Alisson Becker and Joe Gomez were the only positives for Liverpool as Everton held them to a goalless draw in the Merseyside derby on Saturday.
Liverpool dominated the proceedings for the most part in the first half, but Everton fashioned the better openings while keeping the visitors at bay with some dogged defending. However, both sides might have felt they deserved to go into half-time after troubling the scorers.
Everton first came the closest to breaking the deadlock when Tom Davies smashed the upright with an instinctive shot at the end of a “smash and grab” sequence of play. But Liverpool also hit the woodwork a few minutes ahead of half-time when Darwin Nunez’s brilliant volley had Jordan Pickford tipping the ball onto the crossbar and Luis Diaz finding the post off the rebound.
Liverpool picked up the tempo after the break and came close to finding the back of the net within the first couple of minutes. But Everton continued to look for opportunities on the counter and troubled the Reds on a few occasions. Everton and Liverpool also had their goalkeepers to thank for retaining keeping the score at 0-0 heading into the final quarter, with Jordan Pickford and Alisson Becker making top-class saves.
But Everton seemed to have broken the deadlock in the 69th minute when Conor Coady was in the right place at the right time to finish Neal Maupay’s pass. But VAR ruled the goal out as the English international was offside. Pickford and Alisson were at hand to preserve their clean sheets as the Merseyside derby ended in a goalless draw. The Hard Tackle now runs the rule over Jurgen Klopp’s men.
Alisson Becker: 7/10
This Pickford vs Alisson showdown pic.twitter.com/MWiPuVgcqC
— ?? (@Gideoomatic) September 3, 2022
With Liverpool dominating the proceedings, Alisson did not have much to do in the game. But the Brazilian goalkeeper remained sharp whenever Everton conjured up an opening, making two top-notch saves to deny Neal Maupay and Dwight McNeil in the second half.
Trent Alexander-Arnold: 5/10
Alexander-Arnold spent most of the game in the opposition half, but his deliveries left much to be desired. The English international was wasteful on the ball and lost possession 19 times despite only playing 58 minutes. But his defensive awareness was much improved, even though Anthony Gordon gave him a few scares.
Joe Gomez: 7/10
Maupay played off his shoulder and tried to trouble him constantly. But the English international stood up to the challenge valiantly. He also played a delectable long pass to set up a chance for Darwin Nunez in the first half. Gomez continued to look solid as the game progressed, making numerous tackles and interceptions to keep Everton at bay. He has made it hard for Klopp to drop him.
Virgil van Dijk: 5/10
Virgil van Dijk did well to keep Maupay quiet when he posed a threat to the Liverpool backline, including a block in the first half. But the Dutchman had some sloppy moments and was lucky to get away with a yellow card when he caught Amadou Onana on the shin in the second half.
Kostas Tsimikas: 6/10
Tsimikas was a surprise starter for Liverpool, but the Greek full-back showed some nice touches. But his output was nowhere near his best levels, even though he produced two key passes. Tsimikas did come close to scoring early in the second half, but Andrew Robertson unsurprisingly replaced him around the hour mark.
Harvey Elliott: 6/10
Elliott continues to enjoy time as a starter for Liverpool, but he was not nearly as influential as in some of the recent games. The teenage prodigy looked the likeliest candidate to make things happen in the first half for Liverpool, but he faded as the minutes wore on, with some of his touches being sloppy.
Fabinho: 6/10
Fabinho barely lost the ball in the face of the Everton press and pushed Liverpool forward when he had possession. But the Brazilian international struggled to cover the backline as well as he can, with the hosts overrunning him on a few occasions. And he won only one of his seven duels.
Fabio Carvalho: 6/10
Carvalho made his first Premier League start for Liverpool after an impressive cameo against Newcastle United earlier this week. And while he looked to push Liverpool forward whenever he got the ball, Everton’s disciplined defending reduced his impact. And Carvalho’s afternoon ended early after he sustained a knock, after coming together with Amadou Onana.
Mohamed Salah: 4/10
Salah has looked off colour in the early days of the 2022/23 season, and his poor form continued on Saturday. The Liverpool talisman completed three key passes and had a few attempts on goal, only for Jordan Pickford to heroically thwart him. However, a passing rate of 65 per cent left a lot to be desired.
Darwin Nunez: 6/10
Nunez surprisingly returned to the starting lineup at Roberto Firmino’s expense and endured a frustrating first half. But the Uruguayan striker came close to scoring when Jordan Pickford tipped his volley onto the crossbar. Nunez had a few bright moments after the break, but he was not nearly as influential as he would have liked.
Darwin Núñez had as many shots as he completed passes in his 80 minutes on the pitch against Everton (6). ? pic.twitter.com/JnNgziLcoW
— Squawka (@Squawka) September 3, 2022
Luis Diaz: 6/10
Diaz remained on the periphery of the action in the first half, with Liverpool mostly directing play from the right flank. But the Colombian international came the closest to scoring when his shot smashed the upright. Diaz tried to make things happen in the second period, but Nathan Patterson denied him smartly.
SUBSTITUTES
Roberto Firmino: 6/10
Firmino replaced the injured Carvalho at half-time, with Klopp shuffling the formation slightly. The Brazilian international looked the likeliest to score for Liverpool upon his introduction, but Pickford stood between him and a goal in a third successive game.
Andrew Robertson: 6/10
Robertson replaced Tsimikas around the hour mark and showed the desire to create something out of nothing. But Everton defended valiantly and kept Liverpool at bay.
James Milner: 5/10
Deciding to replace Alexander-Arnold with Milner was baffling, and the veteran Englishman did not add much to the game. At the same time, Milner had troubles against Gordon until he moved into a midfield role.
Diogo Jota: N/A
Jota replaced Elliott to make his first appearance of the season. But it was not a fairytale return for the Portuguese international, who unsurprisingly lacked a step after a few weeks on the sidelines.
Joel Matip: N/A
Matip was a late introduction in place of Nunez as Liverpool looked to keep Everton at bay in the game’s final moments.
