Everton’s winless start to the Premier League campaign may now stretch to six games, the worst since 12 years ago, but Frank Lampard will not turn his nose up at securing a draw against Liverpool.
Few should be surprised that another Merseyside derby ended with honours even; it is now five draws in the last six meetings between the two city rivals — four of them goalless — and Jurgen Klopp has experienced nine in total. Everton had also drawn three going into this game — it was nailed on.
A point will be welcomed by Everton even though they thought the deadlock had been broken in the second half when Conor Coady, who had strayed offside, tapped in from close range. That wasn’t the only chance either as the woodwork was struck by both teams and the goalkeepers were made to work for their supper.
Jordan Pickford particularly shone. The Everton ‘keeper pulled off saves to deny Darwin Nunez, Roberto Firmino and Mo Salah late on. His reaction spoke of how important this point was against a team who they haven’t beaten on home soil since the 2010/11 season.
Liverpool will rue missed opportunities but can take solace from a second clean sheet in three games.
Story of the game
Lampard will have been grateful to finally write the name of a striker on his teamsheet. Neal Maupay, signed from Brighton & Hove Albion, was not registered in time to feature in the midweek draw with Leeds United but was straight into the line-up to make his club debut here. Fellow new recruit, Amadou Onana, was given his home debut.
As for Liverpool, Nunez received an instant recall following his three-game suspension and Klopp made a statement by selecting an attacking midfield of 19-year-old Harvey Elliott and 20-year-old Fabio Carvalho, who scored the late winner in the dramatic win over Newcastle United in midweek. But Liverpool’s attack took a while to get going.
Everton started the faster with Maupay leading the line and scuffing a shot wide of Alisson’s goal within the early exchanges. The home team pressed Liverpool — no doubt seeking to test a defence that has conceded the first goal in eight of their last nine league matches.
Quelling the atmosphere was also an early task for Klopp’s players, and when Nunez rose at the back post to get his head to Trent Alexander-Arnold’s delivery, the home crowd may have feared the worst. But the Uruguayan striker didn’t attack the incoming ball enough to trouble Pickford.
There was certainly more aggression in Everton’s play and the sight of Anthony Gordon running down the left wing brought its usual expectation. The 21-year-old’s snapshot midway through the half was easily claimed by Alisson but the Liverpool ‘keeper was left stranded when Joe Gomez failed to clear his lines shortly afterwards. Maupay slid in with the ball falling for Tom Davies, his clipped effort with the outside of the right book struck the far post.
That wasn’t the only time the woodwork was hit during a first half which had its moments but was by and large even. It was when Diaz cut in from the left that Liverpool came closest. His driven shot cannoned off the upright with the ball then picked up by Nunez who took aim. Pickford rose acrobatically to push the effort onto the crossbar.
Firmino, unlucky to be left out at the start after scoring three goals whilst deputising in Nunez’s absence, replaced Carvalho at the break after the attacking midfield sustained a knock when challenged by Onana. It was also a more intense Liverpool who reemerged. Their pressure increased and culminated in Pickford having to save three efforts in less than a minute.
The Everton goalkeeper pushed away Firmino’s low shot and then denied the Brazilian again from the subsequent corner. The third of the trio of stops came after Liverpool had kept the ball alive and Fabinho’s low effort was parried by the busy Pickford.
If Everton had been hanging on for the first 20 minutes of the second half, they experienced a surge when Maupay ended up one-on-one with Alisson. The forward thrashed a shot straight at the ‘keeper rather than rolling it in either side, and the scoreline remained goalless.
Such misses appeared irrelevant when in the 69th minute Everton sustained possession and Demarai Gray clipped a cross to the back post. Maupay brought it down and shot across goal with Coady, facing the team he joined as a schoolboy, tapping in at the far post. The jubilant scenes around Goodison were cut short and the travelling contingent taunted their hosts when it became clear that Coady had strayed offside.
By that stage Klopp had already rotated his full-backs, no doubt with a view to the busy schedule, and with ten minutes remaining the Liverpool manager sent Diogo Jota into the fray. Idrissa Gueye came on to make his return for Everton, who he left for Paris Saint-Germain in 2019, and Gordon was replaced by Dwight McNeil.
The Everton substitute quickly forced Alisson to tip a shot over and at the other end Nunez was denied by Pickford before the goalkeeper also saved from Salah. A goal proving elusive to the death.
Player of the Match: Jordan Pickford
The Everton keeper was in sensational form throughout the match and demonstrated the development he has made since hap-hazard displays in derby matches of the past.