Everton 0 Liverpool 0: Merseyside derby ends in stalemate as goalkeepers star at Goodison Park

Tom Doyle7 April 2018

Everton and Liverpool played out a dour Merseyside derby draw at Goodison Park as both sides laboured to a Premier League point apiece.

Jordan Pickford and Loris Karius were two of the only players to emerge with any credit from the game as both goalkeepers made good saves to keep the scoreline level in the first half.

Pickford denied Dominic Solanke with a point-blank save before Loris Karius tipped a Yannick Bolasie effort wide, while Pickford followed that up with a fine stop from James Milner.

The second half was one of fewer chances though, with neither side carving out any real opportunities as the game wore on as Wayne Rooney shouted in frustration after being substituted off early by Sam Allardyce.

In Pictures | Everton vs Liverpool | 07/04/2018

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Everton had two glorious late chances to win the game, but Cesk Tosun headed wide from close range three minutes from time before Dominic Calvert-Lewin was guilty of an even worse miss as he fired over a sitter less than 60 seconds later.

Action Images via Reuters

While the draw sees Liverpool pass up the chance to leapfrog Manchester United into second place in the table, Jurgen Klopp may privately be happy with a point after leaving out the injured Mohamed Salah and resting Roberto Firmino (until the final 16 minutes) with a crucial Champions League quarter-final second leg against Manchester City on Tuesday.

Injuries had stretched Klopp's resources and with Salah's groin problem not risked, Ings - after two serious knee injuries - made his first start in 916 days since scoring in this fixture in Brendan Rodgers' last game in charge in 2016.

Action Images via Reuters

There were also three academy youngsters - all only issued with Premier League squad numbers on Friday - among four teenagers on the bench with Conor Masterson and Curtis Jones joined at the last minute by Rafael Camacho after Alberto Moreno sustained a thigh problem in the warm-up.

Everton's Tosun had the first attempt but his left-footed snap-shot flew over the crossbar.

Solanke, on his first start since New Year's Day, should have scored his first Liverpool goal when Seamus Coleman diverted a cross from Nathaniel Clyne, making his first appearance of the season, into his path but he shot straight at Pickford.

Liverpool's goalkeeper Karius produced an even better save to tip Bolasie's curling shot around the post before Pickford did the same to deny Milner.

PA

Bolasie also benefited from some generous refereeing by Michael Oliver, who gave the winger the benefit of the doubt when he left a foot in on a sliding Ings near the touchline.

Action Images via Reuters

Everton did not capitalise on Liverpool playing Ragnar Klavan out of position at left-back as Theo Walcott and Coleman failed to have a proper run at him the entire game.

Wayne Rooney was replaced by the more defensively-minded Idrissa Gana Gueye 10 minutes into the second half but it was not until the last 15 minutes that Everton came alive.

First Leighton Baines' cross flew through the six-yard box but evaded Tosun and then when the Turkey international tried to pick out Walcott in space at the far post, the England winger slipped over.

More late agony was to follow with Coleman failing to connect with Tosun's header back across goal after Walcott finally beat Klavan one-on-one and Calvert-Lewin steering wide with only Karius to beat.

Action Images via Reuters

The sight of regular full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold playing right wing for the final five minutes indicated how far Klopp's resources were stretched and he will hope for some good news on the injury front in the next couple of days with their Champions League future still to be resolved.

Additional reporting by the Press Association.

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