Emotions were at an all-time high as Everton snatched a dramatic draw in what was the last-ever Merseyside derby at Goodison Park.
It added yet another layer to one of the bitterest rivalries in England.
James Tarkowski made it 2-2 for the home side with virtually the last kick of the game. His 98th-minute equalizer sent the entire stadium into uncontrollable euphoria as fans and players erupted in celebration near the corner flag.
But when the final whistle blew, tensions boiled over.
Everton’s Abdoulaye Doucouré made his way toward the away end, taunting the Liverpool faithful with hand gestures and words.
Quick to notice, Curtis Jones rushed toward Doucouré, clearly looking for a physical confrontation. Safe to say, he wasn’t about to let Liverpool fans be mocked without a response.
Ashley Young, Carlos Alcaraz, and Darwin Núñez all rushed over to separate the two players. Soon enough, both teams were involved in the brawl and needed to be pushed apart by referees and security.
Both players who were already on a yellow, received another and were sent off.
Amidst of this, Slot was also to be sent off.
So this is a situation where Jones and Slot will now miss out on the Reds’ match with Wolves at the weekend while Doucouré will be unavailable for Everton’s clash with Crystal Palace.
Many took to X (formerly Twitter) to provide their opinion on the matter.
One side of the argument hailed Curtis for standing up for the fans and living by the club’s motto. Many say, that he earned the respect of Liverpool’s hardcore.
Then there is the other side that believes getting a red card will always be stupid. Losing Curtis Jones to what is an already thin midfield might be a disadvantage against Palace.
With Arsenal chasing them, every point is about to matter more.
Liverpool needs to do everything they can.
As for Jones, he has now shared a simple message: “Always together”, accompanied by two photos from the game.
Fair to assume, he not losing any sleep over this!
What do you think about this matter?
Was the red worth it?
