Everton v Liverpool: Premier League - as it happened

http://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2015/feb/07/everton-v-liverpool-premier-league-live

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7.22pm GMT19:22

Full time: Everton 0-0 Liverpool

Another Goodison draw, then. Steven Gerrard looks deflated, there’s no fairytale ending for him in Merseyside derbies. Unless something daft’s going to happen in the Europa League. Something daft’s not going to happen in the Europa League, is it?

7.21pm GMT19:21

90 min +2: Mignolet lumps a goal kick upfield. Lambert, under it, concedes a pointless free kick. Barkley makes good for the Liverpool box, but loses possession soon enough.

7.20pm GMT19:20

90 min +1: Liverpool take a throw-in. If there was more to report, I’d report it.

7.19pm GMT19:19

90 min: Barkley can pick a pass all right. He slides one down the inside-right channel to release Lennon into the area. Lennon, on the byline, whips one into the middle, but Mignolet claims at his near post. There will be three added minutes of this tumult.

7.18pm GMT19:18

89 min: Not much of note is being achieved at the moment. A lot of nervous energy about; it’s very frantic. “Lambert?” wonders Marie Meyer. “Rodgers really is a sentimental softie, isn’t he?”

7.17pm GMT19:17

88 min: And now Gerrard nearly writes the fairytale script! Barkley gives the ball away in the middle, allowing Sturridge to romp off down the left. The striker passes infield for Gerrard, who connects first time on the edge of the D. He’s looking to sidefoot powerfully into the bottom left, but the effort’s well wide.

7.15pm GMT19:15

87 min: Everton nearly win it! Barkley slides a pass down the right for Coleman, who is in acres of space! He takes a step into the box and unleashes a riser towards the top left. It’s heading in, but parried brilliantly by Mignolet. That’s Everton’s first shot on target.

7.15pm GMT19:15

85 min: A double change by Everton. Barkley comes on for Naismith, while Besic is replaced by Alcaraz. Just before the switches, Lukaku wasn’t far away from meeting a deep Barry left-wing cross with a header from 12 yards.

7.13pm GMT19:13

7.13pm GMT19:13

84 min: Sturridge, on the left, shuttles the ball inside for Gerrard, on the edge of the Everton D. Gerrard further moves it on for Lambert, who turns and looks to slash a diagonal shot into the bottom left. He doesn’t catch it properly.

7.12pm GMT19:12

83 min: Lambert, 30 yards out and under a high ball, chests down and attempts a power volley. It’s blocked at source by Stones. Liverpool have turned it up a little here.

7.11pm GMT19:11

82 min: Can rolls a ball down the right for Sturridge, who fires a low cross into the area for Gerrard. Jagielka toes out for a corner on that side. Before it can be taken, Sterling is replaced by Lambert. The resulting set piece is a waste of everyone’s time.

Updated at 7.11pm GMT

7.09pm GMT19:09

80 min: That mini spat has enlivened things, though. Sakho - not for the first time today - is caught dawdling on the ball, by Lennon, and Liverpool are nearly opened up down the right. A ball’s eventually swung into the box, Skrtel heading clear. The crowd are up for this again, though. It’s on! A ten-minute classic, please!

7.08pm GMT19:08

78 min: Wahey! It all kicks off! Ibe and Besic tangle, the latter pinning the former to the deck. Then Henderson and Naismith jog over, exchange words, and suddenly the blue funk descends on both players. For a second, it looks like blows might be exchanged, Henderson giving it the bouncer eyes, just as he did to Diego Costa the other week. But it all calms down quickly enough. Henderson and Besic are booked, and to be fair the pair are soon exchanging smiles, with twinkles in the eyes. There’s lovely.

Updated at 7.30pm GMT

7.06pm GMT19:06

76 min: Lukaku gets the better of Can this time, though, bombing down the left and breaking towards the box. Moreno, tracking back to help, concedes the corner. The set piece is a nonsense, Lennon eventually slicing the ball into the stand, Mignolet not threatened at all.

7.04pm GMT19:04

75 min: Can and Lukaku have a dribbling contest to the left of the Liverpool area. For a second it looks like the striker will power clear into the box, then Can digs his way out of trouble. Eventually the pair end up in a tangled heap of legs and arms, like clothes straight out of the washing machine. Free kick to Liverpool, though it was a fairly equal fight. And a pleasantly entertaining diversion. Yes, it’s come to this.

7.02pm GMT19:02

73 min: ... and with the box loaded, fails to beat the first man. That’s poor, but in keeping with much of this game.

7.01pm GMT19:01

72 min: Ibe zips past Oviedo yet again. He’s put on his face by the full back, an incredibly clumsy attempt from behind to win the ball. A booking, and a free kick, 25 yards out, level with the right-hand edge of the Everton area. Gerrard takes ...

7.01pm GMT19:01

7.00pm GMT19:00

70 min: Ibe skins Oviedo down the right. The pull back finds Sturridge, who can’t get a powerful shot away at close range. Then Can dances into the Everton area down the right, a real twinkle-toed effort in a tight spot. He slips the ball back to Moreno, who blooters miles over the bar. That’s a little better from Liverpool, if still not particularly great.

6.58pm GMT18:58

69 min: Now Coleman, in spaces down the right, finds the middle of the Gwladys Street End with his cross. Nobody in the stadium’s particularly happy right now.

6.57pm GMT18:57

68 min: Jagielka, on the halfway line, hoofs a ball straight upfield into the arms of Mignolet. There wasn’t anyone within 20 yards of the keeper. Dearie me.

6.56pm GMT18:56

67 min: Coleman turns the gas on, and wheechs down the right, leaving Moreno for dust. He exchanges passes with Lennon, then crosses towards Lukaku, but Skrtel clumps a header clear, then the flag goes up for offside. That’s better from Everton, though.

6.54pm GMT18:54

65 min: Allen clatters into Naismith again. A free kick for Everton, 35 yards out, on the left. It’s cleared without fuss by Skrtel. Nothing much is coming off right now, for Everton or Liverpool. It’s pretty poor stuff at the moment, in fact, if we’re being honest with ourselves.

6.52pm GMT18:52

62 min: Henderson tries the same thing, but down the other channel. He nearly springs Sterling free, but Coleman steps in to intercept. A fine read by the Everton full back. Here’s Justin Kavanagh re the Everton fan’s good old-fashioned double two-fingered salute to Gerrard (10 mins): “He’s going to miss that in California when they’ll be shouting ‘nice play, dude!’ and giving him the double two-fingered peace sign.”

Updated at 6.52pm GMT

6.50pm GMT18:50

61 min: Henderson, from the centre circle, rolls an exploratory pass down the inside-right channel. It’s overcooked, and out of play for a goal kick, but wasn’t far away from releasing Ibe into the box. That would have been something, if it had come off. On the touchline, Brendan Rodgers gives his vice-captain the thumbs up.

6.48pm GMT18:48

60 min: Liverpool are pressing Everton back, albeit without threatening much. The home side respond by swapping Mirallas for Lennon, who comes on to make his Everton debut.

6.46pm GMT18:46

57 min: It’s gone scrappy again. Everton will be happy enough to disrupt Liverpool’s early second-half flow, though.

6.44pm GMT18:44

55 min: Coutinho, perhaps as a precautionary measure, having felt the force of Besic’s challenge towards the end of the first half, is withdrawn in favour of Sturridge. The new man takes Sterling’s place up front, with Sterling dropping back into Coutinho’s playmaking role.

6.43pm GMT18:43

53 min: Coutinho slips a lovely ball down the inside-left channel to release Sterling, who shoots straight at Joel from an admittedly tight angle. The corner, from the left, drops to Gerrard, who executes a spectacular bicycle kick, level with the right-hand post, 12 yards out. The ball’s flying goalwards, but skims off Naismith’s head and out for three rugby points. The next set piece comes to nothing. But Liverpool have carved out a few chances since the restart, and Everton need to regroup quickly.

Updated at 7.03pm GMT

6.41pm GMT18:41

51 min: McCarthy gives the ball to Coutinho, who sprays a pass down the inside left for Sterling to run onto. Sterling enters the area and looks for the bottom right, but his shot is weak and easily snaffled by Joel. Everton are doing their level best to self-destruct here, though. Really daft mistakes.

6.40pm GMT18:40

50 min: Barry nearly gifts Liverpool the lead. He loses the ball cheaply to Coutinho, who has Ibe and Gerrard to his right, with only Stones back for Everton. But he’s caught between shooting and passing, and does neither, finding Stones instead. The Everton defender does his best to give Coutinho a second chance at working an opening on the edge of the area, but eventually Gerrard is flagged offside.

6.38pm GMT18:38

49 min: ... and curls a mighty fine effort inches wide of the bottom-left corner. I think Mignolet might have been able to turn that round the post were it on target. But a decent effort from distance, nevertheless. That would have wiped out his moral debt from that penalty against West Brom, and then some.

6.37pm GMT18:37

48 min: Allen clips Naismith’s ankles, a totally unnecessary challenge which gives Everton a free kick, 30 yards out, just to the left of goal. Mirallas looks as if he’s got the top corner in his sights. He steps up ...

6.35pm GMT18:35

47 min: All a bit scrappy since the restart. The atmosphere’s dropped a couple of notches, too. Plenty of time for these two teams to address that.

6.34pm GMT18:34

The teams are out again, and we’re off! No changes. Naismith had landed on his head while clambering over Allen (16 mins) and for a while in the first half it looked as though Barkley might replace him. But he’s out and about again. Liverpool get the ball rolling.

6.23pm GMT18:23

Half-time feelgood factor: Just in case you missed it, the BBC were interviewing random folk on the streets of Liverpool earlier this week, asking them for their favourite Merseyside derby memories. The reporter, Tony Wilson soundalike Stuart Flinders, innocently asked one gentleman if he could remember a particular FA Cup encounter in 1967 ... only to discover he was talking to Liverpool legend Tommy Lawrence, who played in the game!

Lawrence is one of the great under-rated keepers. Never mind the two league titles and FA Cup, perhaps his most lasting contribution was the way he modernised the role of the goalkeeper during the 1960s. Don’t take my word for it, here’s Jonathan Wilson:

In England the first real exponent of the sweeper-keeper’s art was Liverpool’s Tommy Lawrence. Nicknamed the Flying Pig for the way he would charge from his line, his willingness to act as an additional defender allowed Liverpool to play with what was, for the time, an aggressively high offside line.

And who’d argue with Jonathan Wilson? Tommy Lawrence: a modest man, but unquestionably one of the greats.

6.18pm GMT18:18

Half time: Everton 0-0 Liverpool

And that’s that for the opening 45. Like we said at the start: high-octane, if not particularly distinguished. Entertaining, though, with Liverpool coming closest through Ibe’s pearler. The second period should be fascinating. No flipping!

6.16pm GMT18:16

45 min: Coutinho is upended by Besic, and grimaces quite a lot. Looks like he’s twisted his left knee in a robust but fair challenge. He immediately signalled to the bench, but that might have been more in panic than pain. After a mop down with a damp sponge, he’s trotting around again.

Updated at 6.29pm GMT

6.13pm GMT18:13

43 min: Ibe has the better of Oviedo right now. He teases him again, down the right, and wins a corner out of not very much. Coutinho’s delivery is, however, appalling.

6.11pm GMT18:11

40 min: Sterling is upended down the right wing. Liverpool load the box. Gerrard elects to slip a surprise ball left for Can, whose looped forward ball is easily cleared by Everton. What a waste of good field position. Liverpool guilty of over-thinking, there.

6.09pm GMT18:09

39 min: Mirallas - who was brilliant at Anfield despite Everton’s 4-0 loss last January - steals the ball off a sleeping Allen. He should be rewarded for his bustling efforts with a corner kick, the ball coming off Can, who had come over to help. But no dice.

6.08pm GMT18:08

38 min: Lukaku powers down the left after a long ball, and so nearly gets the better of Can, who was looking concerned until the flag went up for offside.

6.07pm GMT18:07

37 min: McCarthy is booked, and rightly so, for a fair old lunge on Coutinho. He doesn’t insult the referee’s intelligence by complaining, instead taking his medicine like an adult.

6.06pm GMT18:06

36 min: Coutinho drops a shoulder, cuts in from the left, and attempts to recreate his winner at Bolton. All good until the final execution, as the ball loops harmlessly into Joel’s hands. Liverpool have drawn a little of Everton’s sting in the last couple of minutes, and the crowd quieten accordingly.

6.04pm GMT18:04

34 min: After a quiet period, Liverpool apply a little pressure. Ibe, Sterling and Coutinho are all heavily involved in a move of Extreme Triangulation back and forth across the front of the Everton box. But the home team hold firm, closing all gaps. Eventually both momentum and ball are lost.

6.02pm GMT18:02

32 min: Barry launches long for Lukaku down the left. He’s very nearly clear in the box, but Skrtel holds his line and bundles the ball away before a shot can be struck in anger. Though Mignolet hasn’t had a shot to save yet, Everton look the more likely to break the deadlock right now.

6.00pm GMT18:00

29 min: Everton stroke it around the back awhile, opting to take a little heat out of the game. But suddenly they spring forward through Mirallas down the right. His first cross is cut out by Sakho, the second by Skrtel. He’s causing all manner of trouble. Right at the start of Everton’s move, Sakho was hustled off the ball by McCarthy and Naismith. Everton are playing a pretty impressive pressing game right now.

5.57pm GMT17:57

26 min: Ibe skitters down the inside-right channel, teasing Oviedo this way and that. Then, 30 yards out, he unleashes a rising heatseeker towards the top left. It’s off target, but only just, battering the left-hand post and away to safety. What an effort from the young man!

Updated at 6.12pm GMT

5.55pm GMT17:55

24 min: Before Naismith could be treated, Liverpool had launched an attack, unaware of the stricken Everton player’s status. Sterling chases a long ball down the left, and is nearly released into the box, but Stones holds his ground. Sterling claims a penalty when the ball hits Stones on the arse, which is cheeky all right. Naismith’s back on, by the way.

5.53pm GMT17:53

22 min: Coleman goes on a barnstorming run down the right. He loops a cross into the middle. Can should cut it out, but misjudges his leap. The ball falls to Naismith, who is clear, ten yards out, but perhaps surprised by the ball’s arrival, miscontrols. And it looks like he’s injured himself while twisting his body in a futile effort to connect. He’s down receiving treatment, anyway.

5.51pm GMT17:51

20 min: Lukaku and Naismith ping a couple of passes together down the inside-right channel, nearly opening up Liverpool again. Sakho is on hand to steal possession before the decisive pass can be made. But Everton, after a slow start, are beginning to impose themselves.

5.50pm GMT17:50

19 min: Naismith nearly bustles clear into the area, down the inside-right, after a stramash on the edge of the Liverpool box. Skrtel gets a toe in to poke out for a corner, before the Everton man can cock his leg back to shoot. The corner comes to nothing.

5.49pm GMT17:49

17 min: A strange business here, as Sterling screws a shot from the left channel across the face of goal. Ibe should get to the loose ball first, but hesitates, perhaps unwilling to clatter Joel, as he might do if he arrives quickly. The ball bounces out of play on the right, apologetically, when for a while it appeared Ibe would be sidefooting into an empty net.

5.47pm GMT17:47

16 min: That’s a big loss for Liverpool. Lucas has been exceptional of late. Joe Allen was anything but against Bolton during the week. Then again, Allen’s developing a habit of drawing fouls from the opposition. Neil Danns fouled him twice to get himself sent off in the Bolton game, and now Naismith’s penalised for clambering all over him, Allen’s first act of the match.

Updated at 6.08pm GMT

5.45pm GMT17:45

15 min: It’s all over for Lucas, who appears to have a problem with his thigh. Looking extremely unhappy, he walks off with the left-hand leg of his shorts hoicked up, to illustrate the problem. Joe Allen will be on in a minute.

5.43pm GMT17:43

12 min: Crystal Palace Simon Mignolet comes out to play, hoicking a simple pass straight out of play down the left. He’s been decent of late, to be fair, but that’s just inviting trouble. Besic comes back at Liverpool, rolling a ball down the left-hand channel in the hope of springing Naismith free. Can steps across to snuff out the danger in a very calm manner.

5.41pm GMT17:41

10 min: Barry fairly agriculturally upends Coutinho, 25 yards out, just to the left of goal. Gerrard takes the free kick. It’s heading for the top left, but is tipped over by Joel. Magnificent effort, magnificent save. Behind the goal, a Everton fan gestures to Gerrard, a good old-fashioned double two-fingered salute, her hands thrust into the air several times so there’s no ambiguity. Marvellous. She should get a free season ticket for that. Nothing comes of the corner.

Updated at 6.11pm GMT

5.39pm GMT17:39

8 min: Sterling chases after a long ball down the left. Joel comes out to claim, but backtracks. Sterling attempts to beat the retreating keeper at the near post, but can only find the side netting. Coutinho was screaming for a pull-back on the edge of the area, and has a face on as a result.

5.38pm GMT17:38

7 min: Sakho decides to embark on a Beckenbaueresque run from deep on the left. He’s quickly dispossessed by Naismith, but the Everton man’s flick for Mirallas down the wing finds his team-mate offside. Seconds later, Mirallas is zipping down the same flank, whipping a low cross into the area. Mignolet is out quickly to smother.

5.36pm GMT17:36

5 min: Coleman rolls a ball down the right for Mirallas, who appears to be shoved to the floor by Sakho. But there’s no decision. Everton make do with a throw, from which the ball’s pumped fairly aimlessly into the Liverpool box.

5.34pm GMT17:34

3 min: A free kick for Liverpool, 30 yards out to the left. Gerrard’s deep set piece, meant for Skrtel, is easily cleared by Everton, who break upfield. Lukaku rakes a pass down the inside-left channel for Mirallas, who lets the ball clank between his legs. A quick return ball would have split Liverpool in two there. Both teams already showing their attacking intent.

5.33pm GMT17:33

2 min: Ibe makes good down the right. He shifts the ball inside for Sterling, who drops a shoulder and makes spaces on the edge of the box. He should shoot, really, but opts to shift left to Moreno, who is in acres. Moreno romps into the box, but his pull back isn’t much cop. Everton breathe again.

5.31pm GMT17:31

And we’re off! Everton get the ball rolling, kicking towards the Park End Stand in the first half. One hell of a roar. Everton launch it long, and Moreno shoves McCarthy in the back. This’ll be a free kick in a dangerous position, 30 yards out, down the right. The ball’s swung into the area, and headed powerfully clear by Skrtel. A high-octane, if not a particularly distinguished, start.

5.28pm GMT17:28

The teams are out! What an atmosphere, as hands are shaken and coins are tossed. You don’t need to be told, but we’ll say it anyway. Everton play in their famous blue strip ...

... while Liverpool are clad in red.

5.07pm GMT17:07

Everton honour the 96. A plaque has been unveiled at a pre-match ceremony by Everton chairman Bill Kenwright and Margaret Aspinall, chair of the Hillsborough Family Support Group, in memory of the fans who lost their lives on that terrible day back in 1989. Kenny Dalglish and Colin Harvey, the managers of Liverpool and Everton that year, were also in attendance. Here’s to justice.

4.45pm GMT16:45

An eye-opener in each starting XI. For Everton, Leighton Baines is missing, a knee injury keeping him out. His place is taken by Bryan Oviedo. Meanwhile Liverpool hand only a second Premier League start to 19-year-old winger Jordon Ibe. Now, a fixture with the status of the Merseyside derby doesn’t necessarily need such a boost, of course, but unexpected team changes - whether through injury or curveball selections - always an extra frisson to a match, don’t they? The appetite’s whetted, that’s for sure. The last two stagings of this fixture ended 2-2 and 3-3. Another 4-4 to file alongside the famous Cup game of 1991, then? Few would complain.

4.33pm GMT16:33

The teams

Everton: Everton: Robles, Coleman, Stones, Jagielka, Oviedo, McCarthy, Besic, Barry, Mirallas, Lukaku, Naismith.Subs: Gibson, Kone, Barkley, Lennon, Browning, Alcaraz, Griffiths.

Liverpool: Mignolet, Can, Skrtel, Sakho, Ibe, Henderson, Lucas, Moreno, Gerrard, Sterling, Coutinho.Subs: Johnson, Lovren, Lambert, Sturridge, Allen, Markovic, Ward.

Referee: Anthony Taylor (Cheshire)

Updated at 4.38pm GMT

4.00pm GMT16:00

Nine Merseyside derbies have been and gone since Everton last tasted victory in one. That was a 2-0 win back in October 2010, Tim Cahill and Mikel Arteta scoring the goals that registered a result more comprehensive than the scoreline makes it sound. “I refuse to accept that we were in any way outplayed or inferior,” insisted Roy Hodgson after the game, his voice barely audible over the twittering of the little birds circling his head, or the spinning of his eyes, clanking around in their sockets on a hot wash programme.

Leighton Baines, Seamus Coleman, Phil Jagielka, Tim Howard and Sylvain Distin all contributed to that fully deserved win. Still around at Everton, they’ll be telling their stories in the dressing room today, in the hope of encouraging the Toffees to end a sticky run in this fixture.

Only two present Liverpool players recall the pain of that day:

Joe Cole and Paul Konchesky

Steven Gerrard and Lucas. One has been mentioned in dispatches this week more than the other, for obvious reasons, as Gerrard faces Everton for a final time, ending a journey that began back in April 1999, when he came on for Vegard Heggem in the 71st minute of a 3-2 win at Anfield. Since then, this local hero has scored ten times against Liverpool’s rivals, a total including the only Merseyside derby hat-trick of the Premier League era. He’s also been sent off twice. The sort of star around whom things just seem to happen, he’ll be missed when he leaves, all right. But time waits for no legend, and arguably it’s Lucas who is more vital to the general health of the Liverpool midfield these days. Anyway, the pair will be as anxious to keep Liverpool’s current run going, as Baines, Coleman, Jagielka et al are of ending it.

Both teams are in form, sort of. Liverpool have won eight of their last 14 matches in all competitions, losing only at Manchester United and Chelsea. Everton meanwhile ended a miserable run last week with a win at Crystal Palace, their first in nine matches. Spirit restored, just in time for the big one. Everton will fancy their chances tonight, especially if they consider how they should have won at Goodison last season, and denied the Reds late on at Anfield earlier in this campaign. Liverpool have high hopes, too, having trounced their rivals 4-0 at Anfield back in January. It should all make for some spectacular entertainment tonight. The 225th Merseyside Derby, ladies and gentlemen, is on!

Kick off: 5.30pm.