Everton star insists 'we were the better team' after derby defeat to Liverpool

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Liverpool took the bragging rights from the first ever Merseyside derby at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, but one Everton player believes his side deserved more from the game

Jake O'Brien felt Everton was the better team against Liverpool(Image: Getty Images)

Everton defender Jake O’Brien insisted his side was better than Liverpool despite falling to defeat in Sunday’s Merseyside derby.

The Reds claimed the bragging rights from the first ever meeting between the two sides at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, with Virgil van Dijk striking deep into stoppage time to strengthen his side’s Champions League hopes with a 2-1 victory.

The game had looked to be heading for a draw before the Liverpool captain headed home. Mohamed Salah had given the visitors the lead in the first half on his last Merseyside derby appearance, with Beto equalizing for Everton after the break.

The win sees Liverpool extend its advantage over the Toffees to eight points, while Arne Slot’s side is now seven points clear of its nearest rival in the race for the top five.

The Reds though were made to sweat by their city rival, and O’Brien was adamant that his side deserved more from the game.

"Lost for words really, I thought we played well for the majority of the game and had the better chances,” O’Brien told Sky Sports.

"Then let ourselves down with a poor goal at the end. It's not a result that reflects the game, I don't think."

Virgil van Dijk scores against Everton at Hill Dickinson Stadium (Image: ( Gareth Copley/Getty Images))

O’Brien added: “Coming into a game like this is huge. Moments in a game can go for or against you but we stayed in it. Moments can be capitalized on and they scored a goal at the end that was really poor.

"I think we played well and the atmosphere was really good. It was a small moment that let us down, I think we were the better team on the day."

Liverpool now needs a maximum of nine points from its remaining five league games in order to secure Champions League qualification, with Chelsea’s defeat to Manchester United on Saturday further strengthening the Reds’ position.

Everton’s hopes of catching its neighbor look to be over, having missed the chance to cut the gap to Liverpool to two points and move up to sixth in the table.

Giving his reaction to his side’s defeat, Everton boss David Moyes told Sky Sports: "There's no shame in how we performed today, we're playing against one of the teams in the league who expect to be challenging for Champions League and trophies.

“I think we gave them a good run for their money. I want this team to always be competitive. They didn't have it their own way."