Everton played out a pulsating 0-0 draw against Liverpool at the Goodison Park in a lunchtime kickoff.
In a game that swung from end to end, Tom Davies hit the woodwork for Everton while Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz suffered a similar fate for Liverpool.
Everton keeper Jordan Pickford turned Nunez’s shot on to the bar brilliantly and also denied Liverpool substitute Roberto Firmino on three separate occasions while Mohamed Salah hit the post again in the final seconds.
Former Liverpool defender Conor Coady thought he had broken the deadlock against his former club when he turned in debutant Neal Maupay’s shot but the goal was disallowed after a lengthy VAR intervention.
As well as Coady’s disallowed goal, Everton forced two outstanding saves from Liverpool keeper Alisson as he denied Maupay and Dwight McNeil, whose shot was deflected towards the top corner.
Pickford shows why he’s England’s best
Jordan Pickford has barely made a mistake for England and yet has to deal with constant noise about his position being under threat.
Manager Gareth Southgate ignores it and Pickford is making his case by displaying the finest form of his career at Everton.
Pickford was magnificent in this goalless draw with a succession of outstanding stops to keep Everton on level terms, although there was also much to admire from Frank Lampard’s side in other areas.
He displayed great athleticism to turn Nunez’s shot on to the bar in the first half, showed great reflexes and agility in denying Firmino three times, and then pounced at his near post to touch Salah’s shot on to the post with virtually the last kick of the game.
It would have been harsh on Pickford to end up on the losing side after a performance that must rank among the finest of his career.
Liverpool still not firing
Liverpool may have picked up successive Premier League wins against Bournemouth and Newcastle United but there is still something missing from the team that chased four trophies right to the end of last season, winning the FA Cup and EFL Cup.
Some of Liverpool’s big players are nowhere near their best – and although Jurgen Klopp’s side had plenty of chances here, Everton also troubled them.
Fabinho laboured once more in midfield with the youth of Harvey Elliott and Fabio Carvalho alongside him, although the latter only last 45 minutes.
Even though the visitors were denied by the woodwork three times, as well as by the inspired Pickford, this was still way short of their best.
Trent Alexander-Arnold was disappointing once more before he was substituted and while Liverpool carried threat, they were also vulnerable at the back with Virgil van Dijk shown a yellow card for a crude challenge on Amadou Onana.
Klopp will be delighted to have seen Diogo Jota back in action as substitute late on but the overall result will disappoint a manager so well versed in victory over recent years, with only two wins and nine points – the German’s lowest points tally with Liverpool after six Premier League games.
