Everton squandered a couple of late chances to win their first Merseyside derby in over nine tries as the 231st fixture ended in a tame, 0-0 draw at Goodison Park on Saturday. Liverpool, who had an eye on the QF of the Champions League against Manchester City, fielded a depleted squad, which could yet have taken something from this game but Sam Allardyce will be a tad disappointed as his side made a mess of some late chances to clinch a shock win.
The Reds remain below Manchester United and could even drop to 4th by the end of the week while Everton will be happy, to have not lost to their bitter rivals in the league this season. Here are the player ratings for the Blues in this tie:
Jordan Pickford (7):
Made a point-blank save in the first half to deny Solanke and was alert to everything Liverpool had to throw at him on the night.
Leighton Baines (6):
Was solid with his defensive duties, giving Liverpool no room to attack from the flanks.
Phil Jagielka (7):
Was up against the young Solanke, and never gave him any time or space on the ball to create or score in this crunch tie other than a single chance in the first half.
Michael Keane (6):
Not his usual calm self on the ball but made a couple of excellent tackles to keep his side in the game.
Seamus Coleman (6):
Was happy to add numbers to the attack and was also aware of his defensive duties, keeping a keen eye on Everton’s right flank.
Morgan Schneiderlin (7):
Got stuck in the midfield battle well and kept the likes of Henderson and Milner on their toes, and away from creating any chances.
Tom Davis (6):
Was full of energy and running, pressing the Liverpool players but did very little to affect the attacking side of the game.
Wayne Rooney (5):
Looked angry after being subbed off but did not do enough to retain his place till the final whistle.
Yannick Bolasie (6):
Drew a superb save from Loris Karius early in the game but failed to test Clyne on the flank, who was making his first appearance this season.
Theo Walcott (7):
Was purposeful with the ball and looked dangerous late in the game but did not do enough to win his side the game.
Cenk Tosun (6):
Came close to scoring on a couple of occasions but was an isolated figure for most of the game.
Substitutes:
Idrissa Gueye (7):
Added some energy and urgency to the midfield in the second half as Everton started to put their foot on the gas late in the game.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin (6):
His industry allowed the Toffees to stay on top of the game for the last 20 minutes.
Beni Baningime (N/A)
