Anumber of last ditch opportunities went begging for Everton in Saturday’s Merseyside derby with a Liverpool team that had more than one eye on Tuesday’s Champions League return leg at Manchester City.
Mo Salah wasn’t risked following his knock in the European quarter-final with Roberto Firmino benched, giving rare starts to Danny Ings, Dominic Solanke and Ragnar Klavan, who deputised at left-back.
The Reds’ best chance came in the first half via young English forward Solanke, who fired a snapshot too close to Jordan Pickford and the keeper leapt well to deny James Milner soon after.
The Toffees grew in stature in front of their own fans and had Yannick Bolasie’s curling first half effort well parried wide by Loris Karius.
The second period made for a quiet derby encounter that broke into a flurry of late openings for Everton, Theo Walcott slipping at the vital moment from Leighton Baines’ cross before Seamus Coleman failed to connect with the goal gaping from Cenk Tosun’s knockdown.
It will therefore be Liverpool heading home happier, who escaped one final chance for the hosts just as stoppage time began, Dominic Calvert-Lewin failing find a solid connection in a goalmouth scramble to confirm the 0-0 draw.
