Everton suffered their heaviest home defeat in a Merseyside derby for 39 years.
Seamus Coleman intervened after his Everton teammate Anthony Gordan was confronted by a fan on the pitch following the team’s 4-1 loss to Liverpool.
The disgruntled supporter left the stands and made his way onto the pitch. He approached Gordon and exchanged words with Everton’s 20-year-old winger.
Seamus Coleman and Everton players exchange words with pitch invader after Liverpool loss.
Coleman was nearby and intervened, along with midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure. The pair walked over to Gordan and the fan.
The Everton captain appeared to direct his teammate to walk away while Doucoure spoke with the fan. More words were exchanged before the man started walking towards the stand behind the goal at Goodison Park.
A video clip of the incident was shared on social media.
An Everton fan gets onto the pitch and approaches the players. pic.twitter.com/vitsRGp4Jy
— Matt (@TacticallyMatt) December 1, 2021
Everton 1-4 Liverpool.
The incident occurred after Everton suffered a heavy defeat to their city rivals on Wednesday night. Mohamed Salah (2), Jordan Henderson and Diogo Jota scored the goals for Liverpool, and the gap between the two Merseyside clubs has developed into a chasm.
Rafa Benitez’s team were outclassed in the derby and found themselves 2-0 down after just 20 minutes. At which point, some Everton fans left Goodison Park, while many of those who remained chanted, “sack the board.”
Since Farhad Moshiri became the club’s majority shareholder in 2016, they have spent half a billion in the transfer market. Yet, Everton are currently closer to being involved in a relegation battle than challenging at the top end of the table.
Many Toffees supporters voiced their frustrations on Wednesday evening, with the atmosphere turning openly hostile.
Everton’s troubles.
Following the match, Benitez said that the team would improve in the second half of the season. “I have to believe we will do well,” he told reporters.
“I am convinced we will do well in the second part of the season but we have to start winning to be sure we can keep the belief. But the way we did it at the beginning, the way when he had all the players available is what I am expecting for the second part of the league.”
The former Liverpool coach has been working within a tighter budget than his predecessors. He has also seen some key players – such as Dominic Calvert-Lewin – pick up injuries this season. Yet, the Spanish coach, whose appointment divided opinion amongst Everton supporters, is under pressure. The team have not won a game since September.
Everton’s next match is against Arsenal on Monday night at Goodison Park. The Toffees are currently in 14th place in the Premier League with 15 points from 14 games.
A disastrous derby for Everton, but what next for Rafa Benitez? 🔵
"The biggest worry I'd say from Everton's point of view is they couldn't keep the ball for more than 20 seconds today." 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/rrPHihHQ0k
— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) December 1, 2021
