By Sulaimon Jamiu
Liverpool were held to a 0-0 draw by Everton in a fierce Merseyside derby on Saturday afternoon, at Goodison Park.
Amid a frenzied atmosphere, Liverpool settled quickly into an early rhythm of territorial dominance and, following a corner, Tsimikas hit a low drive from the edge of the box that was blocked.
Everton were content to play on the counter and Neal Maupay wasted a presentable chance after a Reds move had broken down, the forward dragging a close-range effort wide.
With nine minutes on the clock, both sets of supporters united in applause in memory of Olivia Pratt-Korbel, with a banner reading ‘Enough is enough’ displayed across the divide between the fans.
A frantic opening 20 ended with a sprinting Trent Alexander-Arnold digging out a superb cross from the byline and Nunez climbing above Nathan Patterson at the back post, only for the Uruguayan to direct his header wide.
First, Nunez showcased stunning technique to chest down Joe Gomez’s lofted pass and volley goalwards from a tight angle all in one fluid movement, only for Pickford to tip the attempt onto the crossbar.
Nunez twice had sights of goal, first scuffing his shot from Diaz’s cutback and then seeing a volley saved by Pickford – efforts that sandwiched an opportunity for Tsimikas, who side-footed over the bar from a challenging angle.
Firmino was twice denied by Pickford in quick succession, before the Everton goalkeeper shovelled a low hit by Fabinho wide amid a flurry of Liverpool corners.
The last of those set-pieces nearly ended in an Everton goal, only for Alisson to intervene with a brilliant save as Maupay looked set to round off a counter with the opener.
The home team thought they had broken the deadlock in the 69th minute when Coady nudged Maupay’s cross/shot over the line, but the defender was adjudged to have been offside following a lengthy VAR review.
Late Liverpool pressure followed, with Firmino denied again by Pickford before Salah’s low, first-time hit came back off the inside of the post deep into stoppage time, as the points were shared.
