Liverpool won the 212th Merseyside derby courtesy of a deflected Javier Mascherano shot and a Dirk Kuyt’s close range effort.
The Reds had Pepe Reina to thank after a superb double save denied the hosts with the score at 1-0.
Mascherano’s long strike after just 12 minutes took a huge deflection off defender Joseph Yobo and into the opposite corner.
Yobo was involved in the Reds’ second too, failing to clear the ball it fell for substitute Albert Riera whose shot was parried by Tim Howard for Kuyt to tap home from close range for his 4th goal of the season.
The match started with a high tempo and saw a battling performance give Liverpool a much needed victory to move them up to fifth in the League. Midfield duo Lucas Leiva and Mascherano put in hard working performances in particular.
Rafa Benitez Post Match Reaction
“It was a great victory – everybody is really pleased. Today we worked so hard – they were tough and pushing and we did our job in defence and we had to play counter-attack.”
Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Carragher, Agger, Insua, Mascherano, Lucas, Kuyt, Aurelio (Riera 78), Gerrard, Ngog (Benayoun 75).
Subs not used: Cavalieri, Aquilani, El Zhar, Skrtel, Kyrgiakos
Booked: None
Goals: Yobo (OG, 12), Kuyt (80)
Everton: Howard, Hibbert, Yobo (Neill 86), Distin, Baines, Pienaar, Heitinga, Fellaini, Cahill (Yakubu 82), Bilyaletdinov, Jo (Saha 66).
Subs: Nash, Gosling, Coleman, Baxter
Booked: Hetinga
Referee: Alan Wiley
Attendance: 39,652
