Liverpool stretched their perfect Premier League start with a 2-1 win over Everton, tightening their stranglehold on the Merseyside derby and opening up a six-point lead at the top of the table.
First-half goals from Ryan Gravenberch and Hugo Ekitike rewarded the defending champions’ dominance, enough to secure a fifth consecutive league win despite a nervy second half in which Idrissa Gana Gueye pulled one back for Everton.
Arne Slot’s men, who had required late goals to win all four of their previous league games and their Champions League opener against Atletico Madrid, did the bulk of the damage inside the first 30 minutes at Anfield.
Slot left £100 million signings Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak on the bench, but the midfield balance returned with Alexis Mac Allister linking well with Dominik Szoboszlai and the impressive Gravenberch.
Gravenberch opened the scoring on nine minutes, volleying in Mohamed Salah’s cross, before Ekitike doubled the advantage with a composed finish through Jordan Pickford’s legs for his third goal in five league games since arriving from Eintracht Frankfurt.
Everton, unbeaten in their last four games, looked to Jack Grealish for inspiration, and it was his deep cross that set up Gueye to fire past Alisson Becker just before the hour mark.
The goal injected belief into David Moyes’ side, but Liverpool — fatigued after playing Atletico just 60 hours earlier — managed to hang on despite late pressure.
Slot turned to Wirtz and Isak from the bench to restore control, but the Reds ultimately held out to maintain their 100% start.
For Everton boss Moyes, the result marked an unwanted Premier League record: 23 winless visits to Anfield as a manager, the most by any coach at a single stadium without victory.
