A late sucker punch
scuppered Liverpool’s hopes of kick-starting their season yesterday lunchtime.
As Phil Jagielka’s 30-yard strike thundered into the top
corner of the Kop end net in the 90th minute, dismayed Kopites
watched on with heavy hearts. Their hopes of a derby win that would breathe
life into Liverpool’s ailing League campaign had been well and truly dashed by
a bolt out of the blue from their greatest rival’s skipper.
It was a world class goal worthy of winning any game. Although
both teams shared the points, for Everton it felt as if they had picked up all three points, while
Liverpool suffered a crushing sense of defeat as the perfect opportunity to
kick start their season slipped away.
It had all started so surprisingly well. As is typical, the
Merseyside derby began at a frantic pace; Gareth Barry getting booked after
only 45 seconds, but Liverpool were the better side and made all the early
running.
Sterling and Lallana were particularly impressive, buzzing
industriously around the target man Mario Balotelli, who saw his first minute
free kick blocked by the Everton wall. Both sides then had fairly decent
appeals for spot kicks harshly turned down by referee Martin Atkinson.
First, Moreno was very lucky to avoid being punished for recklessly
felling Lukaku in the box. Then, Barry was even more fortunate to still be on
the pitch after raising his hands above his head to block Sterling’s goal-bound
strike. Had the 33-year old seen yellow for a second time at that point, the
match could have panned out entirely differently.
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| Moreno and Hendo's appeals fell on deaf ears |
As it was, after Howard had denied Balotelli and Lallana, the
early high tempo dissipated and the match began to settle into a familiar
rhythm, as Liverpool were dominant and did most of the attacking, but Everton
posed a considerable threat when they counter-attacked with energy and pace.
Organised and efficient at the back, Martinez’s men had
clearly worked on their defence, which had been the leakiest in the League. Although
Liverpool’s back four likewise looked tighter, they were tested far less frequently,
and when they were, issues still arose.
A perfect example came on the half hour mark, when Baines
was evidently hungrier for the ball than Markovic, winning it from the Serbian
in the area and nipping worryingly behind Liverpool’s lines before squaring dangerously
across the goal. Only a last ditch clearance from Lovren prevented the lurking
Lukaku tapping home.
Markovic didn’t fare much better at the other end either,
seeing his shot from range sail harmlessly wide on 41 minutes. The Serbian is
struggling to make an early impact on the team, and his replacement for the
final half hour Philippe Coutinho clearly had a far more positive effect, cleverly
engineering space and goalscoring chances with neat touches and quick passing
and generally adding a new lease of life to Liverpool’s attack.
The Reds had one final chance to break the deadlock before
the break, Henderson threading a great pass through for Sterling, whose shot
was saved by Tim Howard after the American stopper had intelligently worked the
angles so as to limit the amount of the goal that the teenage sensation had to
aim for.
Having had 16 shots on goal compared to Everton’s three;
Liverpool should have not only been in front, but out of sight by the end of the
first 45 minutes. Instead, they remained frustrated and disjointed, as
evidenced by Lovren colliding into Balotelli as he attempted to head home from
close range a few minutes after the restart.
Liverpool required a moment of magic to revitalise them and
reward their dominance. Thankfully, that bit of inspiration arrived halfway
through the second period and, as is so often the case, Steven Gerrard was the
one to step up to the plate and produce the goods in the Reds’ hour of need.
When Balotelli won a free kick on the edge of the box,
Gerrard took control of the situation, ushering away the Italian and proceeding
to curl a dipping effort into the back of the net. Admittedly, Howard should
have done much better as he got a very strong hand to the ball, but Gerrard and
the vast majority inside Anfield couldn’t have cared less.
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| "Who said I was past it?" |
Cupping his ear in celebration,
this was Gerrard’s way of silencing his critics, including those amongst the
rank of Kopites, and reminding them that he still has so much to offer the
team, even at 34.
The resurgent Reds pushed for another, Sterling skinning
Hibbert down the left and squaring to Balotelli, whose side footed effort
bounced against the bar. At first sight it seemed as if the Italian had missed
an unmissable effort, but, with the benefit of TV replays, Howard must be given
credit for producing a remarkable save, as he somehow managed to get his
shoulder in the way to deflect Balotelli’s shot against the bar.
Coutinho’s shot was blocked by Stones, before Henderson’s
follow-up effort was well saved by Howard and Balotelli’s low shot went wide as
Liverpool searched for the second goal that would kill off the game as a
contest. However, as the clock counted down, they nervously retreated
backwards, inviting pressure from the visitors, who duly punished them in the
closing stages with a sucker punch that you could sense coming.
Although there was nothing Liverpool could do to stop
Jagielka’s sensational 30-yard strike screaming into the net, it certainly didn’t
help that Lovren’s headed clearance went straight to him, while Moreno’s stupid
slide challenge on Lukaku moments after the restart gifted Everton a free kick
in a dangerous position, which Barry back heeled just wide. Had the Toffees
nicked an unbelievable late winner from that set piece, the Spanish new signing
would have had some difficult questions to answer.
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| A worldy from Jagielka stole a point for Everton |
At the end of the day, a draw that feels like a defeat does
little but prolong Liverpool’s stalled start to what has been a deeply
frustrating season so far. There’s nothing they can do but pick themselves up
and go again in Basel on Wednesday and then against West Bromwich Albion next
weekend. Two wins from those two fixtures might just make things look a little
rosier for the Reds.
YNWA
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