Arne Slot can relate to David Moyes’ frustration that Liverpool’s goal was allowed to stand against Everton in Wednesday’s Merseyside derby but said that “no one can complain” that it was awarded.

Diogo Jota’s strike in the 57th minute ensured the Reds returned to winning ways after back-to-back defeats against Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle United before the international break. But the victory wasn’t without its controversies, with several incidents for the officials to deal with at Anfield.

Perhaps the most significant was the decision to allow Jota’s goal to stand despite Luis Diaz being in an offside position in the build-up. Ryan Gravenberch’s pass to the Colombian was intercepted by the sliding James Tarkowski and amid the subsequent defensive scramble, Jota wriggled free and slotted the ball past Jordan Pickford.

Everton felt the need for Tarkowski to throw himself at the ball, due to Diaz’s position, should have resulted in an offside verdict – even though the laws state that as Liverpool’s No. 7 didn’t attempt to win the ball, it was the correct call.

“Tonight was really tight and there was an offside goal which they get and that's the difference,” said Moyes after the game. “The player behind Tarkowski [Diaz] is clearly offside and it's a very easy decision to give. I can't understand any reason why that wouldn't have been given.”

But that’s not how the Liverpool boss saw things. “It’s nice to see that according to the rules it was a goal, so no-one can complain about that,” he told Sky Sports. “The rules tell us that it is a clear goal.

“I would be frustrated if I conceded it but I would be frustrated at the rules and not about the execution of the rules, because the execution of rules was perfect from the referee,” he added. “The rule in itself is frustrating.

“If a team wants to play a high press, but keep a high line, and then someone is offside you would love to see it being offside. That’s not the rules; the people that make the rules are not there for the love of the game, they are just there for making the rules.”

Slot didn’t want to be drawn on the other controversial moment of the game: Tarkowski’s tackle on Alexis Mac Allister, which saw the Everton defender only shown a yellow card. Jamie Carragher, Duncan Ferguson, Gary Neville, Paul Merson, and Mike Dean all felt Tarkowski should have been sent off.

“I think everybody has said something on it. Why should I add to it? It’s so obvious that it’s not necessary for me to comment,” said Slot, who admitted Mac Allister was lucky to avoid being seriously injured.

On Everton, he added: “A very difficult team to play against. The amount of shots they blocked, the effort they put in to defend inside their own box and then the threat on the counter with every ball they have they play long.

“It’s so difficult to play against, but our boys showed immense character today. I think we created more than we did in the away game. We were much more in their final third. In the end we scored a good goal and kept a clean sheet.”

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David Moyes thought Everton was hard done by in its 1-0 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield— despite Blues center-back James Tarkowski somehow getting away with a horrendous tackle early in the game.

"We were a lot closer to them in the two games since I came back into the club than most people would have expected," Moyes said live on Sky Sports post-match. "We've given them a really good game.

"Tonight was really tight and there was an offside goal which they get and that's the difference. The player behind Tarkowski [Luis Diaz] is clearly offside and it's a very easy decision to give. I can't understand any reason why that wouldn't have been given."

On the Tarkowski tackle on Alexis Mac Allister, Moyes refused to accept that his side had been fortunate. Instead, he insisted that the offside was a much bigger issue.

"My first thought was that it was a brilliant tackle for a derby game — a tackle we would have seen a few years ago," he said. "I understand nowadays things are slightly different with follow-throughs etc.

"We might have got a bit lucky but don't be [equating] that with the goal. The goal was a different incident and that won Liverpool the game in the end."

Moyes did accept that Everton is a long way behind Liverpool at the moment. And his wait for a win at Anfield goes on.

"We had a few chances but we're not kidding ourselves," Moyes added. "Liverpool were the better team and there is no hiding that fact. They are top of the league but we showed a lot of resilience and made some chances.

"It's just gut-wrenching when you feel the end result has come from something that we didn't feel was deserved. We were desperate to get something out of the game and the players have been doing brilliantly well.

"Liverpool were better but we tried to close the gap between our level and their level and for long periods, I think we did a good job of it. At the moment, they are the best team in the league and we were unfortunate not to get something out of it."

Liverpool.com says: Moyes surely cannot argue that Tarkowski should have stayed on the field. It is quite ridiculous to think anything other than it was a red card.

As for the offside, it could have been given but the explanation is clear: Luis Diaz did not move towards the ball. That is inarguable, even if he does interfere to some extent by making Tarkowski play the ball. The law is wrong, if anything, rather than the application.

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Jamie Carragher noticed Arne Slot ’s telling full-time reaction as Liverpool beat Everton 1-0 on Wednesday to take a huge step towards winning the Premier League title.

Diogo Jota’s second-half strike separated the sides in the Merseyside derby at Anfield as Liverpool moved to within 13 points of guaranteeing top spot in the 2024/25 season. But it was far from a straightforward affair, in a game that produced few chances as Liverpool battled to earn a valuable and hard-fought win.

The relief was clear at Anfield after the game, as the Reds got back to winning ways after two consecutive defeats before the international break that ended their hopes of winning both the Champions League and Carabao Cup.

It’s why the title race was the focus for Carragher post-match, more so than getting one over on Liverpool’s local rivals. “It’s not about bragging rights,” said the former defender. “It’s about Liverpool needing 16 points to 13. That’s exactly where they are right now.”

Slot promised to try and keep a lid on his emotions on Wednesday, especially after losing his cool in the previous derby in February. He cut a more controlled figure, urging players to step away from arguments and indicating how long was left in the latter stages of injury-time.

“For the majority of the season the manager has been very unemotional,” said Carragher. “You could see him at the end of the game telling the players there was 10 seconds left. That meant a lot to him because he knows [how important it is].

“You go back to the [first] Merseyside derby this season which was the first time you’ve seen him lose control and a few first bumps there - not Jurgen Klopp-like - but a tell-tale sign that it has probably been a long two and half weeks for him since that cup final against Newcastle. He needed to see the Liverpool team that he’s seen all season. He saw that tonight.

“Liverpool have had to wait so long since that Newcastle game,” Carragher added, referencing the 17-day break in the fixture schedule since the Carabao Cup final. “It wasn’t just losing the game, it was the manner of the defeat. That would have stayed with the players for a long time. They were away on international duty and had to wait; no game at the weekend.

“No matter how many people say the league is over, when you’re inside the club or the team that it feels like the title is over, it never feels like that. It probably even felt like that for Liverpool supporters - towards the end of the game it was very nervous in the stadium, they wanted the final whistle to be blown.

“You can talk about how they’re 12 points in front and no Arsenal fans think they have a chance of winning the league, but Liverpool fans think they do. The players will and it’s not done until it’s done.”

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