Liverpool hold off Everton for a point

Liverpool survived a late spell of Everton pressure to stretch their record unbeaten run in Merseyside derbies to 17 games with a 0-0 draw at Goodison Park that consolidated their hold on third place in the Premier League on Saturday.

Neither Mo Salah nor Roberto Firmino featured in a Liverpool starting line-up that included five changes from the one that faced Manchester City in midweek but Juergen Klopp's side still had the better of the game with Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford pulling off impressive first-half saves from Solanke, Milner and Van Dyke.

Liverpool keeper Loris Karius also had to be at his best to deal with a curling shot from the otherwise ineffectual Yannick Bolasie although Everton seldom showed the forward momentum to threaten his goal.

Wayne Rooney was clearly unhappy to be substituted for the fit-again Idrissa Gueye early in the second half but the impetus remained with Liverpool, who brought on Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Firmino, until a frantic final 10 minutes in which Seamus Coleman and Dominic Calvert-Lewin went close to grabbing an unlikely winner for the home side.

Both keepers were predictably happy with not conceding in a game in which both...