Everton, Liverpool Fire Blank
Liverpool were held to a drab goalless draw by Everton in a Premier League match sandwiched between their Champions League quarter-final ties against Manchester City.
Reds boss Jurgen Klopp made five changes from the 3-0 win over City in midweek, choosing not to risk Premier League top scorer Mohamed Salah.
And, as the game wore on, he substituted midfielder James Milner and forward Sadio Mane, perhaps with one eye on Tuesday’s second leg at Etihad Stadium.
The draw meant Liverpool missed the chance to move above Manchester United into second – they are a point behind their north west rivals, who have two games in hand.
In a largely subdued first half, both home goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and the visitors’ Loris Karius were extended.
After the break, the only heated moments came when Wayne Rooney reacted angrily to being substituted, and Danny Ings and Seamus Coleman briefly clashed.
The hosts pushed hard for a winner late on, but missed four good chances as it finished honours even.
Everton, who stay ninth, have gone 15 league derbies without a win, going back to a 2-0 victory in October 2010.
Referee Michael Oliver did not book anyone, only the second time that has happened in a Merseyside derby in the Premier League.
Salah, who injured his groin in midweek, has scored 38 goals so far this season, 29 in the league.
He was left out of the squad at Goodison Park along with left-back Andrew Robertson, while Trent Alexander-Arnold, Roberto Firmino and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain dropped to the bench.
Defender Nathaniel Clyne made his first start of the season after recovering from injury, and forward Danny Ings made his first start under Klopp, his first for the club since October 2015.
The Reds missed the movement of Firmino and Salah, but they did have chances in the first half.
Dominic Solanke headed wide, then had an instinctive shot from point-blank range saved by Pickford, who also kept out James Milner’s curler.
But the Reds struggled after the break, failing to register a shot on target.
Oxlade-Chamberlain was given a 20-minute cameo, while Firmino failed to make an impact after his late introduction.
