The Reds left the Blues behind with a convincing three nil win thanks to a hat-trick from Steven Gerrard.
Liverpool always looked superior on the night and were on the front foot from the kick off. We continued the game on the front foot and I have to say Everton offered very little going forward really.
The Anfield crowd were really up for the game and it felt louder than it has been for a little bit - perhaps the quieter night air carried the noise better.
On seven minutes the Reds went really close with Gerrard forcing a save from Howard but the rebound came out and Henderson was charging in but Rodwell managed to block the ball out.
At the other end Pienaar skied his shot in to the Kop. Back at the other end and Carroll managed to get a header in but after a deflection on the way to him he couldn't get enough power on to the ball.
One huge positive for the Reds up front was Suarez being able to move all over the place and that is because we'd gone two up top and Carroll was the man who allowed that.
As the half wore on the game did balance out a bit more. Just short of the half hour Suarez was flagged offside. It was a correct decision but the frustrating thing was how long the lino took to flag. Suarez was clearly going for the ball but until he got to it the flag didn't go up - ludicrous rules.
The opening goal ultimately came from a break away movement. Everton were attacking on the edge of our box when Skrtel cleared the ball. The move up the pitch was fast and it left Everton chasing shadows.
The ball was swept from the main stand side to the centenary side and Kelly was played in around the back of the defence and shot well on goal. Howard saved the ball but couldn't hold it and Kelly went for the rebound but it was poked away from him and from the edge of the box Gerrard cool as you like slotted the ball over everyone and in to the back of the empty net. That was pure class from Gerrard and set Anfield buzzing.
The goal was the class that set the two sides apart and for me gave us the lead we deserved as half time came.
At half time all I could think of was keeping the pace up and if we did I had full confidence of winning this one comfortably.
The second half saw the Reds attacking the Kop end and the pace I wanted did stay for the Reds and it meant that it was always class from us edging the game with Reina not having an awful lot to do.
The pace was there from us although very deliberate in its usage and that showed when we doubled the lead on fifty one minutes. Henderson played Suarez down the inside right and after squaring up to Distin he ghosted past him and just as he weaved past another he set up Gerrard and he slammed the ball home in to the roof of the net.
This was now comfortable for me and I thought we could probably go on and make this a decent score now.
A couple of minutes after the second and Suarez set up Carroll in the box but his shot went across the goal and wide of the target. Next it was Kelly who went close but sliding in to the box he just couldn't quite get to the ball which would for sure of hit the net had he managed too.
It was a major case of men against boys now as Everton looked woeful.
Steven Pienaar was booked on fifty six minutes for a woeful tackle on Henderson which for me could easily have been red. No change their from Pienaar!
Everton had their closest chance to score just after the hour mark when Rodwell shot but Enrique cleared off the line under pressure.
Everton then made a triple change with Jelavic, Osman and Drenthe coming on. Ten minutes or so later and the Reds made their only change of the game when Dirk Kuyt replaced Henderson on the right. Henderson had had another in and out night but the lad stuck to his task well despite still being played out of position.
On eighty two minutes with the Reds on the attack deep in the Everton half the ref stopped play because Pienaar was down having come off worst in a fifty fifty. After treatment the ref dropped the ball and as is always the case the attacking team lose out when the defensive side boot the ball as far up the pitch as possible. The hoof from Baines really wound everyone up and sadly there is nothing that the ref could do. Surely a rule change is necessary for this kind of thing.
On eighty four minutes Drenthe became the third played to go in the book when he hacked Downing down and he could have no excuses having been a narky player since he came on.
One player who for me was very lucky was Fellaini who in one move forward by the Reds decided he needed to stop Carroll so just grabbed his pony tail and dragged him down. He got away with it because it was off the ball but is just typical yard dog activity by a losing side.
As the clock hit ninety there were two more yellow cards as Enrique and Hibbert were both booked. Enrique had tried to keep a ball in near the touchline but his feet were pretty high and Hibbert reacted by booting the ball at him.
In the final minute of added time the Reds made it three nil. Drenthe slipped on the ball with Gerrard closing him down and Gerrard raced forward with the ball and with two on two he fed Suarez but after cutting back inside his man he set up Gerrard to complete his hat-trick. This was just so great now and at this point the away end was pretty empty.
The final whistle went and the Reds could celebrate a deserved win and a decent score to boot. After playing some good games this season and not getting results at Anfield this was great to watch and doing it over Everton made it feel all the better.
MotM : Steven Gerrard - superb in the midfield and his goals highlighted the class difference in the sides. Top marks should also go to Martin Kelly who defended well but his support in the attack was superb and he went close to scoring as well.
