It was a beautiful day at Merseyside for the kickoff of the Everton and Liverpool game. This is one of my favorite derby’s, mainly because I love Everton, and it’s always an exciting fixture. An unfortunate event happened with Everton winger Kevin Mirallas getting injured in the 30th minute, having to be subbed. This injury is a huge blow for Everton; Super Kev, as the Evertonians call him, is a crucial part of the squad. He is a strong player and controls the wing. His foot skills are superb and without him, I don’t think Everton can keep possession as well as they do.

The game was filled with action, but no team was able to strike through until Liverpool took the lead when captain Steven Gerrard scored from a free kick in the 65th minute. Young Everton defender Tyais Browning made his debut, and one to remember too. He played phenomenal, but I was surprised he made an appearance. I would think that Roberto Martinez would wait to play him in a game that is not as important as the derby, like a cup game. Everton, in typical fashion, waited until stoppage time to equalize. They won a corner kick, and after a few awkward bounces in the box, the ball spit out to defender captain Phil Jagielka who ripped the half-volley from 25 yards out into the upper 90. It was an amazing strike, one for the history books. One that I have been dreaming about for days now. The derby ended in a 1-1 tie, maybe giving Everton the push they need to get back on track.

Another great derby that took place this weekend was Arsenal versus Tottenham. The game was very intense, seeing nine players going in the book. Tottenham struck first in the 56th minute when Nacer Chadli scored. Chadli scored his fourth goal of the season and has a conversion rate of about 57 percent. That is just mind blowing to me because it is such a high percentage. As the game continued, Arsenal equalized in the 74th minute. It was a funny series of events as Danny Welbeck missed the ball completely and nutmegged himself. The ball ended up at Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s feet, who put the ball in the back of the net. The game ended in a 1-1 tie.

There was another important match, not a derby, but one that I feel I need to talk about. Manchester United took on West Ham United and won the game 2-1. Honestly, they looked shaky. Captain Wayne Rooney had an absolutely awful tackle, earning him a straight red card. I think it was a very stupid play by Rooney, but I’m not complaining. He will miss the game against Everton!

The derby games were a lot of fun to watch. Hopefully, next week can bring the same intensity as this week.