VIDEO: Gerrard Opens the Scoring as Reds Cruise at Anfield

There’s no better way to get rid of the pre-match jitters than to open the scoring. Earlier this week, Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard admitted that being sent off in 1999 — the last time Everton won at Anfield — still haunts him. Well, when he headed home from Suarez’s corner, he must have felt at least some of that weight lifted off his shoulders.

He’s had some immense Derby Day performances, but in football you’re only as good as your last outing and the Reds skipper was one of the best in the opening half as his thumping header in the 21st minute proves.

The sheer psychological lift that comes with seeing your Captain scoring aside, there was still a lot to do; that is, until Daniel Sturridge scored twice in two minutes to send the hosts into dreamland. A perfect through ball from Philippe Coutinho ended with one half of the SAS partnership finishing cooly past Everton ‘keeper Tim Howard, and minutes later, a Kolo Toure ball over the top landed perfectly for Sturridge who pinged a superb shot up and over the onrushing American.

There’s still another 45 minutes to go, but Roberto Martinez is going to need a miracle if he wants to end Everton’s Anfield drought.