Everton's brutal derby defeat still offers a reminder - as did Liverpool team-sheet

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The Joe Thomas verdict after Everton lost the first-ever Merseyside derby against Liverpool at Hill Dickinson Stadium in heartbreaking fashionEverton were dealt two cruel blows in a brutal finish to a Merseyside derby that showed just how far they have come.Virgil van Dijk’s header in the 100th minute left players in Royal Blue slumped on the pitch after a Herculean effort that had looked set to deliver a valuable, deserved point in the battle for Europe.It was made even tougher to bear given the goal came in the final minutes of a stoppage time made so lengthy because Jarrad Branthwaite was stretchered off late in the game, the centre-back covering his face with his shirt as a season already decimated by injury took another hit.There were layers to the cruelty dealt to Everton in this match. Latest EFC news and analysis from via the Liverpool Echo’s dedicated FB pageFor 25 minutes they harassed Liverpool, snapping into challenges and scrapping for loose balls.

VAR intervened to rule that Jake O’Brien, whose cross from the right had caused the chaos, was offside.A moment later and after a series of poor passes ended with Dwight McNeil conceding the ball to Cody Gakpo, Salah finished the winger's ball across the box.The goal came against the run of play and sucked the life out of Everton.A Liverpool side buckling under the pressure they were being placed under found themselves with a foothold in the match. The Blues needed the break and were grateful when it came.The opening minutes of the second half were a concern for Everton, who emerged from the tunnel flat.

It was the midfielder who rose to the fore again, holding off Ibrahima Konate and playing a ball across goal that Beto, this time, could not fail to score from.Suddenly the new stadium had its moment and, with Mamardashvili stretchered off after the sliding Beto and Andy Robertson crunched into him, the Blues had the momentum and the opportunity to put the Reds' third-choice goalkeeper, who was making his Premier League debut, under pressure.That proved beyond them but for the following 30 minutes they competed with Liverpool in a wild match that moved from end to end in frenetic fashion.A valuable point looked likely but when Branthwaite crumpled to the ground after an innocuous tussle with Gakpo with fewer than 10 minutes to go, it knocked Everton on and off the pitch.The 11 minutes of stoppage time were agonising as substitute Thierno Barry struggled to hold the ball up the pitch and the Reds looked increasingly threatening.When Rio Ngumoha fired over the hope was the Blues could leave with a useful, deserved point. But that the pain of this defeat will cut so deep also signifies just how far this team has come in such a short time.For all the momentum they had going into this fixture, and for all the frailties that had been exposed in the Reds' miserable defence of their title, there was a reason every bookmaker marked Arne Slot's down as favourites for this game.Two summer signings in their starting XI cost more than the combined Everton first team and, with that, comes a quality and ruthlessness David Moyes' side still crave.They are improving, though - a fact that is important to remember as they attempt to pick themselves up for five games of the season that could yet yield a place in Europe.