Everton managed to frustrate Liverpool in their title bid as they played out a 0-0 draw in the Merseyside derby on Sunday. Jurgen Klopp’s side had the opportunity to retain their top position in the standings with the win, but that was not meant to be with the Toffees producing a resolute defensive showing. The stalemate sees Liverpool trailing leaders Manchester City by the sole point, while Everton complete the top half of the table in the 10th position.
Two things we learned:
Everton’s renewed defensive showing: Everton’s defensive showing was far from impressive during the early stages of February which attributed to concerns regarding Marco Silva’s position. However, the 17-day gap in between has helped them refocus and they have managed back-to-back shutouts against Cardiff City and Liverpool. In that, their efforts in the Merseyside derby can be highly applauded, given the Reds were restricted to just three shots on target while their defensive awareness was impressive with Michael Keane leading the performance. The England international has endured a tough time with the Toffees this term but he came up with a fantastic last-ditch tackle on Mohamed Salah when he was primed to score prior to the hour mark.
Liverpool’s form becoming a concern: The Merseyside outfit had a comfortable five-point gap over Manchester City at the beginning of the previous month and they had the chance to sustain the advantage. However, that has not been case and a run of two wins and three draws has witnessed the Citizens edge ahead of them by the single point. Still, there are nine matches remaining for the Reds to fight back, but their destiny is no longer in their hands with Pep Guardiola’s side assured of the title, should they sustain their five-match winning run for the remainder of the campaign. Liverpool will switch their attention to Champions League action in midweek where they are scheduled to face Bayern Munich in the away leg of the last 16. The first leg at Anfield ended in a goalless stalemate.
Image – Getty