Wayne Rooney sends desperate message to supporters as Everton hero joins Liverpool celebrations

Perhaps the most telling question on Wednesday night was the one that was not asked.

As Sean Dyche emerged from the celebrations of the Everton dressing room to speak to reporters for his post-match press conference, he may have expected the return of a topic that became a talking point after Sunday’s win over Nottingham Forest - his decision to ditch his suit.

Dyche’s move to a tracksuit sparked intrigue at the weekend and giggles in the tunnel, where Dwight McNeil and James Tarkowski laughed as they told of their own shock at the disappearance of his customary white shirt and tie. Dyche gave in to superstition for the derby as he sought divine inspiration by wearing his tracksuit again.

On other nights he would have been asked about this, but not in the Goodison press room after a result like that. The magnitude of the occasion was so clear that no-one thought turning to his dress-sense was appropriate.

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Everton players mark their territory before striking a blow for the Blues

After a memorable win on a night Everton took a big step towards safety while denting Liverpool’s title hopes, supporters were able to yell at the top of the lungs: “The city is ours.” Maybe Everton’s squad were boosted by their pre-match walk around the city centre in the build-up to the game. The players looked relaxed and calm as they wandered around the area near Moorfields just a few hours before kick-off. Their presence attracted attention and no doubt the odd reference to how much a win would mean to Blues.

Ibrahima Konate hooked early again

Ibrahima Konate endured a torrid night at the hands of Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The Everton striker caused chaos amid Liverpool’s backline and had already forced Alisson Becker into a good save before he tried to snatch the opener from Jarrad Branthwaite. He made Konate’s life so grim that the centre back was hooked after an hour. This was the second time this season that Jurgen Klopp has been forced to remove Konate against the Blues.

At Anfield, the decision to withdraw the France international appeared a tacit admission that he should have been sent off with that game goalless, when he somehow avoided a second yellow card for a foul on a breaking Beto. That decision went Liverpool’s way and they eventually managed, with the help of a penalty, to find a late breakthrough against an Everton side that was down to 10 men for the entirety of the second half. There will be plenty of a Royal Blue persuasion who believe his struggle on Wednesday was fitting given his fortune earlier in the campaign.

Wayne Rooney has Goodison jumping with VAR message

Everton opened the scoring with a messy goal that felt so chaotic a VAR intervention was inevitable. Having already seen a penalty struck out due to an offside in the build up, Goodison held its collective breath after Jarrad Branthwaite squeezed the ball beyond Alisson. VAR once again came into play but it became clear there was no reason to disallow the goal. Normally there is a significant delay before the conclusion ends up with the fans in the stands… not on Wednesday night. Wayne Rooney, part of Sky’s punditry team for the derby, sent the message around the ground that Everton’s lead would stand by banging on the windows of the TV box to spark the celebrations.

Seamus Coleman pivotal again

Seamus Coleman has been crucial to Everton over recent years, a bridge between the dressing room and the stands during difficult seasons. Successive managers have relied on him being able to stress the importance of fighting for the club and the fanbase when the pressure has been on, none more so than Frank Lampard - who heralded the club captain as one of the best people he had ever known after Everton secured safety with that dramatic comeback win over Crystal Palace.

This was the most jubilant Goodison has been since that night and Coleman was again pivotal. Not only was he influential in the dressing room in the build-up to the game, his presence was felt on the final whistle. Unable to be involved in the 90 minutes due to his groin injury, he took his first opportunity to step onto the pitch where, standing on the halfway line, he waited for every single one of the players to have their moment in front of the Gwladys Street before congratulating them individually by the dugouts.

Downcast Jurgen Klopp follows in the footsteps of Vincent Kompany and Thomas Frank

Klopp cut a downbeat figure in a post-match press conference in which he essentially conceded the title race. The manager struggled to explain the reason for Everton’s dominance in a game so important for his side. He also became the latest manager to sit in front of reporters and say that even though Everton’s biggest threats were known about before the game, his players were still unable to deal with them. The Blues’ set pieces wreaked havoc and Liverpool’s struggles were compounded by the repeated concession of free kicks in their own half.

Tarkowski and Ben Godfrey had come close before Branthwaite opened the scoring from a recycled free kick and, later, Calvert-Lewin towered over everyone at the back post from a corner. Klopp, like Thomas Frank at Brentford and Vincent Kompany when Everton celebrated a Carabao Cup win over Burnley, suggested the danger was predictable. The solution, once again, clearly was not.

‘Welcome to Paradise’

One of the unexpected headlines in the build up to the derby was the link up between Dyche and US rock band Green Day. Dyche, a big music fan, had spoken of his love for the group and urged people to see them live. Dyche said on The Overlap: “It just feels like two hours of high-octane, non-stop, smashing the life out of song after song, you can’t not like it, I’m telling you! That’s my advice for you: anyone who’s not seen Green Day, I don’t care what music you’re into, just buy a ticket and see Green Day.”

Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong quickly responded by posting onto Instagram a photo that featured an Everton player signing a contract wearing a Blues shirt, with Armstrong's own face put on the image. It did not end there - as Goodison emptied someone on the PA system offered a nod to the new-found Everton and Green Day relationship by playing the band’s hit: ‘Welcome to Paradise.’