Let’s get one thing clear: Liverpool are going to be champions come May, writes Peter Bolster. The 20th league title is on the horizon, and there’s an inevitability about it.
But this isn’t about that. This is about Everton and the myth they’ve built around February’s derby – about a 98th-minute equaliser that they’ve convinced themselves was a winner.
And now, Liverpool need to put it right.
James Tarkowski’s 98th-minute thunderbolt didn’t win Everton the game. Objectively, it was a draw – two points dropped for Liverpool.
But the way Everton fans talk about it, tweet about it, and sing about it, you’d think it was a cup final. Virgil van Dijk echoed that sentiment in his post-match comments.
Abdoulaye Doucoure’s taunting of the away end after the final whistle summed it up – they celebrated not just because they’d snatched a point, but because they believed they’d landed a blow on Liverpool. And here’s the thing: that belief matters.
Killing belief
This is where social constructionism comes into play – the idea that reality isn’t defined purely by facts, but by the meaning we attach to them.
A draw is a draw on paper, but Everton fans have collectively built a different truth around that moment. Because they believe it was a win – because they celebrated it, because they’ve told themselves it mattered – it becomes a kind of psychological victory.
It gives them confidence. And in football, belief can be dangerous.
Liverpool allowed that story to take shape. The game was dreadful, one of too many lately.
The dropped points against the likes of Man United, another of our fiercest rivals, still sting, and more recently, defeats in both the Champions League and League Cup final – the latter with the feeling of throwing one away.
That February derby was in the midst of those results in 2025 – a flat, uninspired performance. Liverpool didn’t play like champions – and Everton fed off it.
They saw a lack of creativity, firepower, and conviction, and they’ve built their own version of the truth around it.
The Mohamed Salah foul in stoppage time still lingers. Or more correctly, the lack of a foul being given – the less said about Michael Oliver the better.
And then the clash of heads which resulted in even more additional time being played. Liverpool were right to feel aggrieved with what came next.
Tarkowski’s equaliser didn’t just give Everton a point – it gave them a narrative. It gave them a feeling that they’d stood toe-to-toe with Liverpool and come away stronger.
That’s what social constructionism does, it shapes how people experience and remember events. And once enough people believe it, it starts to feel real. The fans running onto the pitch are a testament to that theory.
That’s why this return game at Anfield matters. It’s not about the title. It’s not about the points. It’s about taking control of the story.
Everton fans have convinced themselves that the February draw was a turning point, that David Moyes has changed their fortunes to such an extent that they can compete with the Reds, in a one-off game at least.
They’ve mistaken a moment of fortune for a shift in power. Another draw at Anfield would cement that belief. It would fuel the idea that Everton are closing the gap, even if the league table says otherwise. That’s why Liverpool have to stop it.
And let’s be clear, this is our football league. We’re by far the most superior football team in the land. Everton are living off scraps and calling it a feast.
If Liverpool allow them to walk away from Anfield with another point, it won’t affect Liverpool’s ability to win the title but it will reinforce the story Everton fans have built for themselves.
And that’s how belief spreads. Liverpool need to kill that belief at its root. Not with a scrappy 1–0, but with the kind of dominant performance that makes any idea of equality laughable.
Time for Liverpool to put on a show
Winning the title isn’t enough. The best Liverpool sides don’t just win – they impose themselves. They create a reality where the idea of Everton taking anything from a game like this becomes unthinkable.
Liverpool need to tear down the myth of Tarkowski’s equaliser and replace it with a new truth – one where Liverpool are miles ahead and everyone knows it. And they are miles ahead so much so that, according to Opta, they now have a 99.13 percent chance of winning the Premier League, but the delusion across Stanley Park remains at an all-time high.
If the Blues manage to get any type of result on Wednesday, they will remind us of it for a long time and that’s why Everton fans will love nothing more than a draw at Anfield. To them, a draw is a win.
It keeps the illusion alive, the idea that they can resist Liverpool, frustrate Liverpool, and keep Liverpool in reach. Doucoure’s taunting wasn’t about the result – it was about the feeling that Everton had forced Liverpool to play on their terms. That’s the mindset Liverpool need to crush.
But Liverpool need to do it the right way. Matching Everton‘s aggression and scrappiness would be playing into their hands.
Liverpool need to respond with football – with control, precision, and ruthlessness. Make them chase shadows. Make them realise that February was a glitch, not a sign of progress because Everton are still miles behind Liverpool, and everyone knows it.
So, yes, we’re going to win the league. But I want us to play like champions from now until May. Not grinding out results – putting on a show.
Everton fans have been living off the illusion of victory since February. It’s time to remind them what a real win looks like.
This column was penned by Peter Bolster, who writes for the Red All Over the Land fanzine and is secretary of Spirit of Shankly.
