Final, 1-1: It’s over at Anfield. The 223rd Merseyside derby ends in a draw.
Liverpool and Everton claim a share of the points. The first Mersyside derby of 2014-15 may have lacked the bite and quality of past meetings between Liverpool and Everton, but the wonder-goals provide memories that will live in the minds of both sets of fans for years to come.
Gerrard’s spectacular free kick looked like it would win the game for Liverpool, but Jagielka’s rocket strike brought Everton onto level terms.
The Reds will be disappointed not to have won this game. Liverpool may have lacked a spark but it created better and more numerous scoring chances than Everton. Howard’s heroics kept the Toffees in the game throughout, and Jagielka snatched a result from the jaws of defeat.
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The draw stops the teams’ recent slide and the performance suggests their respective defensive woes are easing. But a point won’t help Liverpool or Everton gain ground on rival teams who also are chasing spots in next season’s European competitions.
Liverpool’s next game is Wednesday. The Reds travel to Basel for their second UEFA Champions League game of the season. They take on West Brom in the Premier League next Saturday.
That’s all for now and thanks for joining us. Let’s discuss this one on Twitter @NESNsoccer and Facebook. Be sure to keep an eye out for some news, fan reactions, analysis and opinion that is on the way on NESN.com.
90th minute +4, 1-1: Barry tries to win the game with a back-heel flick, but his effort misses the target.
9oth minute +1, 1-1: Jagielka beats Mignolet with a rocket, and Everton has its equalizer.
A clearance came to Jagielka, and the Everton defender hit a powerful half-volley past Mignolet.
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90th minute, 1-0 Liverpool: There will be three minutes of stoppage time in the second half.
87th minute, 1-0 Liverpool: Lambert comes on for Balotelli.
86th minute, 1-0 Liverpool: The teams exchange passages of possession without creating anything from it, as the game nears its conclusion.
81st minute, 1-0 Liverpool: Eto’o shoots way over the crossbar from 30 yards out.
81st minute, 1-0 Liverpool: Balotelli volleys a spinning shot wide. His frustrating day continues.
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80th minute, 1-0 Liverpool: Eto’o replaces Besic.
Martinez is taking off a midfielder and bringing another forward into the mix, as Everton searches for the game-tying goal.
73rd minute, 1-0 Liverpool: Browning replaces Hibbert in Everton’s first substitution. Browning is making his Everton debut.
Sterling has caused havoc on the right side of Everton’s defense, and Martinez is changing his fullback to contain the Liverpool star.
71st minute, 1-0 Liverpool: Henderson fires a quick shot on goal, but Howard saves it.
67th minute, 1-0 Liverpool: The teams exchange chances.
Lukaku comes agonizingly close to heading a cross toward Mignolet, but it bounces into the arms of the Liverpool goalkeeper.
Then Sterling beats Hibbert with his speed and crosses to Balotelli, but Howard saved the Italian’s shot from point-blank range off of the crossbar.
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65th minute, 1-0 Liverpool: Gerrard curls home a free kick, and Liverpool takes the lead.
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Balotelli won a free kick 25 yards out. Gerrard hit it around the Everton wall into the goal. Howard got his hand on it but couldn’t keep it out.
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62nd minute, 0-0: Naismith hits a powerful shot on goal from 25 yards out, but it goes straight to Mignolet.
60th minute, 0-0: Coutinho replaces Markovic, as Rodgers makes his first substitution.
59th minute, 0-0: Balotelli tries to shoot from distance, but it hits Henderson and goes astray.
57th minute, 0-0: Both sets of fans are groaning nervously, as the teams misplace a few passes.
Coutinho looks like he might enter the game soon.
53rd minute, 0-0: Lovren rises to head a corner kick, but he collides with Balotelli, and his header misses the target.
Balotelli is struggling to make a positive impact in his first Merseyside derby.
46th minute, 0-0: Balotelli tumbles inside Everton’s penalty area, but the referee declines the Italian’s non-appeal.
46th minute, 0-0: The second half of the Merseyside derby is underway.
Halftime, 0-0: That’s the end of the first half. It’s goal-less at Anfield.
The Merseyside rivals played an open and entertaining first half but failed to break the deadlock. The teams have been focused and well-organized defensively but lacked enough quality in the final third to find a breakthrough.
Liverpool will be aggrieved not to have been awarded a penalty kick for Barry’s apparent hand-ball, as will Everton for Moreno’s challenge on Lukaku a few minutes prior.
Howard also made four big saves, keeping Liverpool off of the scoreboard.
Mirallas’ injury didn’t disrupt Everton’s play too much.
Liverpool has appeared disjointed going forward. The Reds are dangerous on those rare occasions when they launch counter-attacks, but their forwards are struggling to link-up with the midfield and each other when Everton’s defense is set.
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45th minute, 0-0: There will be a minimum of two minutes of stoppage time in the first half.
44th minute, 0-0: Henderson wins the ball off of Barry in the midfield, surges forward and finds Sterling with a through-ball.
Sterling shoots from a tight angle, but Howard repels it. The Everton goalkeeper has made a number of saves — both routine and difficult —Â in the first half.
43rd minute, 0-0: Balotelli goes it alone and shoots on goal from 20 yards.
41st minute, 0-0: Markovic hits a curling shot over the crossbar.
41st minute, 0-0: Skrtel received treatment on the sidelines and is back in the game.
38th minute, 0-0: Skrtel now is down on the field. The Liverpool center back is taking off one of his cleats, and Toure is warming up.
Skrtel appeared to land awkwardly after an aerial duel with Naismith.
34th minute, 0-0: Lukaku has another long-range effort, but Mignolet easily saves the poorly hit shot.
33rd minute, 0-0: Balotelli misses out on a pair of chances — headers — by a matter of inches.
31st minute, 0-0: McGeady replaces the injured Mirallas.
29th minute, 0-0: Mirallas is down on the field clutching his hamstring. The Belgian’s in obvious pain, and it doesn’t look like he’ll be able to continue.
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29th minute, 0-0: Henderson takes aim at the top corner, but Howard bats it away.
26th minute, 0-0: Baines pushes into Liverpool’s penalty area, shrugs off Markovic’s challenge and sends a cross into Liverpool’s goal-mouth. It beats Mignolet, but Lovren clears the danger.
22nd minute, 0-0: Lukaku launches a long-range shot on Liverpool’s goal, but it goes straight to Mignolet.
Lukaku has lined up on the right side of Everton’s three-pronged attack. Naismith is playing centrally with Mirallas on the left.
18th minute, 0-0: After a frantic opening, the game is starting to settle down. The teams are establishing a rhythm to their passing games but have been unable to break down the opposing defense in recent minutes.
11th minute, 0-0: Lallana heads Gerrard’s corner kick on goal, but Howard turns it away.
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10th minute, 0-0: Balotelli’s long-range free kick bounces in front of Howard, and the Everton goalkeeper saves it.
Ninth minute, 0-0: Barry is playing with fire. The 33-year-old midfielder clumsily fouls Balotelli and was lucky not to have been cautioned for it.
Eighth minute, 0-0: Now Liverpool players and fans want a penalty kick and a sending off after Sterling’s shot hits Barry’s out-stretched arm.
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The referee rules the contact incidental.
Sixth minute, 0-0: Sterling cuts inside and shoots with his right foot, but it doesn’t trouble Howard.
Fifth minute, 0-0: The Everton fans are clamoring for a penalty kick after Moreno and Lukaku became entangled on the edge of Liverpool’s area. The referee declines the Toffees’ appeals.
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Second minute, 0-0: Barry is cautioned for a late tackle on Lallana.
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Kickoff: The 223rd Merseyside derby is underway at Anfield.
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Pregame: Markovic, Manquillo, Lallana and Sterling retain their places in the starting 11, despite playing 98 (in the case of the former) and 120 minutes (in the latter three), respectively, against Middlesbrough on Tuesday.
Skrtel, Lovren, Moreno, Gerrard and Henderson will provide the fresh legs against Everton.
Howard will be in the spotlight Saturday. Howard has made some high-profile errors in recent weeks, but Martinez is resisting calls to take the American goalkeeper out of the line of fire.
Hibbert makes a long-awaited return to the starting lineup. The veteran defender will play right back in the absence of the injured Seamus Coleman.
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7:15 a.m.: Here are the lineups:
Liverpool
Simon Mignolet (22), goalkeeper
Alberto Moreno (18), left back
Dejan Lovren (6), center back
Martin Skrtel (37), center back
Javier Manquillo (19), right back
Steven Gerrard (8), midfielder
Jordan Henderson (14), midfielder
Adam Lallana (20), midfielder
Raheem Sterling (31), forward
Lazar Markovic (50), forward
Mario Balotelli (45), striker
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Substitutes
Brad Jones (1), goalkeeper
Kolo Toure (4), defender
Jose Enrique (3), defender
Lucas (21), midfielder
Philippe Coutinho (10), midfielder
Suso (30), forward
Rickie Lambert (9), striker
Everton
Tim Howard (24), goalkeeper
Leighton Baines (3), left back
Phil Jagielka (6), center back
John Stones (26), center back
Tony Hibbert (2), right back
Gareth Barry (18), midfielder
James McCarthy (16), midfielder
Muhamed Besic (17), midfielder
Kevin Mirallas (11), forward
Steven Naismith (14), forward
Romelu Lukaku (10), striker
Substitutes
Joel Robles (1), goalkeeper
Antolin Alcaraz (30), defender
Tyias Browning (27), defender
Darron Gibson (4), midfielder
Leon Osman (5), midfielder
Aiden McGeady (7), forward
Samuel Eto’o (5), striker
7 a.m. ET: Records and form will go out the window when Liverpool hosts Everton on Saturday.
The Reds and the Toffees will face off at Anfield in the 223rd meeting between the two clubs which call Liverpool, England home. The Merseyside derby will be the teams’sixth Premier League game of the 2014-15 season, and both are looking to ignite their campaigns with a win over their local rival.
Liverpool has sputtered at the start of the season and currently sits 11th in the Premier League standings. Injuries have taken their toll on the Reds’ form, and new arrivals are continuing to adapt to life at the club. Manager Brendan Rodgers has vowed to go back to basics in order to better integrate new players into his set-up, and the Merseyside derby will provide a great platform for Liverpool to rediscover its swashbuckling style of play.
Everton also has struggled at the start of the Premier League season and it currently occupies 14th place in the standings. The Toffees are among the highest goal scorers in the league but they also have the worst defensive record in the top flight. Manager Roberto Martinez must strike a better balance between attack or the Toffees’ slide will continue.
Liverpool-Everton kicks off at 7:45 a.m. Stay right here for all the action.
Brendan Rodgers bringing Liverpool back to basics >>
Photo via LiverpoolFC.com
