‘You have to’: James McFadden was full of praise for what Everton did against Liverpool

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James McFadden has heaped praise on Everton’s ‘solid’ defence.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, the former striker admitted that he had been really impressed with the Toffees’ backline as they entered the final quarter of the Merseyside derby without conceding.

Everton started the new campaign poorly as they conceded six goals in their opening three games, however they have looked much more assured in recent weeks.

Jarrad Branthwaite replaced Michael Keane in the line-up and has been brilliant ever since, with the team conceding only three goals in four games prior to their trip to Anfield.

Liverpool looked destined for a comfortable win when Ashley Young was sent off on the half hour mark, however Everton went on to put on a brilliant defensive display.

They were eventually punished for Keane’s hand ball inside the box, before the Reds doubled their lead with a harsh counter attack.

However, the Toffees were far from disappointing against a team full of talented players.

Prior to Mo Salah’s opener, McFadden said: “You have to praise Everton for this performance.

“Once the red card came you felt as though it would only be a matter of time until Liverpool got a goal, but Everton have been really solid and compact at the back.”

James McFadden says Everton’s defence is ‘solid’

Everton really didn’t manage to carve out many chances against Liverpool, but that wasn’t much of a surprise following Young’s dismissal.

However, there is no denying that they did very well for most of the game considering the circumstances.

The likes of Vitaliy Mykolenko and Branthwaite were impressive in the backline and managed to keep Liverpool’s big names quiet for the most part.

It was certainly a promising performance going forward, with Everton likely to get a result out of teams with less quality than Jurgen Klopp’s side.