Jordan Pickford was Everton’s hero as Frank Lampard’s side claimed a hard-fought point in Saturday's Merseyside derby against Liverpool.
But despite Pickford’s heroics, Everton were competitive in their own right, hitting the post themselves and having a goal chalked off marginally for offside. Conor Coady was the man denied a dream moment against his boyhood club following a VAR review.
Luis Diaz, Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez all hit the woodwork for Jurgen Klopp’s men, while Pickford also denied Fabinho and Roberto Firmino in the closing 20 minutes. The result leaves Everton in 16th and without a Premier League win this season - but the outlook is a lot more positive following this latest draw, their fourth in succession. And below is a look at how the national media reported on the game.
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'Pickford epitomised an Everton performance flecked with defiance and resilience'
Jonathan Northcroft of the Sunday Times wrote: “Pickford epitomised an Everton performance flecked with defiance and resilience. Manager Frank Lampard’s entire back four were rugged and resolute and Alex Iwobi ran about seven marathons in midfield, while Anthony Gordon and Demarai Gray continually drove with the ball into the heart of Liverpool territory, leaving opponents strewn behind them, on courageous solo runs. Had Everton’s Neal Maupay, making both his Everton debut and first appearance of any sort this season, not been rusty, Everton could have had the game won before the late Liverpool surge. Maupay did get in good positions, though, and managed five shots — even if only one was on target.
“In the 68th minute, on the second phase of an attack following a corner, Gray crossed beautifully to Maupay who chested down and miscued his shot. The ball ran across goal and Conor Coady turned it in, cueing delirium, then disappointment and misbehaviour when VAR determined that Coady was just beyond Virgil van Dijk, in an offside position. Van Dijk got the benefit of another call when he went over the ball in a tackle and planted his studs into Amadou Onana’s shin.”
'Unfortunately, VAR didn’t have a look at van Dijk’s challenge on Onana'
Joe Bernstein of the Mail on Sunday wrote: “Everton weren’t passive themselves. Goodison erupted after 72 minutes when Coady turned in Maupay’s cross and Liverpool were ready to kick off again before a lengthy VAR wait ruled the defender was fractionally offside.
Before he added: “Unfortunately, VAR didn’t have a look at van Dijk’s challenge on Onana which left the Everton midfielder, signed in the winner from Lille, in agony. The Liverpool captain was late on his opponent and caught him on the shin, bending down to check on Onana afterwards.
“He escaped with a yellow shown by Taylor and no VAR check. On television, Joe Cole called it a ‘leg-breaker’ and Lampard said: ‘I love Virgil van Dijk but the referee and VAR got that one.’
“Even then, Everton could have won it. Alisson showed remarkable reflexes to deny Maupay and then acrobatically turned over a strike by substitute Dwight McNeil.”
'Conor Coady thought he had ended the drought'
Andy Hunter of the Guardian wrote: “Frank Lampard may take greater encouragement when he evaluates his first managerial point in five meetings against Klopp, even though Everton’s wait for a derby win at Goodison Park stretched to 12 years.
“Conor Coady thought he had ended the drought only for VAR to rule out his second-half goal against his boyhood club for offside. To the Everton manager’s chagrin VAR failed to intervene when Virgil van Dijk was only booked for going over the top on Amadou Onana.
“Everton remain without a Premier League win but their enterprise in attack, midfield craft and commanding defence suggested they are clearly a team growing under Lampard. Jordan Pickford polished Everton’s resilience with a superb display that included a slight touch on Mohamed Salah’s goalbound shot in the 95th minute. Salah’s effort was diverted on to a post, the third time Liverpool struck the woodwork in total, and unlike previous episodes of late derby despair for Everton the rebound hit Diogo Jota in front of a gaping goal and rolled to safety.”
'Yet the mood could not be more different'
Chris Bascombe of the Sunday Telegraph wrote: “Two irrefutable facts emerged from a feisty but goalless Merseyside derby.
“Everton are better than the team which was nearly relegated last season. Liverpool are not currently at the same level as that which has gone toe-to-toe with Manchester City in three of the past four years.”
Before he added: “That should not overshadow the improvements Frank Lampard has overseen since the clubs last meeting in April when Everton were a shadow of what they were on Saturday. The final whistle here was greeted by the hosts like a victory. It was also tinged with regret in a curious game where both managers could point to fine margins denying them the points. Liverpool hit the post three times and Jordan Pickford was man-of-the-match, his injury time save pushing a Mohamed Salah’s goal bound strike onto the post being the last of many.
“Yet Everton also hit the post, kept Alisson Becker busy with several acrobatics of his own, and had their hopes of a first Goodison win since 2010 denied after a long wait for the video assistant referee to rule out Conor Coady’s 69th minute tap-in.
“Pickford’s display could easily be presented as part of spirited rearguard action. Think again. Although England’s No 1 regularly and superbly repelled Liverpool, it is a disservice to Lampard’s increasingly proficient side to claim their goalkeeper was the biggest difference between the teams.
“A year ago, Everton had 13 points from their first six games and were looking towards the top four. Today, they are still awaiting their first win. Yet the mood could not be more different.
“The home fans left Goodison buoyed by what they had seen, even Klopp conceding ‘Everton are a different team to last year’.”
'The huge gulf that existed just months ago was reduced to nothing'
Joe Thomas of the Liverpool ECHO wrote: "A total of 53 points separated Everton and Liverpool at the end of last season. On the sixth game of this new campaign the huge gulf that existed just months ago was reduced to nothing.
"Against the side that played every game imaginable last year, in the 241st Merseyside derby the team that had been so close to catastrophe competed as equals. Not only that, the Blues came inches from a victory in a performance that showcased the progress being made under Frank Lampard.
"After Conor Coady 's thumping close range finish was ruled offside by the tiniest of margins, once again Lampard can point to luck just not quite falling for a side that remains winless in the Premier League. This was a display suggesting Everton will not need to rely on luck over the coming months, however."
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