Everton fans target Jamie Carragher with barrage of abuse as Liverpool icon ushered away on derby day

The 48-year-old former defender was making his way along the touchline to his designated broadcast position when he was met with a wave of vitriol from the home stands, as the Daily Mailreports. Footage captured the moment a section of Everton fans launched a series of verbal attacks, with one heard screaming "F*** off Carra, you soft c***" while another shouted "F*** off you k***head" as the Liverpool icon passed by.

Carragher, who grew up supporting the Toffees before becoming a defensive pillar for the Reds, did not remain silent during the ordeal. He was seen engaging in a brief and heated exchange with members of the crowd, pointing back at those targeted him before security and staff moved to usher him away. The incident follows a similar altercation involving his Sky Sports colleague Gary Neville, who was recently seen shushing a Manchester City supporter in the gantry during the Carabao Cup final.

On the pitch, the drama was equally intense as Liverpool secured a 2-1 Premier League victory in the first-ever derby at Everton's new home. It appeared the spoils would be shared until the 100th minute when captain Virgil van Dijk scored a dramatic header to silence the home faithful. The win solidified the Reds' grip on fifth place, moving them eight points clear of their local rivals. The result provides a massive boost for Arne Slot's side, who are desperate to secure Champions League qualification after what has been a testing campaign.

Following the fiery encounter, Reds midfielder Curtis Jones took the opportunity to twist the knife regarding the perceived gulf between the two clubs. Reacting to pre-match suggestions that Everton would have celebrated closing the gap to Liverpool to two points, Jones issued a scathing assessment of the club's mentality.

“This shows the team that we are and the team they are," Jones told Viaplay. "They're celebrating that they're two points behind us in one of our worst years. If that's what they take as a stepping stone or a step in the right direction then pffttt, I don't know. We don’t think about teams that are catching us. We only ever look forward and we know that we have to play in the Champions League.”

Despite the euphoria of the last-gasp winner, Liverpool are facing a potential crisis in goal after Giorgi Mamardashvili was forced off in a worrying second-half incident. The Georgia international, standing in for the injured Alisson, was caught in a heavy collision during the build-up to Everton's equaliser and eventually left the field on a stretcher.

Slot confirmed after the final whistle that the goalkeeper had been taken to hospital for further assessment. "He has gone off to hospital. It looked to me, and it is also what they told me, an open wound. It will not be a long term injury, let's see if he will be available next week," the Reds boss explained.

Third-choice Freddie Woodman was required to step in for the closing stages, and it is not yet known whether Marmardashvili will be fit to return for Liverpool's next game against Crystal Palace.