After 30 years of waiting for another league title, a three month delay is manageable for Liverpool supporters. Needing to get back to match sharpness and without a baying crowd, it was safe to say that this match wouldn’t have the usual intensity of a Merseyside derby though.
Carlo Ancelotti set up his side in their usual 4-4-2 formation, while Jurgen Klopp went for Liverpool’s typical 4-3-3.
Despite the circumstances, both teams put in impressive shifts, with the ball zipping around at a much higher pace than the norm post-lockdown.
Liverpool were looking to press Everton high up the pitch and, while the home side reverted to the back three strategy that saw Seamus Coleman tuck in from full-back, kept André Gomes and Tom Davies ahead of them, and often pulled back loads of players at goal kicks to help pass out, more often than not they would send the ball long towards Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Drawing Liverpool forward to press with short passes then going long to their two strikers one-versus-one against Liverpool’s centre-backs has been a common tactic against Liverpool this season, but it rarely troubles them and here was no different.
This left Everton focussing on defending. They pressed less than they usually do, with Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison instead concentrating on stopping the passes into midfield. This also ensured that Gomes and Davies in midfield weren’t forced to push up behind them and risk leaving space for Roberto Firmino and Takumi Minamino between the lines.
Everton generally played in two narrow lines of four, although the wide midfielders might drop back into the defensive line following the Liverpool full-backs into attack.
Liverpool’s set-up wasn’t optimal for breaking down a solid defence though. Firmino and Minamino looked bright, but they were both essentially trying to do the same thing and operating in the same limited space.
Right-footed James Milner, replaced by right-footed centre-back Joe Gomez, wasn’t ideal for stretching play on the left and, without Mohamed Salah on the right, it was left to Sadio Mane to do the running in behind while Minamino and Firmino dropped off, ensuring there was little width down the left flank.
Liverpool never really got in behind down the right side either. Fabinho would sometimes drop into the backline, allowing them to stretch wide and Joel Matip to push forward with the ball.
Sometimes it was Jordan Henderson that would drop in though. With Trent Alexander-Arnold preferring to stay in a withdrawn position to curl crosses into the box (which he never quite found his range for in this game), Henderson dropping deep left no one to provide width down the right. Even when Henderson stayed forward, he would rarely make runs in behind the Everton defence.
Naby Keita carried the ball into attack a few times, but Liverpool’s focus on progressing the ball through Matip on the opposite side meant he had little opportunity to influence the game.
At half-time Klopp switched Minamino out for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. More direct than the Japanese and more willing to run in behind than Henderson (as well as being better technically), the Englishman was an obvious selection to add width. Despite this, he took up similar positions to Minamino. Liverpool looked for Oxlade-Chamberlain on the counter several times early on in the second half with long balls for him to chase, however in the more patient build-up it was still generally Alexander-Arnold and Henderson taking up the wide positions.
Klopp only really made like-for-like changes after that, bringing on Georginio Wijnaldum and Divock Origi for Keita and Firmino, then Dejan Lovren when Matip picked up an injury.
Liverpool maintained a high pace of passing as they moved the ball around but they struggled to create anything against a resolute Everton side who looked determined to match them. Everton had been pushed even further onto the back foot as Liverpool stepped up a gear in the second half, but they had the best chances of the game, narrowly missing on the counter.
It was by no means a poor performance by Liverpool – they actually looked sharper than they had done coming back from the brief winter break earlier in the year – but it does highlight their need for a proper backup to Andy Robertson. Milner was looking too slow to be playing as a full-back in a high line when he was a regular there years ago and he hasn’t got any younger since and, while Neco Williams looks ready to deputise for Alexander-Arnold, it still looks a bit early for Yasser Larouci to make that step up. Given how reliant Klopp’s system is on the full-backs, it doesn’t seem wise to be caught short in these positions.
The goalless draw leaves Liverpool needing just five points to confirm their nineteenth league title.
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