanley Park since before the turn of the millennium, and Carlo Ancelotti's side had to be at their most dogged to break the curse.

Jordan Pickford was at his indomitable best, springing across his goal with a level of sharpness and elasticity that has eluded him of late and placed his international credentials under intense scrutiny. 

The England international was worthy of gushing praise, but the efforts of those defending in front of him were equally impressive. 

The back-three of Mason Holgate, Michael Keane and Ben Godfrey played with tenacity, maturity and athleticism to keep Liverpool's front line at bay.

All three merited individual praise of their own, but it was the latter who received a special mention from BBC Sport pundit Phil McNulty in his post-match analysis. 

"Michael Keane was a colossus in defence while Ben Godfrey, signed for £25m from Norwich City, has been a revelation. He has excelled right across the back four, was outstanding at Anfield and will surely be catching the attention of England manager Gareth Southgate."

GIVEMESPORT's Jack Saville says...

There was a rather ominous sparsity of first-class central defenders for Gareth Southgate to choose from at the beginning of the season.

Such was the dearth of quality options in that position, Southgate restored the back-five system that served England so well at the 2018 World Cup.

But the resurgence of John Stones combined with Godfrey's eye-catching form at Goodison Park have given the 50-year-old two big reasons to consider returning to a back-four, which would in turn create an extra position in midfield to accommodate another of England's immensely talented forward-thinking playmakers. 

John Stones

As McNulty says, Godfrey has been a revelation this season and that's something Ancelotti clearly agrees with.

The Italian has shown his faith in the 23-year-old by starting him in 16 of the 20 Premier League games Everton have played since his arrival from Norwich on 5 October.

Having been deployed in both full back positions and in the centre, Godfrey has showcased his versatility with a series of outstanding displays across the back four and represents an appealing squad option for Southgate ahead of the delayed Euro 2020 tournament. 

And that's a sentiment shared by Ancelotti, who recently suggested the England boss would be wise to keep his eye on Godfrey. 

“If Gareth is watching Ben Godfrey then he is right.

“Gareth doesn’t need advice from me but to see and watch Ben Godfrey at this moment, in this period, is a pleasure for any manager.

"He has surprised me because I didn’t know him so well [when he signed]. He was a signing from the club, from our scouts, and he has been really good. He has been able to adapt very quickly to different positions."

At £25m, Godfrey is proving to be a shrewd addition from Marcel Brands and Everton's chief transfer honchos.