Everton and Liverpool battled to a draw in the Merseyside derby as both teams rattled the woodwork and Alisson and Jordan Pickford were the stars of the show.
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Conor Coady had a second half goal ruled out by VAR for offside, while Tom Davies hit the woodwork for a spirited Everton and both Luis Diaz, Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez were denied by Pickford and the post and crossbar.
Frank Lampard will be impressed by the newfound defensive solidity of his team but Everton are still searching for the first win of the Premier League season as they’ve drawn four of their first six games.
Liverpool have now drawn three and lost one of their opening six games in the Premier League and have nine points.
What we learned from Everton vs Liverpool
Everton building a solid platform, but sluggish in attack: With four draws from their first six games, this Everton side are tough to beat and never give up. With Tarkowski and Coady at center back they look very solid, while Onana and Davies (then Gueye) in midfield were dogged and resilient. The next step for Frank Lampard’s side is to create more clear-cut chances going forward and when Dominic Calvert-Lewin returns from injury, that will help massively. Everton need to stay tight, compact and be tough to beat and they have enough quality through Anthony Gordon, Calvert-Lewin (when he returns) and others to make the most of clear-cut chances.
Liverpool’s injury-hit squad stretched to its limits: After their dramatic win against Newcastle in midweek, this Liverpool side looked tired. Jurgen Klopp started with youngsters Fabio Carvalho and Harvey Elliott in midfield and Liverpool just never really had control of the game. That said, Salah, Diaz and Nunez all hit the woodwork and on another day they could have snatched the win. All in all, a draw was a fair result and Jurgen Klopp will praise the effort and commitment of his banged up squad who have a Champions League trip to Napoli to kick off a marathon of midweek and weekend action pretty much from here until the World Cup in November. Liverpool simply cannot have any more injuries, that is why Robertson start and Alexander-Arnold was taken off. But the biggest impact of injuries has been in midfield as Liverpool couldn’t control the game.
Tactical focus
Liverpool dominated possession early on but Everton grew into this game and should have taken the lead as their energy, led by the incredible Anthony Gordon, overwhelmed Liverpool. However, Liverpool then started to play more direct and that allowed Diaz and Nunez to stretch the game and cause Everton problems. Overall, a game which had very little control from either side as they went for it and only stunning displays from Pickford and Alisson kept it at 0-0.
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Jurgen Klopp hails goalkeepers; update on Fabio Carvalho injury
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp was happy enough with the display from his injury-hit side and praised both goalkeepers for their displays: “Real derby, super intense and a lot of spectacular moments,” Klopp told BT Sport. “Ali with a sensational save... but we had three times the post and a few unbelievable saves from Pickford. Wow. What can you do? In this game you have to dig in. This game, it is not possible to be an easy, free-flowing game. You have to dig in really deep.”
Klopp added that Fabio Carvalho had a dead leg: “We think it is a massive dead leg. They are really painful... Should settle quickly so we will see.” Klopp added that Thiago Alcantara could be back in training on Monday but the game at Napoli on Wednesday could come too soon for him, as Liverpool injury issues in midfield continue.
Frank Lampard hits out at Virgil van Dijk tackle on Amadou Onana
Safe to say Frank Lampard was far from happy after Virgil van Dijk caught Amadou Onana with a very high foot in a tackle in the second half.
“I love Virgil van Dijk as a player he’s fantastic,” Lampard said. “Sometimes you mistime tackles and they look bad or they are bad. If you look at the moment he connects with Amadou, up on his shin and Amadou’s foot is on the ground. I am surprised it hasn’t gone to VAR and the referee hasn’t gone to look at it... It doesn’t matter now but for me it was a red card and that changes the face of the last 20 minutes.”
Stars of the show
Jordan Pickford: Fantastic display as he made two stunning stops to deny Nunez and Salah and eight saves overall. The Everton skipper is standing tall early in the season.
Alisson: Also made some sensational stops in the second half as Liverpool were put under pressure.
What’s next?
Everton head to Arsenal on Sunday, Sept. 11. Liverpool host Wolves on Sept. 10 in the Premier League but before that they travel to Napoli on Wednesday, Sept. 7 for their UEFA Champions League group stage opener.
How to watch Everton vs Liverpool live, stream link and start time
Kick off: 7:30am ET, SaturdayTV Channel: USA NetworkOnline: Stream via NBCSports.com
Key storylines
Everton are battling hard but Lampard’s side continue to look short in attack and that has been their main problem early in the season. The Toffees have drawn three and lost two of their games so far but they’ve conceded just six goals and at least look much better defensively. Staying solid at the back is going to be very important for them this season.
Liverpool have a slew of injuries to midfielders and defenders and Klopp has bemoaned his luck. His side have put in some strange displays as they’ve drawn against Crystal Palace and Fulham, as well as losing at Manchester United. However, they appear to be finding their feet a little and they always seem to turn up when the Merseyside Derby rolls around.
In-form players to keep an eye on
Anthony Gordon is the main man for Everton as he’s put them ahead in each of their last two games, 1-1 draws at Brentford and Leeds. After Chelsea chased the 21-year-old for most of this summer, he is staying at Goodison and will be integral to Lampard’s attack, especially when Dominic Calvert-Lewin returns from injury. Amadou Onana has also looked very good and will be an important player in midfield.
Liverpool’s main men in attack have been Luis Diaz and Roberto Firmino, while youngsters Fabio Carvalho and Harvey Elliott have chipped in with goals as they’ve been forced to play regularly due to injuries. Mohamed Salah has yet to get going this season.
Everton team news, injuries, lineup
The Toffees are without Andros Townsend, Yerry Mina and Ben Godfrey, while Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Mason Holgate are also out. Lampard will likely go with the same team which drew at Leeds in midweek. New signing Neal Maupay starts up top, with Idrissa Gueye on the bench.
Your starting XI to take on Liverpool! 👇 pic.twitter.com/0zh91Dm9MS
— Everton (@Everton) September 3, 2022
Liverpool team news, injuries, lineup
Klopp suffered another injury blow as captain Jordan Henderson was injured in midweek, while Diogo Jota and Thiago Alcantara are both stepping up their return from thigh injuries. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ibrahima Konate, Calvin Ramsay, Naby Keita and Caoimhin Kelleher are still out. Youngsters Elliott and Carvalho start in midfield and Darwin Nunez starts up top as he returns from suspension, while Robertson is rested.
Our line-up for today’s Merseyside derby ✊🔴#EVELIV
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) September 3, 2022