With the thought of the second leg of the UCL quarter-final against Manchester City at the back of the head, Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool failed to take more than a point from their trip to Everton today as the two Merseyside derbies in the league ended in stalemates this season. Klopp decided to rest a number of his key players but his side dominated most of the game, keeping Everton on the back foot.
Dominic Solanke missed the best chance of the game as both teams went into the break on level terms. Everton started the second half slowly but piled on the pressure late in the game, as Liverpool dropped deeper and deeper. But the Toffees did not do enough to find the back of the net and had to settle for a point. Here are three things we learnt from this uneventful night:
Pickford And Karius Steal The Show:
Both teams have had problems with their goalkeepers before the start of the season and have shifted to new first choice no.1s this season. Liverpool have used Loris Karius regularly since the turn of the year and the German came up with the goods with a superb save in the first half to deny Yannick Bolasie and keep the scores level. Jordan Pickford, on the other hand, saved a shot from Solanke from point blank range and also had a couple of athletic saves to make and the two keepers were a major reason for the game ending in a goalless draw.
Sam Allardyce On Borrowed Time:
The English manager may have helped Everton back into the top half of the table but the quality in the squad at Goodison Park should genuinely see them compete for a place in Europe. With this draw, Everton have very little chance of finishing any higher than they already are and the performance of the side, in one of the most awaited games of the season will not have impressed the fans. There was no purpose to how Sam set up his side and on a day when Liverpool were not full strength, Everton squandered a chance to get one over their fierce rivals and the manager’s plans had a lot to do with it.
Klopp Plays It Cautious:
Probably for the first time in his tenure at Anfield, Jurgen Klopp looked comfortable with the proceedings, even as his team failed to create enough chances to test Everton on the night. The Reds still need just 11 points from six games to guarantee qualification for the Champions League next season but a derby is always an important game and Klopp balanced his side well and avoided any sort of embarrassment. He will have wanted to see his side sneak all three points but will not be too frustrated with the draw and a point from this crunch clash.
