In the cauldron of Anfield, where the roar of the Kop can bend the will of lesser teams, the Merseyside derby always simmers with more than just sporting rivalry—it’s a clash of identities, a test of nerve, and occasionally, a spark for post-match fireworks. On a crisp September afternoon in 2025, Liverpool edged out Everton 2-1 in a thriller that had everything: blistering goals, desperate defending, and a late surge from the Blues that nearly turned the tide. But as the final whistle blew, the real battle spilled into the tunnel and beyond, ignited by a pointed accusation from Everton’s on-loan star Jack Grealish. The England winger, still seething from a yellow card and what he saw as blatant favoritism, didn’t hold back. “The stoppage time, three minutes and one minute—I’ve never seen that in the Premier League in the last two or three years,” Grealish fumed to reporters, his voice dripping with frustration. “They were obviously trying to slow the game down at times.” It was a bold claim, one that painted Liverpool as cunning time-wasters, clinging to their lead like a miser to a coin. Enter Arne Slot, the unflappable Dutch tactician who’s steered the Reds to a perfect seven-from-seven start in the Premier League. In a press conference ahead of Liverpool’s midweek Carabao Cup tie against Southampton, Slot didn’t just defend his side—he dismantled the narrative with the precision of a Van Dijk tackle. “That’s not what we do,” he stated firmly, his tone a blend of amusement and authority. “We don’t waste time. It’s completely correct what the referee did.”
The derby itself was a microcosm of Liverpool’s transformed identity under Slot, a far cry from the chaotic brilliance of the Klopp era. Ryan Gravenberch, the rangy Dutch midfielder who’s blossomed into a midfield maestro since his £35 million move from Bayern Munich, opened the scoring in the 23rd minute with a thunderous strike from the edge of the box—his first goal for the club, and a fitting riposte to those who doubted his big-game temperament. Nine minutes later, Hugo Ekitike, the £40 million French forward signed in a splashy summer window revamp, doubled the lead with a clinical finish off a pinpoint Salah assist, silencing early doubts about his adaptation to the Premier League’s intensity. Everton, under the steady hand of David Moyes in his second stint at Goodison, refused to fold. Idrissa Gueye’s curling effort just after the hour mark—a rare moment of magic from the Senegalese stalwart—breathed life into the visitors, setting up a frantic finale where Grealish’s dribbling flair terrorized Trent Alexander-Arnold down the left. Slot, ever the strategist, had namechecked Grealish pre-match as the Toffees’ biggest threat: “He’s adapted quickly and loves facing us— we must keep him quiet.” For stretches, they did, but as Everton pressed, the clock became the enemy.
Enter referee Darren England, whose decisions ignited the powder keg. In the second half, with the Blues building momentum, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall twice attempted quick free-kicks to catch Liverpool napping. The first was waved on, but the second prompted England to halt play and brandish a yellow card to the Leicester loanee, a call Grealish decried as unprecedented. “I’ve never seen a player in my whole life get booked for taking a quick free kick,” the 30-year-old winger protested, his booking for dissent adding salt to the wound. He even accused the official of buckling under Anfield’s atmospheric pressure, suggesting the fervent home crowd swayed the whistle. Moyes echoed the sentiment post-match, calling the low stoppage time “very strange,” especially given three substitutions in the second half alone—at the 61st, 67th, and 86th minutes—plus the lone goal and a smattering of injury stoppages. In the modern game, where VAR pauses and tactical tweaks routinely inflate added time to eight or nine minutes per half, four minutes total across 90 felt stingy to the visitors. Grealish, no stranger to high-stakes drama from his Manchester City days, went further: “I don’t know where that rule has come in.” It was a narrative that quickly spread across social media, with Everton fans trending #RobbedAtAnfield and clips of the free-kick incident racking up millions of views on X.
Slot, however, wasn’t buying it. Drawing on his Feyenoord pedigree—where he masterminded a 2023 Eredivisie title with a possession-based style that prized efficiency over theatrics—he broke down the math with calm authority. “There was one goal in the second half and three stoppages for substitutions,” he explained, emphasizing that the half flowed relatively smoothly otherwise. “Three minutes is correct.” He even admitted a personal gripe: the whistle came just as Liverpool launched a promising counter, robbing them of a potential insurance goal. Yet, true to his philosophy, Slot refrained from referee-bashing, a subtle nod to the unity he’s fostering at Anfield. Unlike some peers who thrive on controversy, the 47-year-old Slot prefers quiet dominance—his Reds lead the league in goals (22) and expected goals (xG), while conceding the fewest (three). This derby win, their third straight over Everton, extended Liverpool’s unbeaten home streak to 25 games, a fortress mentality that’s seen them top the table ahead of a resurgent Arsenal and a stuttering Manchester City.
Grealish’s outburst, while fiery, carries the weight of a player rediscovering his spark on Merseyside. On a season-long loan from City—where Pep Guardiola’s icy handling had left him on the fringes—the ex-Aston Villa talisman has dazzled, earning August Player of the Month honors with three goals and four assists. His history against Liverpool is storied: more goal involvements versus the Reds than any other opponent, a stat that underscores his penchant for derbies. But in defeat, his comments risked overshadowing Everton’s grit, a performance Moyes hailed as “encouraging” despite the loss. For Slot, it was a teaching moment, reinforcing his mantra of focus over friction. “We’re not that team,” he reiterated, his words a shield for his young squad, including breakout stars like Ekitike and Gravenberch, who assisted the opener.
As the dust settles, this exchange highlights the Premier League’s eternal dance: passion laced with paranoia, where every second counts and narratives are forged in the heat of battle. Liverpool march on, eyeing a Champions League return and perhaps a first title under Slot, while Everton lick their wounds but draw heart from their fightback. Grealish’s accusation may linger in the folklore of Merseyside clashes, but Slot’s measured response ensures the spotlight stays on the pitch. In a season of swirling transfer tales—Trent Alexander-Arnold’s rumored Real Madrid move, Salah’s contract limbo—the Dutchman’s cool head is the Reds’ secret weapon. With a Carabao Cup test looming and Europe beckoning, Anfield’s faithful chant one truth: under Slot, Liverpool aren’t just winning—they’re redefining the game, one precise minute at a time.
Leave a Reply