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Jack Grealish expressed his admiration for his teammates' tenacity after Everton gave Liverpool a game in the second half of the 247th Merseyside derby at Anfield.
The 30-year-old put in a strong performance in his side's 2-1 defeat, giving Reds right back Conor Bradley a tough time throughout a second half that saw the Blues claw back one goal and strive for another. Despite their efforts, the equalizer remained elusive.
Although Everton struggled to create clear opportunities following Idrissa Gueye's goal, they managed to pressure Liverpool into running down the clock as a tense Anfield eagerly awaited the final whistle.
At the heart of it all was Grealish. The Manchester City loanee, who has been instrumental in the positive start to the season and bagged the Premier League's player of the month award for August, created opportunities in both halves.
With Everton trailing by just one goal, he beat Ryan Gravenberch on the left touchline before darting into the box and setting up Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall for a shot on goal, albeit from a tight angle.
Grealish found more success later in the match, keeping Bradley and others on their toes. It was his lofted ball to the far post that allowed Iliman Ndiaye to set up Gueye for Everton's goal.
While he couldn't conjure up an equaliser, Grealish was Everton's main threat in the match. All of the Blues' attacks were directed through him.
Following the match, Grealish expressed frustration with the officiating but remained solid with his teammates, encouraging them to concentrate on bouncing back with a victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the upcoming Carabao Cup tie.
"Thought we definitely could of (sic) got more from the game today," he wrote on Instagram. "Proud of the boys and a pleasure to play for this club. Rest and recover and focus on Tuesday."
Earlier, speaking to TNT Sports, Grealish had blasted the referee, Darren England, for what Everton perceived as some one-sided officiating.
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"It was a bit frustrating in the second half because they were trying to slow the game down at times," he said. "I've never seen a player in my whole life get booked for taking a quick free-kick.
"I don't know where that rule's come in. Even the stoppage time, what was it, three minutes and one minute? Come on, I've never seen that in the Premier League in the last two or three years."
Liverpool.com says: Grealish played well in the game but Everton didn't really have a chance to equalize after Gana's goal. There was jeopardy for the Reds, but they were the deserved winners.
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