Jordan Pickford frustrates Liverpool as Everton hold firm in goalless draw

One of the more enthralling goalless derby draws left both Merseyside rivals with cause for regret. Everton’s wait for a home victory over Liverpool stretched to 12 years after VAR ruled out Conor Coady’s strike against his boyhood club, while Jürgen Klopp’s side dropped more points after hitting the frame of Jordan Pickford’s goal three times. Both sides will argue over the merits of a point shared until they are blue, or red, in the face.

Virgil van Dijk can consider himself lucky to receive only a yellow card for a dangerous foul on Amadou Onana, VAR siding with the referee Anthony Taylor’s decision on that occasion, and though Everton remain winless in the Premier League there was plenty to encourage Frank Lampard. That Liverpool impressed only in patches will be a concern to Klopp.

Liverpool’s intent to take the game to Everton was demonstrated before the 241st Merseyside derby got under way, with Klopp’s selection brimming with attacking intent. Darwin Núñez came straight back into the starting lineup after his three-match ban for a head-butt on his Anfield debut, while Fábio Carvalho was rewarded for his 98th-minute winner against Newcastle on Wednesday with a first Liverpool start. Everton finally had a forward to Lampard’s liking in their lineup too, with Neal Maupay making a debut delayed by the Premier League’s inability to register his £15m move from Brighton ahead of Tuesday’s draw at Leeds.

The visitors dominated possession from kick off but it was Everton, content to absorb the pressure, who fashioned the game’s first real opening. Tom Davies beat Fabinho to a risky pass out of defence by Joe Gomez and found Demarai Gray in space. Gray, a potent outlet throughout, released Maupay inside the area. His shot on the turn lacked pace and accuracy but would have provided Anthony Gordon with a simple tap-in at the back post had he anticipated it quicker.

Moments later, in the ninth minute, the entire stadium rose in applause for Olivia Pratt-Korbel, the nine-year-old girl shot dead inside her own home in Liverpool last month. “Enough is Enough, Our City is Unity” read a blue and red banner that was unfurled between the two sets of supporters in the Bullens Road Stand.

Everton, responding to the fervent Goodison atmosphere, posed a clear threat whenever they escaped Liverpool’s counterpress. Alisson saved a daisy-cutter from Gordon following a Gray corner, immediately launching a counterattack that should have produced a better end product than Núñez allowing Vitaliy Mykolenko to clear his poor touch.

Conor Coady thought he had opened the scoring for Everton after tapping in from close-range, only to see his strike ruled out for offside by VAR. Photograph: Michael Regan/Getty Images

Davies was then inches away from flicking the hosts into the lead. Gray was again heavily involved, finding the overlapping Nathan Patterson for a low cross into Maupay. Van Dijk got a touch on the striker’s shot but the ball broke for Davies, who curled a deft touch beyond Alisson but looked on in despair as it kissed a post and rebounded to safety.

A succession of fouls interrupted the rhythm of the derby – surprise, surprise – and raised the volume inside Goodison in the process. Kostas Tsimikas, preferred to Andy Robertson at left-back, clipped Gray and Gordon in quick succession. Gordon returned the favour twice in a matter of seconds. The first booking only arrived in the 38th minute, however, when Onana was punished for a late foul on Carvalho.

The young Portuguese playmaker, Núñez and Mohamed Salah were all subdued for the opening 40 minutes. Two Núñez headers off-target were the sum total of their collective threat in that time. But shortly before the break Liverpool roused. Núñez had tried arcing his runs behind Coady and James Tarkowski all game and was rewarded when Gomez’s long ball released him in space on the right. Controlling with his chest, the Uruguay international sent a shot dipping over Pickford but the Everton goalkeeper reacted superbly to tip the ball on to the bar. Luis Díaz collected the rebound, stepped inside Coady and curled towards the far corner. Remarkably, the woodwork intervened yet again as Diaz’s effort struck the inside of a post and bounced to safety.

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Klopp introduced Roberto Firmino for Carvalho at the interval, almost rubbing Lampard’s nose in it with the attacking resources at his disposal, and the second half became an enthralling spectacle with Liverpool pressure countered by Everton’s threat on the break. Pickford produced decent saves to deny Elliott and Núñez, then two excellent stops to thwart a Firmino drive that was destined for the bottom corner and a bullet header from the Brazilian at the resulting set-piece.

Maupay should have edged Everton ahead when Gray raided down the left and his low cross was turned into the new signing’s path by Gordon. The goal lay at Maupay’s mercy but his shot lacked conviction and was straight at Alisson, who deflected wide for a corner. The former Brighton striker appeared to have made amends and written an unbelievable script for Coady midway through the half. Maupay took down Gray’s cross to the back post and drilled low across the face of goal, where the boyhood Liverpool fan was on hand to convert into an empty net. Coady and Goodison embarked on tumultuous celebrations only for VAR to find the defender was offside. In their fury one fan ran on to the pitch – and will receive a stadium ban as a consequence – while another threw a plastic bottle towards Klopp from the top balcony of the Main Stand.

Van Dijk was fortunate to escape with only a yellow card for catching Onana above the ankle, while Alisson tipped over from the substitute Dwight McNeil and Pickford denied Firmino for a third time as both sides pressed for a winner. It almost arrived in the 95th minute when Robertson broke down the left and Díaz turned his ball on to Salah. His low shot finally beat Pickford only to strike the base of a post. The rebound hit Diogo Jota, making his first appearance of the season, but sailed wide with the goal gaping.