Liverpool mustered up a limp 0-0 draw with Everton.
Well feed me nails and call me rusty! It was disappointing scare at Goodison Park for Jurgen Klopp and the Reds, as Everton have the better of the chances with only 30% of the ball.
Liverpool could manage only three shots on goal while dominating possession with 70% of the ball. Sound familiar? This was a difficult game to watch if you are a Liverpool fan.
The gaffer used all of his available subs; two of which came to bolster the defense.
James Milner went off in the first half with an apparent thigh issue, after getting the nod for Andy Robertson. Robertson has a niggling issue which left him off the 20 man squad.
Joel Matip started in central defence next to Virgil van Dijk, and played well into the second half. Dejan Lovren replaced him in the last sub window. Joe Gomez replace Milner in the first half. So The Reds used six defenders. Six!
When was the last time a Liverpool side used six defenders?
This disruption of the defensive flow made Everton the bigger threat to score in both halves. It was obvious the missing Scotsman played a significant role.
Every time Lovren comes in I hold my breath. He just isn’t good enough to play in this league.
True to form, he could not keep up with the likes of Richarlison. He always seems a step and a half slow or out of position due to a simple lack of quickness.
https://twitter.com/LFC/status/1274840017853087745
Everton had their best chance after he took the field. He always seems to be running in wet cement.
Jordan Pickford had a quiet easy day of it, he could have brought a sack lunch and a lawn chair. Hell, he didn’t even get his hair mussed up. I doubt he broke a sweat.
Looking to strike the Reds quickly on the counter was obviously part of Ancelotti’s game plan, and on at least three occasions they nearly pulled it off. Be forewarned, the rest of the league is watching.
Overall team rating: C-