Liverpool fans have had the last laugh in the Merseyside flare wars by lighting up the sky red during Everton's historic farewell to Goodison Park.
Everton's 2-0 win over Southampton on Sunday marked the final men's match at the 133-year-old stadium before the club move to their new £760million home at Bramley-Moore Dock next season.
But what was supposed to be a day of pure blue turned briefly red — quite literally — as flares emitting scarlet smoke were seen billowing in the streets outside the ground ahead of kick-off.
A video that has gone viral on social media shows red smoke clouds drifting past rows of terraced houses near Goodison, prompting laughter and a few choice words from locals.
In the clip, one man asks: 'What do you think of that, son?', to which another responds, 'Red-nose t***s!'
The red smoke is being seen as a cheeky act of payback, coming weeks after an Everton supporter duped Reds fans by selling blue flares disguised as red ones ahead of Liverpool's title celebrations at Anfield.
WARNING: Video below includes foul language
That plan partially worked, with blue smoke spotted both outside the stadium and in the stands as Liverpool cruised to a 5-1 win over Tottenham to seal the title.
The Everton fan behind that initial prank claimed he had bought 10,000 blue flares and spent weeks relabelling them in an effort to sabotage the celebration visuals.
This time, however, it was the red half of Merseyside delivering the punchline — gatecrashing Everton's big goodbye with a haze of their own colour.
While it's not confirmed who exactly set off the rogue red flares at Goodison, the timing and symbolism haven't gone unnoticed.
Goodison Park, Everton's home since 1892, will now become the venue for the club's women's team, with several upper tiers set to be closed to reduce capacity.
On the pitch, David Moyes' side signed off in style with two goals from Iliman Ndiaye securing a welcome victory to enhance an emotional send-off in front of a packed crowd.
Goodison Park, Everton's home since 1892, will now become the venue for the club's women's team, rather than being demolished as originally planned.
The stadium's capacity will be reduced by closing several upper tiers, and the remaining stands will be rebranded to create a more intimate matchday atmosphere.
Supporters were also given the chance to buy their seat from the final men's season as a souvenir, with the club pledging to replace them in areas still in use.
The decision marks a major shift from previous regeneration proposals under former owner Farhad Moshiri, which had included plans for housing, a care home and retail units. Those were scrapped following a feasibility study by Everton's new owners, the Friedkin Group.
Meanwhile, the men's team will relocate to their new 53,000-capacity home on the banks of the River Mersey in time for the 2025-26 season.
It was confirmed earlier this week that the new ground will be known as the Hill Dickinson Stadium, after the Liverpool-based legal firm secured one of the most lucrative naming rights deals in European football.