Liverpool held by Everton in return to Premier League action

Liverpool were held to a scoreless draw in their return to action in the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park.

Everton’s Tom Davies narrowly misses a chance against Liverpool at Goodison Park. Picture: AP

There was no victory for Liverpool on the northern hemisphere’s longest day of the year, which could mean an even longer wait to clinch the Premier League title.

When you’ve been waiting 30 years – and then had the coronation delayed by three months because of a pandemic – patience can be expected.

The quietest of the 236 Merseyside derbies, with fans denied access to Goodison Park, produced no goals as Everton held Liverpool to a 0-0 draw on Sunday.

“Everton was obviously here to make our lives difficult,” Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said. “And they did.”

Watch European Football with beIN SPORTS and ESPN on Kayo. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >

Liverpool are still an unprecedented 23 points clear at the top of the Premier League. A victory over Crystal Palace on Wednesday at Anfield could seal the title.

That scenario requires Burnley not losing to second-place defending champion Manchester City on Tuesday morning (AEST).

But with eight games remaining, Liverpool have plenty of breathing space to end the drought and win their first domestic championship since 1990.

After a 103-day wait to return to league action, Liverpool’s attacking potency had been neutered with Mohamed Salah not fit enough to come off the bench.

“Physically it was really intense,” Klopp said. “We didn’t have enough chances. Most of the time we were dominant but they had the biggest chance.”

That came for Carlo Ancelotti’s side with 10 minutes to go when Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s shot was saved by Alisson and a follow-up from Tom Davies hit the post. Alisson was alert again to deny fellow Brazilian Richarlison as the game came to life in the closing stages.

“The players are rusty,” Calvert-Lewin said. “It was a strange game. It was bizarre with a game of this magnitude. Usually the place is bouncing and it was hard to get used to at first.”

“We missed the fans a lot,” Everton defender Michael Keane said. “But once you are playing a derby you still have that tenacity about the game.”

At times, the dominant sound was a saxophonist’s melody filtering in from the outside on this cool evening as the Premier League was contested on the day of the summer solstice for the first time in a season that should have ended a month ago.

“Everyone is just happy to be back,” Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk said. “We didn’t lose and it is another point towards our goal.”

At Chelsea, with the impending arrivals of Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner, Christian Pulisic and Olivier Giroud could find game time increasingly hard to come by next season.

They gave manager Frank Lampard a reminder of their qualities against Aston Villa.

Pulisic scored five minutes after coming on as a substitute and Giroud added a second soon after, as Chelsea rallied for a 2-1 win at Villa Park to strengthen the team’s hold on fourth place. Chelsea are now five points clear of fifth-placed Manchester United.

And if Saudi Arabia’s sovereign fund does eventually complete its protracted purchase of Newcastle United, it will take over a club almost guaranteed to be in the Premier League next season.

A 3-0 win over 10-man Sheffield United lifted Newcastle 11 points clear of the relegation zone with eight games remaining.

Allan Saint-Maximin, Matt Ritchie and Joelinton scored after John Egan was sent off in the 50th minute for a second yellow card.

AGENCIES