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Everton 0 Liverpool 0: Blues take a point from derby clash

By Matt Townsend

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 03: Tom Davies of Everton hits the post during the Premier League match between Everton FC and Liverpool FC at Goodison Park on September 3, 2022 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 03: Tom Davies of Everton hits the post during the Premier League match between Everton FC and Liverpool FC at Goodison Park on September 3, 2022 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images) /
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The latest Merseyside derby is over and Everton took another point from a frenetic and highly competitive clash with Liverpool at Goodison Park.

In truth, both teams had very good chances to win this match and Everton had the ball in the net through Conor Coady, only for it to be ruled offside by the predictable intervention of VAR.

While this decision was possibly just about valid, ever since VAR was introduced I think it has made the game less enjoyable, more fractous and has divided supporters and pundits even more. It has certainly not endeared itself to Evertonians that’s for sure!

This ruled out goal of course comes just a few days after Everton were even more controversially denied a goal in the same way through the technology in the game at Leeds. Now, it’s happened again in the space of four days costing the Toffees’ four precious points.

Going into today’s encounter, Frank Lampard stuck with the 4-3-3 formation he lined up with at Elland Road on Tuesday night with one change Neal Maupay coming in for Dwight McNeil.

And, although they were up against arguably one of the best attacks in England or even Europe, Conor Coady and James Tarkowski were solid and strong at the back.

As generally were Nathan Patterson and Vitalii Mykolenko, although they were exposed on occasions as inevitably given their quality, Liverpool got behind the defence sometimes.

In midfield Tom Davies, Amadou Onana and Alex Iwobi were excellent too as a group, working hard and competing strongly with Liverpool in the engine room. Idrissa Gueye also came on for a really good cameo showing his class.

Up front Maupay did finally make his long-awaited debut in royal blue. He had a few good chances and on one occasion should realy have scored, but his lack of match fitness was evident.

However, the star of the show was surely Jordan Pickford. The England keeper had another spectacular match between the sticks pulling off some sensational saves to keep Everton in the game, similar to the Chelsea game at Goodison late last season.

The visitors certainly dominated for long spells and had a slew of good chances to score hitting the woodwork three times but whenever he was called on, Pickford was brillant.

And, Liverpool’s keeper also had a superb match and he was called on to make several terrific saves, including one amazing reflex stop, to keep the Toffees’ out. That showed the home team’s genuine threat.

Everton had more than their fair share of chances to score and hit the woodwork themselves too. This felt like a real proper derby one that reminded me of some of the matches I remember from when I was younger back in the eighties.

A performance like this restores some pride after some terrible recent capitulations against the old enemy.

While both teams had opportunities to win, a draw was probably a pretty fair result. And, although there was much again to feel positive about in the performance, Everton are still looking for their first three points and now face a trip to high-flying Arsenal on Sunday, where they never win.