I actually thought he was trying to calm the game down fairly early on when he was pushing Mascherano and another Liverpool player away from the ref so it was just the two captains and the ref. At one point it looked like he was going to push Mascherano over. Then he went back to being himself again.

Call me Arsene Wenger but I don't remember the studs up tackle from Gerrard on Pienaar, I'll look out for it on MOTD later.

I'd love to club Pienaar around the head with a blunt weapon. Nasty, petulant piece of work, and I have thought this for a couple of years. It's a shame because he's actually a fairly tidy player, but he's a bellend.

The best team on the day won. I'd agree that it was an ugly game, but as usual, Moyes is talking bollocks. Everton did nothing to suggest they didn't deserve to lose. Yet again they had us backed into a corner with 10 men and yet again they just did nothing with it. They had two half chances all game, that was it. We took our chance when it came along (Howard actually shoved Kuyt into where he is, irony of ironies) and defended well. We were pretty comfortable all day. Everton showed a total lack of nous and just kept launching it long. Poor, poor play. They should have looked to work it round us as they had been right in it until the red came.

With regards to the officiating... Mr Atkinson lost control of that game when he failed to send Pienaar off (Pienaar sounds like it should be the plural of penis, in this case it would be totally true) for assault, and from there on in proceeded to guess. No arguments from me about Soto's red card, it wasn't a nice tackle, nor do I think it was malicious, it was an attempt to win the ball and nothing else, but I accept it was a a red. I also think Fellaini should have been off in that incident because to me it was a clear stamp. As every week goes by I cannot accept the arguments that he's "just clumsy." What he is is a total and utter clogger.

Thankfully, we didn't let this latest officiating foolishness get to us. We fought hard and proud today and did all we could under the circumstances. Everton have clearly improved and clearly have a different philosophy but that went out of the window when we went down to 10 - it was going long to Saha, then long to Yakubu and Aniche... actually I won't insult the Blues by finishing that.

Good, hard working, fighting performance.

To be fair, Liverpool are not competent for any other kind of performance at this time. If excessive aggression and all round the pitch pressure fail to work, Liverpool are out of the match.

I won't disagree with that. However, when you're down to ten men in a local derby and you're in a bad run of performances, that's what you need. We did what we could today.

Actually thought Everton got away with much more than we did in terms of tackles. Gerrard following through on a tackle was handbags compared to Pienaar's attack on Mascherano and Fellaini could have been off twice.

Moyes is off his face. Everton deserved what they got, which was nothing.

In fairness, as I said -I only agreed with him saying that we didn't deserve to win. And I will accede also that on balance liverpool had more right to the points as they wanted it more.
Naturally we'll have our own views on who put in the nastier stuff, but I would ask those clad in different hues of blue and red, and other colours - to offer views later.

Liverpool were a far better team with 10 men than Everton were in full strenght. Everton painfully lacks someone who can keep and hold on to ball in their midfield.

Goal Liverpool scored can be largely put on Howard`s shoulders, why was he entertained with pushing Kuyt off the goal line when he was already (poorly) guarded by Neville and not concentrated on the incoming cross delivered from the corner kick is a mistery. If he had ignored Kuyt and positioned himself for the kick and Kuyt pushed him it would`ve been a clear foul (although with Atkinson today, you never know).

I think Liverpool showed their experience and intelligence today. Everton didn't have a clue how to approach the game whereas we knew exactly what to do.

Often the case when a team is missing players and has struggled for form and confidence. The cause for concern would be if they lacked fighting spirit, but it is one quality they have shown of late. They are better players than some results have suggested and are in a necessary phase of trying to grind out results. A few more like this and the return of some key players should see improved performances, but for now all that matters is stringing some results together, which Liverpool have done.

Today was also a typical derby day, there were derbies like this in the days of Dalglish and Kendall, it is just the way these games often are.

True, Ngog especially showed that to adapt sometimes you have to dive....





...rsify.

Arteta needed to dive





...rt his corners into different areas.

I vowed to not get angry about it, but having just seen Fellaini's "tackle" on Soto... I am absolutely LIVID. How on earth has he not been sent off? He went totally over the top of the ball and then stamped on him as well. It is a SHOCKING tackle. I still think Soto should have gone off as well, but that is a disgraceful miss.

At the time, when they were saying on Sky 'I think he's going to send him off' I assumed they meant Fellaini as it was horrible tackle, on a par with the one Pienaar made. Can't believe he didn't even get a yellow. Kyriagos was stupid to dive in like that and it's a straight red, but he shouldn't have been the only one off - in fact it should have been 10v 9 by that point in the game.

Two huge decisions for Everton and I disagree with Gerrard, thought the ref was shocking - started off being too lenient, then lost control and started wving cards about, except the ones he should have been waving. Total tool.

Surely in that situation the players should be a tiny bit more responsible, Carragher, Mascherano, Fellani and Piennar were all flying in with ridiculous challenges that all could've been red cards.

I'm still not convinced that's a stamp by Fellaini. He's running along the Greek fella lunges in two feet originally off the ground, although by the time he makes contact he's on the floor, and Fellaini skips up to avoid it. He lands with one foot on the Greek fella, but I don't believe that was intentional. It was a shocking tackle from the Greek fella, the kind that's a straight red even if he makes no contact because it's a pre-meditated 2 footed lunge.

However, the worst tackle in the game in terms of being dangerous was clearly Pienaar on Mascherano. I texted Dan as soon as it happened to say it should have been a clear red. It was a horrible potential leg breaking challenge. And it looked that way at full speed first time around, so why the ref decided only to book him I have no idea. When you consider all the fuss a couple of weeks back about a slightly mistimed challenge from Gallas that caught the boy's ankle, and then compare it to that, there is no comparison. Mascherano was very lucky not to sustain serious injury.

I think it actually broke Mascherano's shin pad, the force of it certainly moved his shin pad to the point it was 90degree's to his leg.

The thing is under the FA's wisdom as the ref dealt with the incident in the game a tackle like that carries the same punishment as a goal celebration where a player takes his shirt off.

Mascherano did a similar one a few minutes beforehand.

Just seen the second yellow Pienaar got, Gerrard should be very proud.

Having said that Pienaar shouldnt have been on the pitch anyway, there was a similar one by a Pompey player yesterday, strange there has been no mention of it anywhere.

The point I was making, Chris, when I was saying about Pienaar's frustration with being kicked up and down all game long..

It's no excuse, let me get that clear right from the get-go. And despite how much a dirty player Masch is (as I've said many many times) - NO-ONE should face a tackle like that. It was a red and one that should have been followed up with further censure (as Paul says).

However, I do not accept the earlier mention about him (Pienaar) just "being that way" - ie, perenially nasty and petulant himself. He has been booked four times all season. Compare that to Javier "Jimmy Case" Mascherano.....

Afroman from Everton should have walked for booting the goalscorer clean in the face. Proper dirty ba***rd said that last season when he picke up all them bookings and Moyes defended him saying he stands out more because of hairstyle so the refs pick on him. NO he's a dirty c**t fella and should also have walked against us for sticking his elbow straight in the face of a defender from a corner.

You won't get any sense out of Moyes. You'll get more out of Ferguson.

Super Kevin Phillips comes off the bench with Wovles 1nil up and scores a double. Mick looked gutted Wolves in the bottom 3. Still think they wont go down boys? I know its really close and plenty of twists and turns left yet

I wouldn't want to be a teacup in Wolves' dressing room right about now...

Wouldn't want to be a teacup within booting range of Wenger either.

Istanbul among other games has taught me not to draw conclusions at half time, but I fear our still depleted side could be facing a wounded animal on Wednesday. It's been my feeling all along that Arsenal weren't strong enough to be genuine title contenders this season and I maintain that unless they somehow turn this around second half. We should have beaten them at Anfield as Prof and other Gooners admitted and they have been overrun by Man U and Chelsea (thus far) in successive games. It's a shame because I'd rather have them than either of the other two, but there are too many weaknesses in their current side for them to be serious contenders.

And there am I, drawing conclusions at half time as I just said I wouldn't. Or am I tempting fate?

Arsenal plenty of the ball but like so many times before done very little with it. Apart from the one save off the Chelsea keeper he's had nothing to do first half really. Good goal on the counter attack by Chelsea and Drogba would have put the keeper in the back of the net with the ball if he got in the way. Dont see a comeback on the cards myself, if anything another goal from Chelsea

9/2 on a Drogba hattrick. V good odds