Derby defeat piles pressure on Martinez
Jurgen Klopp delivered in his first Merseyside derby as Liverpool tore apart 10-man Everton to win 4-0 at Anfield.
Jurgen Klopp delivered in his first Merseyside derby as Liverpool tore apart 10-man Everton to win 4-0 at Anfield.
Goals from Divock Origi (43) and Mamadou Sakho (45) were an accurate reflection of the Reds' dominance even before Ramiro Funes Mori was shown a straight red card (50) for a studs-first challenge on Origi's ankle.
The tackle ended the Belgian's evening, a sole reason for regret as Daniel Sturridge (61) and Philippe Coutinho (76) made it 12 goals in three home games on an evening which offered further thrilling evidence of Klopp's growing influence.
So impressive were Liverpool in recording a fourth straight win on Klopp's derby debut, it was easy to forget the drab display at Goodison Park in October that provided an unremarkable footnote to the Brendan Rodgers era.
The Reds racked up 41 attempts to their rivals' three, and while Roberto Martinez is unlikely to suffer the same fate as Rodgers in the coming days, defeat in Saturday's FA Cup semi-final would provide real ammunition for the vocal section of Everton supporters continuing to call for a change of manager.
Aside from the odd ineffective counter-attack early in the game there was little encouragement to be scraped together from a dismal derby performance by a side featuring all Everton's big names.
Joel Robles kept them in it early on, winning one-on-ones with Adam Lallana and Roberto Firmino, but the goalkeeper was beaten twice in as many minutes just as it looked as though Everton's defending would see them to half-time.
Robles was caught in two minds as James Milner swung in a cross, Origi outjumping John Stones to head a simple first, and Milner played a one-two with Lallana to lay on the second for an unmarked Sakho.
Gareth Barry - on his record-equalling 571st Premier League start - was taken off at the break, but his midfield replacement Muhamed Besic soon found himself playing as a makeshift centre-half after Funes Mori's ugly lunge at Origi brought the fixture's 21st red card of the Premier League era.
Ross Barkley was sacrificed in a reshuffle that had no discernible effect as Sturridge, on for Origi, slotted his 50th Liverpool goal after Lucas had intercepted Stones' casual ball out from the back.
That proved Stones' last contribution as he was replaced - suffering stomach cramps - and Liverpool threatened to heap real humiliation on a back line now featuring Besic and James McCarthy.
As it was they had to settle for just one more, Coutinho's trademark curler taking the slightest nick off Sturridge, who claimed the goal at the time and again immediately after the final whistle.
The England striker rained shots down on Robles towards the end, while full-backs Alberto Moreno and Nathaniel Clyne also came close, and even Lucas chanced his arm from distance. It was that kind of night.