The Premier League title race took yet another turn as Everton held Liverpool to a goalless draw in a low-quality Merseyside derby at Goodison Park.
Mohamed Salah missed the game’s best chance as the Reds – just as they did at Old Trafford a week ago - lacked fluidity away from home to leave Manchester City a point clear at the top with nine matches to go.
With Roberto Firmino only fit enough for a place on the bench, Jurgen Klopp made just one change to the side that had thumped Watford in midweek, with Jordan Henderson preferred to James Milner in midfield.
Marco Silva sprang something of a surprise by dropping out-of-form Brazilian Richarlison, with countryman Bernard included after an impressive cameo in the win over Cardiff.
Goodison was sizzling, the blue majority desperate to see their side inflict a hammer blow to Liverpool’s title chances the day after City had, temporarily at least, returned to the summit. The game itself, however, struggled to catch alight early on.
The home side’s primary tactic of pumping long balls up to Dominic Calvert-Lewin, comfortably outduelled in the air by Virgil van Dijk, was so persistent that you felt it must have been pre-planned, yet so obviously hopeless that you wondered why.
The Reds were not much more inventive going forward, and their best chance came when Henderson turned a midfield interception into a first-time pass to send Salah clean through.
Rather than drive inside though, the Egyptian took two heavy, straight touches, narrowing the angle so much that Jordan Pickford barely bothered leaving his line, and the England No1 stood up well to push away a telegraphed finish.
Lucas Digne, whose over-eagerness had left Salah the space for that chance, and who spent much of the first half chasing shadows, then made a crucial intervention to deny Trent Alexander-Arnold a chance on the volley from Andy Robertson’s cross.
By the half-time whistle Pickford’s stop from Salah was still the only save of note made by either ‘keeper.
Another opening came and went for Salah just before the hour mark, this time a hefty touch allowing Michael Keane to make a terrific sliding challenge after Joel Matip’s pass had deflected into his path.
Silva sent on Richarlison for the woefully ineffective Theo Walcott, while Klopp rolled the dice, throwing on Firmino and Milner for Georginio Wijnaldum and Divock Origi. Both sides improved for the changes.
Van Dijk’s header across goal looked certain to tee up the opening goal for Fabinho, but again a slightly poor touch allowed Digne to keep up his habit of rarely being in the right place to start with, but just about getting there in time.
‘Small margins’ was then the buzzphrase at the other end as Richarlison swept across goal and the diminutive Bernard came within inches of guiding home.
But where Origi’s bizarre goal had settled the reverse fixture at Anfield in December, there was to be no late decider here.
Starting line-ups, match highlights and reaction
Everton: Pickford, Coleman, Keane, Zouma, Digne, Schneiderlin (76), Gueye, Walcott (59), Sigurdsson, Bernard, Calvert-Lewin (74)
Subs: Stekelenburg, Jagielka, Kenny, Davies, Gomes (76), Richarlison (59), Tosun (74)
Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson, Henderson, Fabinho, Wijnaldum (63), Salah, Mane (84), Origi (63)
Subs: Mignolet, Milner (63), Keita, Lallana (84), Shaqiri, Firmino (63), Sturridge
Referee: Martin Atkinson (W Yorkshire)
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