Everton 0, Liverpool 0: First Thoughts

A typically scrappy Merseyside derby sees Liverpool and Everton share a point after a wet, goalless draw at Goodison.

Everton 0 Liverpool 0

• PRE-MATCH: A much-changed team as anticipated. Salah isn’t even on the bench. Excited to see Nathaniel Clyne back on the pitch for the first time this season. Klopp appears to have gone three at the back.
• The raining is pouring down in Liverpool, which does not alleviate my fear that a Liverpool player is going to go off injured or with a red card. Michael Oliver refereeing also doesn’t fill me with confidence, if I’m honest.
• Took a few minutes, but Liverpool have slowly worked their way into this game.
• Solanke gets the first good chance of the game, lashing it in from dead center, inside the six yard box. Well saved by Pickford, but it’s straight at him.
• Oof, Klavan nearly puts it in the back of Karius’s net, but it’s a few lucky yards wide.
• Karius gets an excellent save on Bolasie’s long range effort, which was perfectly bending into the far corner.
• Pickford returns the favor on the other side, batting away Milner’s effort for a corner. Worth noting in this first 30 minutes that Milner is once again having a fantastic game.
• Liverpool get awarded a free kick in a good position, and it’s van Dijk who takes it. It’s a bit too hard to be a cross and a bit too weak to be a shot, but it’s on target and not a bad effort.
• Clyne is having a solid, if unremarkable, first game back. It’s good to see him roaming around the touchline again.
• HALFTIME: First half ends 0-0, which is about right for what was on the pitch. The best moment of the game goes to Karius for his excellent save. The Everton fans know how big an opportunity they have to beat Liverpool today, and they’re getting very frustrated with their team for bottling it so far. The second half should be interesting. Let’s just hope it’s football tactics interesting, and not someone going off on a stretcher interesting.
• The second half begins as the first ended, with some scrappy possession, bad giveaways, and no real chances.
• Bit of a dust up on the pitch when Coleman takes offense to Ings calling him a diver. This is the kind of harmless drama I like in my derby games, by the way. More salty insults, less red cards, season-ending injuries, and accusations of racism, please, universe. Thanks.
• Milner and Mané make way for Oxlade-Chamberlain and Firmino for the last 20 minutes or so. The game is still goalless, and it feels like it will take a miracle to see a goal.
• Everton upping the tempo in the last fifteen minutes, like someone just woke them up for something. Liverpool have to be careful here, but it also looks like a good time for a fast break.
• A lot of lucky slipping of Everton players on the slick grass which has cost them two potential chances. Still, Liverpool are defending for their lives at this point.
• Ings comes off for Alexander-Arnold at the very end of regular time. It was a slightly disappointing return to the first team, but since he’s basically come back from the dead to do it, I’ll allow it this time.
• FINAL: This game ended it exactly the way I predicted it would, but everyone seems healthy and that’s good enough for me. Bring on Tuesday.

We’ll be back shortly to take an in-depth look at everything that happened in today’s game with the full recap. Until then, let us know your take on the ups and downs of the match in the comments, and if you haven’t already, join the community on the Liverpool Offside, where we’ll have full coverage and lively in-game discussion for every match this season.

Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com