Everton’s new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock is set to host its first game on the 17th of February, 2025. The 52,888-capacity venue, officially called Everton Stadium until naming rights are sold, will use an Under-18 game as a test event with a capacity of just 10,000, with further similar, larger events to be held later in the year. Then, sometime in August, at the start of the 2025/26 Premier League season, it will stage its first full-capacity first-team fixture.
The fans, club and city are rightly proud of the new stadium and it is hoped that it will help further regenerate Liverpool, as well as helping Everton improve their financial power. Whilst the spectacular new stadium will be a huge upgrade on Goodison Park in many ways, Everton’s old home will be sadly missed. It might have been short on facilities, seemingly offered more restricted-view seats than standard ones, and had a severe shortage of income-generating corporate facilities, but it was part of footballing history.
Goodison Park was built in 1892 at a cost of £3,000 (the new stadium will be closer to £750m), and the tradition, history and febrile atmosphere will be impossible to recreate. But of course, change is the one constant in life, and Everton badly needed to move to a bigger, more modern stadium. There will be many special occasions at Goodison as Everton’s last season there unfolds and the biggest will, of course, be the final game.
That will take place on the penultimate week of the season, against Southampton. That had looked like being a possible relegation decider but thanks to the Toffees’ upturn since David Moyes returned they will hope to be well clear of the drop long before then. The last Merseyside derby at Goodison was the other huge event that many fans were excited about and after a 67-day delay due to Storm Darragh, the Grand Old Lady finally witnessed its last ever derby. And it was worth the wait!
4 Goals & 4 Red Cards
The Merseyside derby is known for many things and one of those is the number of red cards it has seen. No other fixture in Premier League history has seen as many players sent off and over the years there have been many fixtures between the rivals that have seen as many dismissals as goals, if not more.
Had this game taken place when it was originally scheduled, on the 7th of December, 2024, it would almost certainly have seen fewer than two goals and quite probably at least one sending off. Sean Dyche was at the helm then and the Toffees drew 0-0 three times in five games from the end of December onwards.
They are a more attacking prospect under Moyes though and they opened the scoring in this one after just 11 minutes. A quickly taken freekick caught Liverpool’s high defensive line off guard and Beto timed his run perfectly. Through one-on-one against Alisson, he cooly slotted home to send the Goodison crowd wild.
Everton Have Strong Start But Liverpool Hits Back
The Toffees had made a solid start but Liverpool hit back quickly. A delicious cross from the right by Mo Salah was somehow glanced into the far corner by Alexis Mac Allister. The diminutive Argentine was surrounded by Everton’s towering defenders but somehow found space and the perfect contact to level the game after just 16 minutes.
Everton struggled a little after Iliman Ndiaye was forced off through injury after 25 minutes, the Senegalese attacking midfielder suffering what looked like a serious knee issue. However, on the whole, the game then settled into a scrappy rhythm, which suited the hosts more than the table-toppers, although the Reds ended the first half strongly.
Missed Chances to Take the Lead in Second Half
The Toffees started the second half very well though and missed two excellent chances to take the lead. They were easily the better side, dominating territorially but then Liverpool hit them on a rare attack. After a bit of a scramble, during which Everton failed to clear, the ball fell to Salah who finished easily.
That took the sail out of Everton’s sails and dampened the mood of the crowd and the game appeared to be limping towards a 2-1 win for Liverpool. That would have given them a nine-point lead at the top of the table but somehow Everton refused to accept defeat.
The Toffees rarely threatened in the closing stages but in the eighth minute of added time (the fourth official indicated a minimum of five but that was extended due to injuries and Liverpool time wasting), Moyes’ men had the ball in the final third. Vitalii Mykolenko lobbed in an innocuous-looking cross from the left which was allowed to bounce in the area. Tim Iroegbunam then flicked it on where it fell invitingly on the volley for Everton skipper James Tarkowski.
Not known for his goalscoring, especially not with his feet, the centre back, making his 100th Premier League appearance for Everton, thundered home an unstoppable strike from 12 yards out. And, that is when the action really started!
VAR Torture and Cards Galore
Everton’s team and fans went wild, as Liverpool’s players dropped to their knees but there was plenty for VAR to consider. After a prolonged check for both offside and a possible foul, the goal stood, and the roar was even more deafening than that which greeted the initial goal.
It was an agonising three minutes for everyone concerned but the relief was worth the wait. Liverpool eventually restarted the game but the referee blew his whistle almost straight away and the Toffees had got themselves out of jail, even if a draw was the least they deserved.
However, after the final whistle there was time for a mass melee and four red cards, including one for Arne Slot and another for his assistant, Sipke Hulshoff. Curtis Jones and Abdoulaye Doucoure both collected a second yellow and thus a red too in what was a fittingly chaotic, crazy end to the last Goodison derby ever.
Final Match Ends in 2-2 Draw
The final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park and Everton have put Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta on the front cover of the programme. 👀 pic.twitter.com/lhkQKtgi8u
— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) February 12, 2025
As if a 98th-minute stunner to earn Everton a draw in the last derby they will host at their 132-year-old stadium wasn’t enough of a Hollywood script, Tarkowski’s volley was also significant in the historical overview. This clash was the 120th Merseyside derby to take place at Goodison and heading into the game both sides had won 41 times, with 38 draws.
Had Liverpool held on to win they would have taken the lead on 42 wins and thus would have held the advantage forever more. In a city that is both divided and united by football it seems fitting that Everton managed to get their late leveller and keep things even. Everton Stadium has quite the act to follow but we can’t wait for the new season to get underway and new chapters to be written into the history books of Everton.