Martin Keown reacts to display of Richarlison in Everton win

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Martin Keown has told Match of the Day that Richarlison is a top talent, and suggested that Liverpool’s defenders could not deal with him as Everton secured victory in the Merseyside derby.

The Toffees ended their long wait for a win at Anfield. Goals from Richarlison and Gylfi Sigurdsson secured the victory from Carlo Ancelotti’s side.

The opening strike came inside three minutes. And that seemed to give Everton the boost that they needed.

They were superb throughout the contest. And on the few occasions when the Reds did threaten to find an equaliser, Jordan Pickford was on hand to produce an outstanding performance.

A number of players staked a claim to be considered man of the match. But Keown suggested that Richarlison played a vital role in inspiring Everton to victory.

“He really is a top talent,” he told Match of the Day. “Ancelotti has said that he’s capable of winning the Ballon d’Or. That’s high praise, but here, you watch him [for the opening goal]. He’s on the move the whole time. Rodriguez, by the way, what a wonderful ball this is into the channel. Terrible marking and he finishes it with aplomb.

“And every time they played the ball long, again it’s the central defenders, they just couldn’t deal with him.”

The Brazilian – who earns £90,000-a-week, according to Spotrac – has come in for criticism at times this season. He had scored just one Premier League goal from the end of September until this week’s clash with Manchester City.

However, he has now scored four in his last four in all competitions. And his goal on Saturday set the tone for what was a superb performance from the Toffees.

And with Ancelotti able to welcome Dominic Calvert-Lewin back, it is unlikely that many teams will fancy their chances of keeping Everton quiet in the coming weeks.