Everton were held to a goalless draw in a breathless Merseyside derby as the Blues offered another exciting snapshot of what the future could hold under manager Frank Lampard.
Only a marginal offside call denied Everton victory, with Conor Coady’s close-range 68th-minute strike chalked off by VAR.
Tom Davies struck a post in the first half and Neal Maupay was denied a dream debut derby goal by an outstanding Allison save.
Jordan Pickford was also exceptional for Everton, with brilliant saves from Darwin Nunez and Roberto Firmino preserving the Blues’ clean sheet.
Everton performed with intensity, energy and controlled aggression throughout the game and were roared on to the final whistle by their appreciative fans.
The Blues survived what would have been a cruel sting in the tail when Salah struck the inside of the post deep into stoppage time.
As it was, the game finished goalless, and Everton’s relentless efforts were greeted with a loud and sustained ovation from the Goodison Park crowd.
Cacophonous Goodison Inspires EvertonThe atmosphere had already been ramped up by a rapturous team bus welcome, backed by a feverish Goodison Everton performed with the speed and intensity manager Lampard demanded.
The Blues were the more purposeful and threatening team in a thrilling first half which saw the woodwork struck three times.
Everton carved out the game’s first opening on eight minutes when Demarai Gray slid a through pass into Maupay’s path.
The Everton debutant’s shot was off target but was inches away from the onrushing Anthony Gordon, who would have been left with a tap-in at the back post.
That chance lifted the decibels inside Goodison and they were elevated further when Nathan Patterson was involved in tangle with Diaz, with the Liverpool man appearing to strike out at the Scot. Referee Anthony Taylor ruled there was no case to answer.
The first meaningful shot on target also came from Everton, with Gordon alighting on a second ball following a corner and belting an effort at goal which Allison did well to hold onto.
Davies Denied, Blues Survive Late FlurryLiverpool boast a host of quality players, of course, and did enjoy some spells of possession in the Everton half.
Their attacks were largely blunted in the opening period, though, by a well-drilled Everton side whose diligence and smart positioning was matched a tireless hunger to get to the ball and pressure their opponents.
In contrast, the speed and energy of Everton’s attacks were putting Liverpool’s defence on the back foot and the Blues came within fractions of opening the scoring on 32 minutes.
Boyhood Evertonian Davies was the man who almost made the breakthrough, striking the crossbar with a swerving outside-of-the-boot effort from just inside the box.
The away side did have a flurry at the end of the half Everton were indebted to the brilliance of Jordan Pickford when he athletically tipped a venomous Darwin Nunez shot onto the bar.
The Blues stopper could not have done anything about Diaz’s effort seconds later, with the Goodison crowd holding its collective breath as his effort hit the inside of the woodwork and came out to safety.
VAR Denies High-Octane EvertonThe 68th minute of the match saw Goodison erupt when Coady tapped in from close range following a low, driven Maupay cross.
That explosion of joy, however, would be short-lived as, after a lengthy VAR check, the strike was chalked off for a marginal offside.
The second half was an all-action, end-to-end affair, with both sides creating opportunities and Pickford and Allison showing why they are regarded as two of the Premier League’s finest goalkeepers.
Liverpool came out of the blocks quickly and a rising drive from full-back Konstantinos Tsimikas cleared the bar after he shot from a tight angle, before Nunez volleyed straight at Pickford.
Everton gradually started to play with the verve and vigour which characterised their first half display and Nathan Patterson saw a shot deflect agonisingly wide after lightning-quick attack.
An electric run by Gray then set up a golden Everton chance, when he cut the ball back to Maupay. The Frenchman looked poised to write his name into Everton folklore with a debut derby goal but Allison made an excellent one-handed save to deny him.
Pickford was at his very best at the opposite end, with Roberto Firmino twice brilliantly thwarted by the England stopper.
Then came Coady’s disallowed strike, as Everton sustained pressure following a corner and the centre-back applied the finishing touch. For the second game straight, though, Everton were on the wrong end of a marginal offside decision.
Liverpool came back at the Blues in the game’s final moments and, after the superb Pickford kept out Firmino again at full-stretch, Salah fired against the inside of the post deep into stoppage time.
Goodison breathed a sigh of a relief, the full-time whistle blew, and Goodison warmly saluted an outstanding collective performance from their team.
Paul McNamara / Everton FC