Monday 11 December 2017 07:00, UK
Wayne Rooney's second-half penalty against the run of play earned Everton a 1-1 draw at Liverpool in Sunday's Merseyside derby.
Despite Liverpool's dominance with the ball, Everton equalised as Rooney converted from the spot (77) after Dominic Calvert-Lewin went down under a soft challenge from Dejan Lovren.
Premier League top scorer Mo Salah had given Liverpool the lead (42), finding the top left corner with a fine effort after evading the challenges of two Everton players in the box.
Everton, in 10th place, have still not won at Anfield since 1999, but the result continues Sam Allardyce's unbeaten start as manager, while Liverpool stay fourth.
Liverpool had most of the possession in an engaging first half, but took the lead with just three minutes remaining with their first shot on target.
Receiving the ball on the right, Salah outmuscled Cuco Martina and then evaded Idrissa Gueye, before curling a beauty past Jordan Pickford from 15 yards with his left foot.
It should have been 2-0 before the break as Sadio Mane broke with Liverpool four on two, but he sliced wide instead of squaring to one of his three team-mates in space.
Salah nearly scored his second after the break, heading James Milner's centre back across goal and inches wide of the far post, before Joe Gomez headed just over from a corner.
But with a rare attack, the visitors were level. Rooney's superb diagonal over Lovren and into the path of Calvert-Lewin saw the Liverpool man connect with the forward in the box, and though Calvert-Lewin went down easily, Craig Pawson pointed to the spot.
Rooney stepped up, and struck straight down the middle to save an unlikely point for Everton.
Liverpool piled on the pressure for the last 15 minutes, but will be kicking themselves at two points dropped as Everton held firm.
Jurgen Klopp: "I cannot, cannot believe that in a game like this, where only one team is trying over 95 minutes to do everything to win it, and the other team… was not even in our box, I'm not sure if they even had a shot on target, except from the penalty. And you open the door for them like this, it's in my understanding not OK.
"I saw only one team playing today, but the ref thought we have to make it a little bit more… I can't believe this situation, with all the challenges, we were completely clean. We don't make any fouls."
Sam Allardyce: "I have looked at it, and he [Dejan Lovren] has pushed him, but we have seen ones like that before where it has been difficult for the referee to give it. He [Pawson] did give it, and Wayne Rooney has put it away.
"At the end of the day, some you get and some you don't. I have had a look at it and I think it is a penalty.
"There is no such thing as a soft penalty. If you ask [referee's chief] Mike Riley there is no such thing. He [Lovren] has either impeded or stopped our player in the box from trying to score."
In a game where Liverpool camped in Everton's half, young Kenny had a job on his hands dealing with the hosts' full-backs and wingers.
He did an admirable job, and though Liverpool did routinely get in-behind Cuco Martina, Kenny was often on hand to clear in the area alongside Ashley Williams and Mason Holgate.
The Liverpool-born 20-year-old also made nine clearances and gained possession a joint-high seven times.
Liverpool now host West Brom on Wednesday night in the Premier League, before a trip to Bournemouth on Super Sunday, live on Sky Sports Premier League from 4.15pm. Everton go to Newcastle on Wednesday, and then host Swansea next Monday Night Football, again live on Sky Sports Premier League.
