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 the post in the first half and Neal Maupay was denied a dream debut goal by an outstanding Alisson save.
Jordan Pickford was also exceptional for Everton, with brilliant saves from Darwin Nunez, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah preserving the Blues’ clean sheet.
Everton performed with energy, quality and controlled aggression throughout the game and were roared on from first minute to last by their appreciative fans.
The Blues survived what would have been a cruel sting in the tail when Salah's low drive was tipped onto the post by the magnificent Pickford 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 Everton
The atmosphere had already been ramped up by a rapturous team bus welcome and, 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 opening chance 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 Luis 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 Alisson did well to hold onto.
Davies Comes Close And Pickford Excels
Liverpool 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 post 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 Pickford when he athletically tipped a venomous 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 strike hit the inside of the post and came out to safety.
VAR Denies Everton, Gana Shines
The 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 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 Alisson 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 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 Alisson made an excellent one-handed save to deny him.
Pickford was at his very best at the opposite end, with Firmino twice brilliantly thwarted by the England stopper.
New signing Idrissa Gana Gueye was introduced into the action by this point and quickly got up to speed with the action, showcasing the dynamic midfield attributes which made him a favourite during his first spell at Everton.
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, 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 Pickford kept out Firmino again at full-stretch, the Everton keeper got a fingertip to Salah's effort deep into stoppage time to deflect it onto the post.
Goodison breathed a sigh of a relief, the full-time whistle blew, and Evertonians warmly saluted an outstanding collective performance from their team.
