It was a dramatic and traumatic start in the 17th minute of the match - Steven Gerrard is sent off with two quick yellow cards. The visitors might have been expected to capitalise on the early expulsion of Gerrard, as the Liverpool captain took down Kevin Kilbane barely a minute after being cautioned for kicking the ball away.



Yet rather than encourage an Everton side who had began the game the brighter, the dismissal served only to galvanise the home side into a wonderful football display.

Blues commenting on the match afterwards acknowledged that Everton never came to terms with the absence of Mikel Areta. As Moyes later conceded, Arteta's composure had been sorely missed.

Rafa's side were undoubtedly aided by the timing of key events on Saturday. Neville's own goal opener came in first-half injury time and was followed two minutes after the break by a second from Luis Garcia, and after a shellshocked Everton gave themselves a flicker of hope with Tim Cahill's header just past the hour, it was extinguished by van der Meyde's red card five minutes after the Dutchman had arrived from the bench as the visitors sought an unlikely equaliser.

All in all, it made for an exciting, absorbing spectacle, with the best of what football could be played between the flurry of yellow and red cards coming from Liverpool.