Everton 2-0 Liverpool: Player ratings as Toffees claim huge Merseyside derby victory

Everton effectively ended their relegation fears and all but killed Liverpool's Premier League title hopes with a 2-0 victory over their rivals at Goodison Park.

Goals from Jarrad Branthwaite and Dominic Calvert-Lewin handed the Toffees a deserved victory that moves them eight points clear of the relegation zone with four games remaining.

The Reds, meanwhile, now need a miracle to nullify the advantages of both Manchester City and Arsenal in the Premier League title race.

Having lost Diogo Jota to injury last weekend, the Reds' attacking options were further depleted as Cody Gakpo withdrew from the squad ahead of his wife giving birth.

Everton, meanwhile, welcomed Ben Godfrey and James Garner into the side that had earned a crucial 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest last time out.

Buoyed by that confidence-boosting victory and with a passionate crowd behind them, it was the hosts who started the brightest.

Abdoulaye Doucoure failed to give them an early lead when he passed a simple chance wide, before a penalty award against Alisson Becker for a trip on Calvert-Lewin was overturned due to an offside in the build-up.

But Everton kept coming, with Calvert-Lewin and Godrey failing to take presentable headed opportunities before Branthwaite broke the deadlock.

The defender capitalised on chaos in the Liverpool box, particularly a poor Ibrahima Konate clearance, to squeeze the ball home and send the home crowd wild.

Liverpool recovered to create chances of their own before the break, but Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz both hammered the ball straight at Jordan Pickford before Mohamed Salah blasted over.

The Reds looked ready to begin turning the screw after half-time when Virgil van Dijk met an early corner and nodded it straight toward