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Liverpool's title hopes dealt with yet another blow after a goalless stalemate to Everton at the Goodison Park as Manchester City are back at the summit.
The Reds, coming off the back of three draws in five previous games, needed a win to preserve the top spot. However, the Toffees frustrated their mighty neighbors with some brilliant defending though not conjuring up anything special up front.
Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, Fabinho, and Sadio Mane all came close at various points in the match, but none could find the back of the net.
The result knocks Liverpool off their perch and they now trail Pep Guardiola's title favorites by a point with nine more games to go in the season. Here are all the major talking points from the Merseyside derby:
#1. Liverpool spurn numerous goal-scoring chances
Unlike the goalless draw to Manchester United last week, Liverpool fashioned better and more clear cut opportunities here. However, the result was the same, courtesy of some frustrating wastefulness in the box.
Liverpool had left the Toffees on the tenterhooks with a fast start to the match, but the first real chance fell to Salah when he caught the Everton defense napping and ran through on goal, but was denied by Jordan Pickford when one-on-one.
Later on, Fabinho was presented with another opportunity but was late to react to a loose ball as Lucas Digne cleared the danger with a crucial interception. Salah then came to a cropper again when his poor cross was easily caught by Pickford as Liverpool once again broke forward in a promising counter.
Frustrations in the Liverpool camp were simmering by now, and Firmino did little to water it down when his header off a corner harmlessly bounced off to irrelevance.
Despite creating numerous chances and taking 10 shots, the visitors were left undone by an annoying lack of end product. If Liverpool are to really win the league, they need to rediscover their swashbuckling best which swatted teams aside in the first half of the campaign.
#2. Jordan Pickford rises to the occasion
The Everton shot-stopper turned heads with his talismanic goalkeeping for England at the World Cup last summer, and even though he couldn't quite replicate those heroics for the Toffees so far, Pickford served a timely reminder of his brilliance with a blinder today.
The Englishman was solid all night, standing firm in the face of adversity and frustrating Liverpool with his crucial stops and saves. He denied Salah at around halfway through the opening stanza with a reflex save, while Pickford also did well to catch crosses into the box by Andrew Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
He was never given a moment's rest as the Reds piled up the pressure after the break, but Pickford remained unbowed. He communicated well with Everton's backline and also punched clear a few corners that the visitors tried to get something out of.
There were occasions where Everton's solid defense was beaten, but Pickford rose to the occasion and ensured they don't concede.
#3. Divock Origi fails to impress in his rare start
Scorer of the winner in the reverse fixture, Jurgen Klopp chose Origi alongside Mane and Salah in a three-pronged attack as first-choice striker Roberto Firmino was struggling to attain full fitness after a recent knock. The Belgian had a great chance to impress his manager and make a case for himself. He would, however, be kicking himself for having blown it.
Origi offered little to no threat going forward. He looked like a fish out of water on that left flank, completely devoid of ideas and also some service. He did won three aerial tackles and made one himself, but left a lot to be desired in the job he was supposed to.
Forget scoring, Origi didn't muster even a single shot on target. His only real highlight of the match was a nutmeg he pulled on Seamus Coleman, but the Irish international ensured even that was short-lived as he recovered the ball instantly.
Origi was subbed off just minutes after the hour mark for Firmino, and it isn't a coincidence that Liverpool looked even more threatening after that.
#4. Jurgen Klopp makes questionable calls
The German gaffer maybe one of the most shrewd tacticians in modern football, but he has come a cropper in crucial moments in his managerial career. You can add today's match to that list.
As Liverpool huffed and puffed in search of a winner in the dying embers, he decided to sub Mane, who was bright all night, and bring on Adam Lallana instead! That's two blunders in one move.
No offense to Lallana, but his significance in the title race has been little to nothing as the former Southampton man has not scored in almost two years for the club. Why would you choose a player like that when you have attacking talents like Daniel Sturridge and Xherdan Shaqiri on the bench?
Both have proved to be impactful subs at various points in the season, but Klopp's ignorance is both laughable and amusing in the same breath. Plus, he shunted Origi on the left while he could have simply played Sturridge down the center and let Mane thrive in his natural habitat.
#5. The ball is in Manchester City's court again
Pep Guardiola's swashbuckling side ceded top spot in December when a run of two consecutive defeats let Liverpool take the pole position in the league. However, the Merseyside derby draw ensures they are back on top again and the ball is now in their court now.
The Cityzens have an easier run of games barring the trip to Old Trafford and the visit of Tottenham. But in all honesty, even if you take the latter game out of the equation, it leaves us with just one particular game where they could realistically drop points from now till the end of the season.
With only a single point separating the sides, it's, of course, the slimmest of margins. But, there are worrying times ahead for Klopp and his team, who have now dropped eleven points in the last nine games. The steam is visibly running out, and at the most inopportune time.
Manchester City holds the advantage again, but there are nine more games to go. The home stretch of the campaign promises to be really intriguing!
