The last Merseyside derby between Everton and Liverpool at Goodison Park ended in chaos as players clashed and referee Michael Oliver handed out four red cards after the final whistle.
Liverpool were on the brink of victory against Everton before James Tarkowski ripped a volley into the roof of the net deep into stoppage time, salvaging a point for the Toffees and sending Goodison into rapture.
After a VAR check lasting more than two minutes, Oliver confirmed that the equaliser would stand. Tempers boiled over at the final whistle and the referee was given no option but to take action.
Who will miss Liverpools next Premier League game?
Everton midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure was in the thick of it. His celebrations in front of the travelling Liverpool supporters were not appreciated by Reds substitute Curtis Jones, who angrily confronted Doucoure.
When the pair were finally separated and the ensuing melee calmed, Oliver issued both Doucoure and Jones with a second yellow card and subsequent red. They will both miss this weekends Premier League fixtures, which see leaders Liverpool take on Wolverhampton Wanderers and Everton visit Crystal Palace.
Doucoure and Jones were perhaps fortunate not to receive straight red cards, but two of Liverpools management team werent let off the hook in the same way.
The Reds were unhappy with the outcome of the late VAR check, which cleared a possible offside in the build-up to Everton captain Tarkowskis goal and did not suggest Oliver have another look at Betos challenge on Ibrahima Konate.
Betos push was probably a foul but not so clear and obvious a miss by the officials that it warranted serious review. Liverpool were unsurprisingly furious and the Premier League later confirmed that assistant manager Sipke Hulshoff was shown the red card for his part in the angry protests.
Hulshoff was therefore unable to handle post-match press duties in place of manager Arne Slot, who was himself sent off after a very firm handshake with referee Oliver was apparently accompanied by a comment that crossed the line.
Slot and Hulshoff will now serve a touchline ban for the visit of Wolves on Sunday, with assistant coach and former Everton defender John Heitinga expected to lead the Liverpool team in their absence.
The next time Everton host the Merseyside derby it will be at their new stadium. They will leave Goodison Park, ranked at number 19 in FourFourTwos list of the best football stadiums in Britain, at the end of the season.
Tarkowskis strike means Liverpool must settle for a seven-point lead over Arsenal at the top of the table before Premier League action returns this weekend.
