Everton 0 Liverpool 0: Blues hold on for point

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - MARCH 03: Richarlison of Everton battles with Andy Robertson of Liverpool during the Premier League match between Everton FC and Liverpool FC at Goodison Park on March 03, 2019 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - MARCH 03: Richarlison of Everton battles with Andy Robertson of Liverpool during the Premier League match between Everton FC and Liverpool FC at Goodison Park on March 03, 2019 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Well another season and another set of derby games go by without an Everton win. It’s now nine years and counting since the Toffees got three points against their neighbours.

It was certainly not a great game, (when was the last derby that was!), and Everton were able to secure a draw.

In one important sense Blues fans will obviously be the happy having taken a point off Liverpool and dented their Premier League title hopes.

Liverpool could and perhaps should have won the game and missed several decent chances. On another day they might have taken them. But then the Blues too could have snatched it with a bit more composure.

Everton didn’t really threaten much although they got a bit better as an attacking force as the game went on and actually managed the same number of shots on target as the visitors in the end.

The Toffees did also defend well overall and Jordan Pickford produced several fine stops to help him put the nightmare of Anfield in December behind him.

So it was a solid and feisty effort from the Toffees who were able to deny Liverpool the win they badly needed and so overtake Manchester City at the top of the table.

Other than the obvious satisfaction of damaging the Reds title hopes, the best that Evertonians can take from the match was the combative and determined attitude and approach of the players.

They needed to be focussed and on their game and to avoid too many unforced errors. To their credit they managed to do that.

Marco Silva made several changes to the team from the Cardiff City win. He decided to give Bernard a start in place of his fellow Brazilian Richarlison and brought Kurt Zouma in to partner Michael Keane.

Zouma’s replacement of Phi Jagielka was a sensible move and he had a solid enough game at centre-back.

I was though a little surprised that Bernard started. I think he’s at his most effective when he comes on later in games and I would probably have stuck with Richarlison, despite his frustrating inconsistency.

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When he did come on he made a bit of a difference along with another fellow substitute, Cenk Tosun. But these uncertainties only underline the chronic lack of quality upfront and Everton’s impotent attack.

As well as doing something to sort out this lack of bite in front of goal, the Toffees need to ensure more consistent creativity in support of those forwards. Again too often today the Blues passing was wayward and erratic.

So then overall in the end a decent point and probably a better day for Blues than Reds on Merseyside. On to Newcastle away next weekend.