Goodison Park witnessed a final Merseyside derby filled with thrills, spills and plenty of controversy aplenty.

James Tarkowski’s last-gasp equaliser, which stood after a VAR review, sent the Everton faithful into raptures. The full-time whistle then saw unsavoury scenes as Curtis Jones reacted angrily to Abdoulaye Doucouré’s celebrations in front of the Liverpool fans.

Both Jones and Doucouré received their marching orders with second yellows, while Arne Slot and his number two Sipke Hulshoff also saw red after confronting referee Michael Oliver.

The Liverpool boss could be hit with a touchline ban, although a Premier League statement about his punishment has been retracted. Mirror Football rounds up the talking points from a memorable derby…

In its initial response, the Premier League failed to shed light on the reasons behind the post-match dismissals, merely stating: “The referee issued second yellow cards and red cards to Curtis Jones and Abdoulaye Doucouré following an altercation after the final whistle. Arne Slot and his assistant Sipke Hulshoff were also shown straight red cards after the final whistle.”

Regarding the decision to confirm Tarkowski’s goal after extensive VAR scrutiny, the Premier League explained: “The referee’s call of goal was checked and confirmed by the VAR, who established that Doucouré was in an onside position in the build-up.”

On Thursday, the Premier League issued a statement regarding Slot’s dismissal, initially announcing: “Liverpool head coach Arne Slot was dismissed at the end of the Merseyside derby for using offensive, insulting, or abusive language. He is handed a two-match touchline ban as a result.”

However, there was confusion when the statement, believed to have been released in error, was removed. The FA will decide what action to take once it has reviewed Oliver’s report, and they have three days to do so.

Lip reading expert Jeremy Freeman suggests that Slot said “great game” to Oliver just before he was given his red card. A bewildered Slot questioned: “Sure, you give me a red for that? I will check it out for later, me and you, yeah?”

Van Dijk then intervened, perhaps suggesting that Slot’s aggressive-looking handshake, not his comment, was the issue. “Hey, Michael… that was not a pull [of your arm]. Michael, it isn’t personal,” he’s claimed to have said before supposedly advising his manager to “keep away”.

Oliver has been told he made a mistake in the build-up to Everton’s first goal. The Blues were given a free-kick following what was adjudged to be a foul on Iliman Ndiaye near the halfway line.

The set-piece was played to Beto, who capitalised on a lacklustre Liverpool defending to score. However, Keith Hackett, the former head of PGMOL, disagreed with the decision to award the free-kick, taking to X to express his opinion: “This was an incorrect award of a free-kick that went on to result in Everton scoring their opening goal.”

Hackett also had something to say about the post-match fracas, warning both teams to brace for repercussions. Speaking to Football Insider, the 80-year-old said: “Curtis Jones, clearly upset, decided to get involved, and he finished up with a second yellow followed by red.

“With the game over the Liverpool manager approached Oliver and a conversation resulted in Slot getting a straight red card. Both teams will be charged with failing to control their players.”

Van Dijk also criticised Oliver for not ending the match sooner as Tarkowski’s goal came in the 98th minute despite only five minutes of added time being indicated. The defender voiced his frustration to TNT Sports, saying: “Obviously, it is very disappointing to lose it in the last second of the game – or even over extra-time. Listen, it is what it is. It’s not easy to accept it, especially in the manner how, but we take it and move on.

“It was over extra-time. I think the referee had a big part in the game today in terms of certain challenges, giving a foul or similar didn’t, but in the end it is just disappointing to concede. A very good strike, actually, but a disappointing one.”

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

What do Liverpool need to clinch the title? Keep up with all the Reds news with our FREE daily newsletter