Merseyside derby: Liverpool a test of how far Everton have come under Carlo Ancelotti

Table-toppers Everton haven't beaten their city rivals in any match in a decade

James Rodriguez has proved an inspired signing for Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti. EPA

Carlo Ancelotti is often one of the most genial men in management but he looked uncharacteristically angry as he strode down the corridors of Anfield. It was January and it was his first significant setback as Everton manager: their first team had been eliminated from the FA Cup by Liverpool’s assortment of teenagers, debutants and deputies.

Everton’s quest for a trophy since 1995 would stretch into a 26th year. Ancelotti had only been at Goodison Park for a couple of weeks but recognised the damage defeat had done; especially to Liverpool.

“I will tell them it’s not good enough,” Ancelotti pledged then. That message may have been delivered plenty of times in the subsequent six months; at Wolves in July, his more outspoken skipper Seamus Coleman criticised Everton’s desire, commitment and attitude. Ancelotti agreed. Perhaps that forthright approach is why Ancelotti bracketed Coleman alongside Paolo Maldini, Sergio Ramos and John Terry among his best captains.

Ancelotti was so impartial that he was interviewed for the Liverpool job in 2015. Upon his arrival at Everton, however, he was swift to see the significance of Coleman and the now retired Leighton Baines. He emphasised the “sense of belonging” long-serving players provided, giving a club an identity.

Coleman’s understanding of all things Everton takes on another meaning on Saturday. He is the only survivor from Everton’s last derby win. It will be a decade to the day since Coleman, then a young, rampaging right winger, inspired Everton to a 2-0 victory.

One of the scorers that day, Mikel Arteta, is now Arsenal manager. The losing manager, Roy Hodgson, bizarrely claimed it was the best performance of his time with Liverpool. The watching new owners, John W Henry and Tom Werner, were presumably unimpressed and sacked him three months later.

Some 22 derbies have passed since then. Everton’s triumphs have been draws, stalemates at Goodison that delayed Liverpool’s coronation last season and cost them precious points that may have denied them the title in 2019, a thunderous equaliser by Phil Jagielka at Anfield or the knowledge they finished off Brendan Rodgers in 2015.

Yet while they have only conceded once to Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool at Goodison, they have not scored at all. The German’s team have specialised in late winners, whether from Sadio Mane, Virgil van Dijk or Divock Origi. The essentially limited Origi, a regular tormentor of Everton, has become a derby talisman. Everton’s psychological problems in this fixture have felt greater as their wait has grown longer.

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Everton v Brighton player ratings

EVERTON RATINGS: Jordan Pickford - 4: Didn’t have much to do, but guilty of bad error when he gifted Neal Maupay an easy goal. Almost handed the Frenchman another one. AFP

Seamus Coleman - 7: Continued his impressive start to the season, looking strong in both his attacking and defensive play. But he was forced off due to injury which will be a concern for Everton. AFP

Yerry Mina - 9: Scored a clinical header to put Everton ahead. Made some outstanding interventions that prevented certain Brighton goals. PA

Michael Keane - 7: Looked comfortable for the majority of the game, was unlucky to see Maupay’s effort go through his legs on the line. AFP

Lucas Digne - 7: He was a little bit quiet in the attacking third, but defended very well throughout. Reuters

Abdoulaye Doucoure - 8: Broke Brighton’s play up well and showed quality when he was on the ball and set up Everton’s fourth of the game. EPA

Tom Davies - 7: The academy graduate was decisive in his play both in midfield and at right-back, giving Carlo Ancelotti a reminder of how useful he can be. Getty

Gylfi Sigurdsson - 7: Showed his quality with a delightful cross to set up the opener and linked play well. EPA

James Rodriguez - 9: Assisted Mina with a nice dinked free kick delivery, before getting two goals of his own, offering yet another example of his quality. Getty

Dominic Calvert-Lewin - 8: Considering his start to the season, it was no surprise that he scored, popping up with a fine first-half header.. AFP

Richarlison - 4: , He was forced off by an ankle injury after just 25 minutes, having struggled to have any big impact on the game. AFP

SUBS: Alex Iwobi - (On for Richarlison 25') 7: Assisted Rodriguez’s first goal of the game and played a key role in his second. AFP

Fabian Delph - (On for Coleman 58') 6: ghgh. Looked very confident after coming on, dictating some of Everton’s play very nicely. Getty

Theo Walcott - (On for Rodriguez 78') N/A. Now restricted to cameos, the former England man had little chance to make an impact. PA

BRIGHTON RATINGS: Mathew Ryan: Little chance for any of the goals and produced some good saves. EPA

Ben White - 5: Failed to deal with Calvert-Lewin for the opener, but showed composure on the ball and made some good interventions. Reuters

Lewis Dunk - 6: Was generally fairly strong defensively, but he might have to wait a while until getting another free-kick after blazing his effort way over the bar. Reuters

Adam Webster - 5: Should have been much stronger when defending Mina for Everton’s second, his decision making wasn’t the best in the attacking third. Reuters

Tariq Lamptey - 6: Put in a good cross for the goal that made it 1-1, but failed to hit the highs of recent matches and was taken off at half time.. EPA

Yves Bissouma - 6: Had a sloppy start, then fell asleep for Mina’s goal. His passing was also off at stages. However, he did score an excellent goal at the end. Getty

Steven Alzate - 5: Booked just four minutes into the game and struggled to get a hold on it, but eventually calmed down. EPA

Solly March - 7: He was Brighton’s main threat, delivering some good crosses into the box. Assisted Bissouma’s goal with a header. Getty

Leandro Trossard - 5: Enjoyed a bit of luck when his scuffed effort led to a goal, but it was his sloppy pass that was cut out by Rodriguez in the lead up to the Colombian's first goal. Reuters

Neal Maupay - 7: Showed his predatory instinct to score a goal, having been relentless in his play before then. EPA

Aaron Connolly - 6: Pressed the Everton defenders well, but didn’t get much of a sniff in front of goal. Reuters

SUBS: Joel Veltman - (On for Lamptey 45') 5: Looked fairly assured in his defensive play but didn’t offer much going forward. PA

Adam Lallana - (On for Connolly 66') 5: Failed to add the cutting-edge Brighton needed, his lack of width made the team look unbalanced at times. Reuters

Pascal Gross - (On for Alzate 82') N/A. Getty

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They have been defined by who they are not and what they have not done. Everton’s misguided buying has brought a contrast with Liverpool’s superb strike rate in the transfer market.

Until now, perhaps. Because if much of the first £450 million ($583.70m) Everton spent under Farhad Moshiri was wasted, this summer’s recruitment drive has powered them to the top of the league. James Rodriguez, Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure are shaping up as outstanding additions. Ancelotti seems to have transformed a sterile side with a void where it needed a midfield into Everton’s most compelling outfit since Roberto Martinez’s team finished fifth with 72 points in 2014.

They have secured one breakthrough win – beating Tottenham was a first triumph at big-six opponents since Coleman also played in the defeat of Manchester United at Old Trafford in 2013 – but their nearest rivals have represented the furthest frontier. Ancelotti is the proven winner who helped AC Milan beat Inter, Chelsea defeat Arsenal and Real Madrid overcome Atletico, but rarely entered a local rivalry in a position of such inferiority. If January showed the scale of the task he took on, Saturday will indicate how close he is to succeeding in it.

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Aston Villa v Liverpool player ratings

ASTON VILLA RATINGS: Emiliano Martinez - 7: Called into action twice in the first 20 minutes to deny Firmino. Produced a one-handed save to palm an attempted lob by Jota over the bar. Parried a Robertson shot over just before the break. Looks an important signing for Villa. EPA

Matthew Cash - 6: Right-back had his hands full from the start dealing with Robertson and Jota’s attacks down his flank. Caught out of position for Salah’s first. Stuck to his task and life was made easier as Grealish, Watkins and Co ran riot in attack. EPA

Tyone Mings - 7: Straight into the action with a marauding run down the right flank and couple of important blocks in his own box. EPA

Ezri Konsa – 7: Forming really good partnership with Mings in centre of Villa’s defence which must please assistant manager John Terry. Reuters

Matt Targett - 7: Non-stop running down the left, helped stop Alexander-Arnold from becoming an attacking threat and was an important part of Villa’s victory. AFP

John McGinn - 8: Can count himself lucky not have conceded a penalty after quarter of an hour for a clumsy block on Salah in the box. Enjoyed another slice of luck when his shot from edge of the box deflected into the next off Van Dijk after 35 minutes. Great pass to put Grealish through for his second. Looks back to his best. EPA

Douglas Luiz - 7: Harsh booking for pulling back Minamino just after half-time. A good show from the Brazilian midfielder who was happy to take a back seat as his teammates ran riot in attack. AP

Ross Barkley - 7: Could and, arguably, should have had a first-half hat-trick like teammate Watkins. Loan signing from Chelsea missed an absolute golden opportunity to make it 2-0 in first 10 minutes but could only scuff shot wide. Then put another chance wide of the target moments before Salah pulled the score back to 2-1. Saw near post shot saved by Adrian. Finally scored, via a deflection, 10 minutes after the break. EPA

Trezeguet - 8: Wonderful crossfield pass to Grealish that set up Barkey’s second chance to score after 31 minutes. Perfect ball across box set up Watkins’ hat-trick header. Excellent performance from the Egyptian wideman. AP

Jack Grealish - 9: At the heart of Villa’s victory from the moment the game kicked-off. Kept his composure to set up Watkins’s opener and then handed another chance on a plate to Barkley a few minutes later. Lovely pass down the left to put Watkins away for his second. A third assist to help supply Barkley’s fifth goal on night. Credited with sixth goal although took huge deflection off Fabinho. No doubt about his second - and Villa's seventh- with cool finish when one-on-one with Adrian. AFP

Ollie Watkins – 9.5: A goal after just three minutes thanks to Adrian’s howler and Grealish’s calm pass. A sensational second after 22 minutes, picking up another great ball from Grealish, cutting inside Gomez and sliding a cracking finish into top corner. Incredibly, the former Brentford man headed home a Trezeguet cross to complete a first-half perfect hat-trick. Should have had a fourth when clean through with 20 minutes left but was denied by Adrian’s boot. Hit bar in last 10 minutes. Not bad for your first Premier League goals. Reuters

Subs: Ahmed El Mohamady - (On for Cash 80’) N/A. EPA

Marvelous Nakamba - (On for Douglas 80’) N/A

Bertrand Traore – (On for Terezeguet 87’) N/A. ALmost made it eight but was stopped by Milner tackle. Getty

LIVERPOOL RATINGS: Adrian - 4: In due to Alisson’s injury, but had catastrophic start when, instead of clearing it long, he gifted possession to Grealish who squared for Watkins to slot home. Another distribution error handed another chance to Villa midway through second half that they failed to capitalise on. Made a couple of decent saves and was given no chance with some wicked deflections on Villa shots but his confidence looked shot by the end. EPA

Trent Alexander-Arnold - 4: Like the rest of Liverpool’s defence, struggled to deal with Villa – and Grealish in particular – and their attacks down his right flank. Villa’s fifth, through Barkley, came via deflection of Alexander-Arnold’s leg. Badly caught out for Villa’s seventh. EPA

Joe Gomez - 3: Woeful game. Allowed Watkins to cut inside and get his shot away for second goal. Lucky not be punished by Villa after being caught in possession by Grealish just before the break. Positioning all over the place, confidence non-existent and was substituted on the hour. AP

Virgil van Dijk - 4: A game to forget for the big Dutchman. He deflected McGinn’s strike into the net, was then booked for foul on Barkley and the resulting free-kick led to Villa’s fourth goal. Even Vin Dijk’s immense presence couldn’t hold the team together in a truly atrocious Liverpool defensive show. PA

Andrew Robertson - 6: Saw early chance deflected wide after being set-up by Wijnaldum. All of Liverpool’s best attacking work came down his left flank. Forced good stop from Martinez just before half-time. AFP

Naby Keita - 5: Little influence on the game and, after a disastrous Liverpool first half, was hooked at the break. In the Guinean’s defence, there were others that performed far worse than him in that opening 45 minutes. EPA

Fabinho - 5: Huge deflection off the Brazlian from a Grealish shot made the score 6-2. Anonymous as Liverpool completely lost the midfield battle. PA

Georginio Wijnaldum - 5: Brilliant diagonal ball into the box to give Robertson chance after 10 minutes but little other big moments from the Dutchman in a disastrous Liverpool performance. Reuters

Dioga Jota – 6: Nearly caught out Martinez with lovely dink from outside the box just before the half hour mark, Caused Villa problems down the left with Robertson in first half. EPA

Mohamed Salah - 7: Hardly figured until he blasted the ball into the top corner in ruthless fashion to makes the score 2-1. Another quality finish made it 5-2 but the Egyptian looked shell-shocked as the chaos unfolded around him. AFP

Firmino - 6: Denied twice by Martinez early on – one blocked at close range, one near-post drive parried away. Provided assist for Salah’s second. AFP

SUBS: Takumi Minamino – (On for Keita 45’) 4: Klopp turned to the Japanese midfielder at half-time but he contributed next to nothing to Liverpool’s cause. Reuters

Curtis Jones – (On for Gomez 61’) 5: Hard time for the youngster to come on with his experienced teammates well off their games. Reuters

James Milner – (On for Firmino 68’) 6: Should have been brought on at half-time to try bring a semblance of sanity to Liverpool’s shambolic organisation. Timely sliding challenge to stop Traore making it eight. Reuters