Six of the past seven Merseyside derbies have ended in a stalemate. The first half was entertaining, Danny Ings opening the scoring for Liverpool and Romelu Lukaku equalising shortly afterwards, but both sides ran out of steam in the second half and ended up huffing and puffing in a vague search for a winning goal. A point takes Everton up to sixth, while Liverpool stay 10th. Brendan Rodgers avoids anything too damaging - indeed Liverpool are unbeaten in six matches in all competitions - but this was not a performance that will make the doubts over his future go away. Thanks for reading. Bye.
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Full-time: Everton 1-1 Liverpool
The spoils are shared.
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90 min+3: Lennon dribbles inside from the left and shoots with his right foot. It’s a weak effort but it falls to Lukaku. He can’t make something of it. That should be that.
90 min+1: The replay shows that the square root of bugger all happened. An argument over literally nothing. Perhaps they were both just bored. Understandable. Lukaku and Sakho are both booked.
90 min: Suddenly the temperature rises as Sakho and Lukaku clash in the Liverpool area! I’ve no idea what’s happened but Sakho is furious and has to be pulled away from Lukaku by his team-mates! He’s ready to blow!
89 min: Browning crosses from the right. The ball is allowed to reach Lukaku. The ball sits up nicely for him but Skrtel gets in the way of his volley.
88 min: Everton break and Lennon’s cross from the right is scrambled away to Coutinho. He’s fouled by Barry and is allowed to take the free-kick from the wrong position by Martin Atkinson. Funes Mori makes a vital tackle to stop Sturridge going through on goal.
87 min: Call it a draw?
85 min: This is fizzling out.
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82 min: Liverpool look the likelier side to score a second goal. Everton have tired.
81 min: Liverpool take a quick corner on the left. The ball is worked back to Coutinho on the edge of the area but his shot is blocked by Barry.
79 min: Arouna Kone replaces Steven Naimsith. Joe Allen replaces Lucas, who should already be off.
77 min: Moreno curls a cross in from the left. Milner rises but heads wide. A few moments later Lucas intentionally trips McCarthy from behind and somehow escapes a second booking. That’s pathetic refereeing from Martin Atkinson.
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76 min: Adam Lallana replaces Liverpool’s goalscorer, Danny Ings.
72 min: Coutinho, disappointingly quiet so far, dips his shoulder and cuts inside from the left, working space for a shot from the edge of the area. Tim Howard pushes his effort away.
70 min: Skrtel heads the free-kick away. Everton won’t go away, though, and with their next attack a lovely little touch from Lennon sends Lukaku into the area. He turns and rams a shot towards goal, but it’s straight at Mignolet and he beats it away.
69 min: “I got the ball,” Lucas bellows. He’s peeved. Everton get on with the game and Sturridge barges Galloway over on the left. Another chance for Everton to test Liverpool’s defending at a set-piece.
68 min: The home fans cheer as Lucas is shown a booking for fouling Barkley.
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66 min: A midfield scramble ends with the ball breaking for Barkley. He speeds towards goal, Liverpool’s defence backtracking, their midfield nowhere to be seen, but his dipper from 25 yards swerves just wide of the left post.
65 min: James Milner’s corner is headed away. Moments later McCarthy fouls Milner from behind and picks up a booking, Martin Atkinson incurring the wrath of Evertonians everywhere.
64 min: Liverpool win their first corner of the second half. We know what they did with their last one.
63 min: Everton tiki-taka the ball down the right flank. Browning. Barry. To Lennon. He chests it to Browning, whose mishit crosses sails high into the middle. Mignolet stays on his line. Lukaku is interested. Skrtel gets it away with an unorthodox clearance. Back come Everton. Barkley spins clear on the left and crosses, Skrtel forced to put the ball behind for a corner. Which turns out to be a waste.
61 min: The game is drifting.
60 min: Gerard Deulofeu is replaced by Aaron Lennon, who once scored a last-minute winner for Tottenham against Liverpool.
57 min: Naismith turns brilliantly away from Clyne on the left. Lucas fouls him. Martin Atkinson lets him off with a warning.
55 min: Everton smash the ball long towards Lukaku. He backs into Skrtel and holds off the Liverpool defender, who ends up pulling him over 40 yards from goal. The decision goes Everton’s way, much to the annoyance of Brendan Rodgers. But more concerning for him is the way that Lukaku is beginning to rumble.
52 min: An extended spell of Everton possession ends with the ball bouncing up on to Naismith’s knee and out for a goal-kick.
49 min: “Am I alone in wondering why Emre Can is out for the second half?” says Paul Ewart. “He looks like a walking red card to me. Watch this space.” Well, it doesn’t help that Joe Gomez is the only defender on the bench for Liverpool.
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48 min: Lukaku collects the ball on the left of the Liverpool area. He reaches the byline, turns and smashes the ball into the six-yard box, but Mignolet pushes the ball out to Skrtel, who hacks it clear. Everton have started the second half well.
47 min: Galloway looks for Naismith down the left flank. Can comes across and tries to shepherd the ball out of play but the ball seems to touch him on its way behind and Everton are awarded a corner. Barkley whips the corner towards the near post, where Browning’s goalbound header is deflected over the bar by a Liverpool head. The second corner comes to nothing.
46 min: Everton get the second half underway. “I suspect that nobody (and surely not BR) has explained to Liverpool’s defenders that the objective of defending isn’t to give up stupid goals that let the opponents back into the match for the sake of entertaining neutrals but rather to stop the other guys from scoring,” says Mike Mackenzie.
Half-time: Everton 1-1 Liverpool
This is fun.
GOAL! Everton 1-1 Liverpool (Lukaku, 45 min+1)
Liverpool’s lead lasts all of five minutes and what a dreadful goal this is to concede! Gerard Deulofeu swings a teasing cross into the area from the left. Emre Can’s attempt at a clearance at the far post is a rampant disgrace, clunked straight against the unwitting Skrtel and the ball drops to Lukaku. He takes a touch and then hammers the ball past Mignolet with his left foot from six yards out. Liverpool’s defending lets them down again. Another lead lost.
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45 min: There will be three minutes of added time. “The sensible James Milner - yes, and the equally sensible Gareth Barry - have two better representatives of sensibleness played against each other this season in the Premiership?” wonders Charles Antaki. “I don’t think any gongs are actually handed out for it, but it’s a virtue rather in short supply. Give them a medal each.”
43 min: Roberto Martinez’s Everton have not scored the first goal in any of their five games against Liverpool. Why is it such a struggle for Everton to play their natural game in these fixtures?
GOAL! Everton 0-1 Liverpool (Ings, 41 min)
The redemption of Danny Ings, from zero to hero in the space of a minute. James Milner swings the corner into the six-yard box and Ings tiptoes away from Barkley and heads it past Howard from a few yards out! That is shocking defending from Everton and Liverpool lead. Brendan in!
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40 min: All of a sudden, Liverpool have a two-on-one situation with Ings running at the last Everton defender and Sturridge in acres of space to his right. If Ings spots Sturridge, he can play him through on goal. But he doesn’t! He takes a heavy touch and a last-ditch tackle takes the ball behind for a corner on the left. Sturridge his furious with his strike partner. But...
38 min: Coutinho skips into the Everton area on the left. A stepover buys him some space but his ball into the six-yard box is cleared by Jagielka.
37 min: The corner from the right is lifted high towards the edge of the area. Skrtel heads it into the air and towards Can, who holds off Barry at first and then almost takes the Everton man’s head off with an overhead kick that flies over the bar. Barry felt that one and Everton briefly contemplate adopting the position that Can deserves a second yellow card for dangerous play. No one’s heart is in it. Barry is fine after receiving some treatment.
36 min: Clyne directs a pass down the inside-right channel towards Ings. Again Howard has to be alert and race from his goal to stop Ings. Liverpool have a corner.
34 min: This is ludicrous. Emre Can tackles Barkley on the left and concedes a throw. Then he hangs on to the ball and when Barkley tries to wrestle it off him, Can sees red and thrusts his arm into Barkley’s chest. Can is in danger of totally losing his cool and it requires sensible James Milner to pull him away from Barkley and stop him doing something very stupid. Obviously players from both sides arrive on the scene and a frank exchange of views takes place before Martin Atkinson books Barkley and Can.
30 min: Everton appear to have woken up. Deulofeu runs at Moreno on the left and drills a low cross into the area. The ball is only half cleared and McCarthy’s clean piledriver from 18 yards draws another excellent save out of Mignolet, who dives to his right and pushes it to safety. All that Liverpool dominance and they could be behind.
28 min: Simon Mignolet denies Everton with a magnificent save! Ross Barkley wins a free-kick in the middle of Liverpool’s half and he whips a delicious cross into the middle, where Steven Naismith has peeled away from the dozing Sakho. Naismith’s header looks certain to fly past Mignolet but the Liverpool goalkeeper sticks out his left hand and pushes the ball over the bar! What a save.
26 min: Danny Ings somehow controls a high ball on his chest on the right flank and then hooks a wonderful pass over Galloway towards the onrushing Clyne. He’s almost knocked off his stride as he bustles into the area but he stays on his feet and Everton avoid conceding a penalty. Clyne is tackled but Liverpool continue to press. Milner plays a one-two with Coutino, whose clever ball over the top pierces the Everton defence and sends Milner clear on goal. He tries to slide the ball under Howard as the ball drops on to his right foot but the Everton goalkeeper just does enough to divert it behind. Sakho heads wide from the resulting corner.
25 min: Everton are offering nothing. Brendan in!
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23 min: Treatment received, Skrtel returns and play resumes.Milner embarks on a dart down the left, slips with Tyias Browning in his general vicinity and gets a free-kick. The Everton fans are unimpressed but nothing comes from the set-piece.
21 min: Dick Advocaat has left Sunderland. So at least Brendan Rodgers won’t be winning the sack race.
20 min: Martin Skrtel is down and needs some treatment on an injury of some sort. The ball is knocked out of play. A lull. A lovely lull.
18 min: There’s an anxiety about everything Everton are doing. Deulofeu wins the ball in midfield but instead of driving into the space in front of him, he tries to find Lukaku and his pass is easily cut out.
16 min: We’ve been treated to three minutes of midfield scrapping, fouling and anger.
13 min: Liverpool are dominant. Funes Mori, not quite au fait with the feverish nature of a Merseyside derby, attempts to take a touch on the edge of his own area and he’s immediately swamped by two Liverpool areas. The ball breaks to Ings, who appears to be fine now, and his rasping volley fizzes just over the bar from 18 yards. This feels worryingly familiar for Everton. “Sorry if I missed this, but is Firmino injured, or has he just been left out of the squad completely?” says Shaun Wilkinson. “I know it’s very early days, but so far he must be the biggest disappointment of all the Premier League newboys.” I believe he’s injured.
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12 min: Danny Ings is limping a little after that challenge from Jagielka. Liverpool need him to run this knock off.
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11 min: The volume has dropped at Goodison Park. The home fans are nervous about what they’re watching now. Liverpool send a long ball forward and a knockdown sends it through to Ings, who’s clear in the Everton area. But once again Jagielka comes to Everton’s rescue, his tackle knocking the ball on to Ings and behind for a goal-kick. Tim Howard looks, or rather glares, at the linesman and wonders why he didn’t raise his flag for offside.
9 min: Liverpool have suddenly taken the game by the scruff of the neck. The corner is hoicked to the far post from the right and Skrtel escapes Funes Mori, only to bounce his header over the bar.
8 min: Moreno wins a free-kick just inside the Everton half. It’s lifted into the area and Jagielka heads it away, but the ball only falls as far as Lucas. He controls it well and then strokes a perceptive pass through to Skrtel on the right of the Everton area. Skrtel drives the ball into the six-yard box, where Sturridge is waiting, but the Liverpool striker is denied a certain goal by a timely intervention from Jagielka at the expense of a corner.
6 min: Sturridge dribbles inside, drifting past Naismith, and shoots from 25 yards. He doesn’t catch it cleanly, however, and the ball dribbles harmlessly wide.
4 min: Liverpool mount their first coherent attack. Sturridge turns in space in the Everton half and knocks a pass through to Milner, forcing Tim Howard to race from his line and produce a fine saving challenge, timing it to perfection and making sure not to foul the Liverpool midfielder and concede a penalty. Everton counter. Deulofeu touches the ball inside to Lukaku, who is in acres of space, but he messes up his attempted through ball to Barkley.
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3 min: The free-kick leads to nothing but Everton quickly win the ball back. They’re looking sharp. They’re up for this. Are Liverpool up for this? We’ll find out soon enough. Everton are zipping the ball about with a zesty confidence that bodes well for their prospects.
2 min: Lukaku muscles himself on to the ball in the centre circle and tries to spring Barkley through on goal. The pass is cut out but the move is pulled back for a foul on Lukaku, Everton gaining no advanage.
And we’re off! Liverpool, attacking from left to right, get the game underway. They’re decked out in red. Everton are in blue shirts and white shorts. But you knew that already, didn’t you?
The sun is shining. The teams are out. Goodison Park is buzzing.
There is no local player in Liverpool’s starting line-up today. As a consolation, here’s Robbie Fowler revisting Toxteth in 1995, the cheeky scamp.
Brendan Rodgers speaks. “We go into the game with confidence,” he says. “I think in my time here we’ve made too many mistakes defensively but thankfully we’ve always been creative going forward and dynamic. If we can cut out the mistakes, we know we can score goals.”
No John Stones for Everton, then, and Seamus Coleman is still sidelined as well, so Roberto Martinez keeps faith with Tyias Browning at right-back and Ramiro Funes Mori alongside Phil Jagielka. Indeed Everton, in their Martinez-approved 4-2-3-1, are unchanged from the win over West Brom, while Brendan Rodgers also keeps faith with the Liverpool team that beat Aston Villa 3-2 last Saturday, a victory inspired by a fit and firing Daniel Sturridge, who is partnered by Danny Ings up front. Liverpool are lined up in a 3-5-2 formation. Or, if you prefer, a 5-3-2 formation. Whichever it is, Rodgers had better hope it works.
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The teams!
Everton: Howard; Browning, Jagielka, Funes Mori, Galloway; McCarthy, Barry; Deulofeu, Barkley, Naismith; Lukaku. Subs: Robles, Gibson, Oviedo, Kone, Lennon, Osman, Holgate.
Liverpool: Mignolet; Can, Skrtel, Sakho; Clyne, Milner, Lucas, Moreno; Coutinho; Sturridge, Ings. Subs: Gomez, Lallana, Allen, Origi, Ibe, Bogdan, Rossiter.
Referee: Martin Atkinson (W Yorkshire)
Preamble
“If you give me the tools, I’ll do the work.” The words of Brendan Rodgers. Although given how his team has played so far this season, Liverpool supporters will probably argue that he has been given plenty of those. No more tools! We have enough tools! Sign some players who are not tools!
We’ll leave that to the fabled transfer committee. Rodgers has to make do with what he’s got for now, although what he’s got might not have appreciated their manager suggesting that everything would be going much better if only he had better players, someone of the calibre of, say, Luis Suarez, the evil genius who carried Liverpool to such incredible heights two seasons ago. Rodgers was the toast of The Kop back then. He made them dream. But it is in danger of turning into a nightmare. Last season, with Suarez gone, Daniel Sturridge mostly injured, Steven Gerrard struggling to get over The Slip and the defence playing with all the composure of Steven Gerrard after coming off the bench at half-time in a big game against Manchester United. Liverpool stalled and spluttered into sixth place, the memory of their title challenge in 2014 a distant one when Stoke battered them 6-1 on the final day of last season.
The summer was dominated by the Raheem Sterling saga, before optimism flushed back with the arrival of Christian Benteke, Nathaniel Clyne, Roberto Firmino, Danny Ings and James Milner. And Liverpool are only seven points off the top, four if they win here! But they are currently stuck in 10th place, peering up at the likes of Crystal Palace, Leicester City and West Ham. They have not played well this season, other than when they failed to capitalise on a promising first half against Arsenal, a performance which was followed up their first defeat to West Ham at Anfield since 1963. They were meek at Manchester United, needed penalties to defeat Carlisle in the Capital One Cup and although they are unbeaten in their past five matches, that run includes the Carlisle fiasco and draws with Norwich City, Bordeaux and lastly FC Sion at Anfield on Thursday night. It feels like Rodgers is on borrowed time. The idea of his football is certainly an attractive one but can he restore the spark which made Liverpool the team to watch in the spring of 2014? It all looks very confused at the moment. Rodgers is chopping and changing formations and players as he scrabbles for the right formula but he it feels like he is no closer to finding the right formula than he was when he arrived on Merseyside in three years ago.
There is talk that defeat here could be the end for Rodgers. Everton are in daunting form. Not having to worry about the Europa League has allowed them to concentrate on the league and Roberto Martinez’s side will go third if they win their first Merseyside derby since October 2010, a run that now stretches back 10 games. They have already beaten Chelsea at Goodison Park (although, well, y’know) and if they play with the same urgency and pace that saw them fight back from 2-0 down to beat West Bromwich Albion in the final 30 minutes last Monday, they will have a great chance of breaking the hold Liverpool have over them. Romelu Lukaku is on the rampage, Gerard Deulofeu is thriving and even Arouna Kone, who has not exactly been a favourite with the Everton supporters, is showing why Martinez places so much faith in him.
The question, though, is whether this young Everton side can hold their nerve. We have been in this position before. Ask an Evertonian for their thoughts on this match and their throat will go all dry and their hands will go all clammy and their eyes will go all watery and they will tell you about the time they lost that FA Cup semi-final to Jay Spearing’s Liverpool in 2012. Rodgers is yet to lose a Merseyside derby. Hurrah for the tools!
Kick-off: 1.30pm.
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