Everton vs Liverpool. Premier League.
Goodison ParkAttendance39,220.
Saturday 7 April 2018 20:17, UK
Everton's search for a Merseyside derby win extended to 17 games as they played out a 0-0 draw with Liverpool in the Premier League on Saturday.
Both Jordan Pickford and Loris Karius produced brilliant saves to keep the scores level in the first half, with Dominic Solanke, James Milner and Yannick Bolasie all denied.
Everton missed two glorious chances late on through Seamus Coleman and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and in the end Liverpool were holding on for a point.
The result means Liverpool stay in third in the Premier League, while Everton are ninth.
Jurgen Klopp made five changes from the side that beat City 3-0 on Wednesday, with Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final second leg in mind, as Danny Ings, Solanke, Nathaniel Clyne and Ragnar Klavan all started.
Fresh from their epic midweek win against City, Liverpool had the first chance through Solanke, whose close-range effort was superbly saved by Jordan Pickford as the ball fell fortuitously to him.
Bolasie came close at the other end, but Loris Karius produced one of the saves of the season to tip away his fine, curling shot from 25 yards.
It was a battle of the goalkeepers in the first half, and Pickford did his bit again, getting his fingertips on Milner's goal-bound shot from the corner of the box in front of watching England manager Gareth Southgate.
The opening stages of the second half were dour, and the only flashpoint came when Wayne Rooney was substituted off before the hour mark, looking extremely frustrated as he left the pitch.
It was Everton who nearly grabbed the victory with two fine opportunities late on. First, Cenk Tosun's header across goal evaded the boot of Coleman by inches as he stretched a yard from goal, before Calvert-Lewin miscued his effort wide from 12 yards with the goal gaping.
In a game where defences were on top, the standout player on the ball was Wijnaldum, who completed 94 per cent of his passing at Goodison.
He made 81 passes in total, more than any other player, and won possession seven times. In among Liverpool's swashbuckling attacks, the Dutchman is the calm required in central midfield.
Sam Allardyce: "I think in the end, when you finish the game as strongly as that, and bring yourself back into it, put Liverpool under pressure, I suppose we're rather unlucky with the Cenk Tosun header.
"The second half basis was the pleasing thing. I know the crowd got a bit frustrated, but we build on that basis by limiting a team who are very good in an attacking sense this year."
Jurgen Klopp: "I think we controlled around 60, 70 minutes of the game, and then it got quite emotional, which is normal I expected that! I am completely fine with the result. Again, clean sheet and good defending.
"Another point, away, and not long to drive home! So all good, and we prepare for the next game. I think until then it was not exactly the game the people wanted, but it was not our job to deliver that. We were here for getting a result, it's not our 1A solution, but it is 1B."
Liverpool now go to Manchester City on Tuesday in their Champions League quarter-final second leg, leading 3-0 from the first, while Everton have a trip to Swansea on Saturday in the Premier League.
