Liverpool continued their patchy start to the season this afternoon, drawing 0-0 with Everton in the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park.
It was an entertaining game, one both sides will come away from feeling they could have won.
Jurgen Klopp's side created more chances, with Jordan Pickford having an excellent game in the Everton goal. He made a number of brilliant saves, including this one from Mo Salah deep into injury time.
Right until the bitter end! 💪
Jordan Pickford comes up with a HUGE performance to keep Liverpool out and earn Everton a point at Goodison Park. pic.twitter.com/HAarf0LLlb— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) September 3, 2022
As for the home side, they spurned a number of opportunities of their own.
They had a goal disallowed after a tight offside call, while Neal Maupay missed a one-on-one opportunity in the second half. In the end, a draw was a fair result.
BT Sport panel identify major Liverpool shortcoming
While Liverpool did create a few chances in this game, there was a sense that they were still lacking a bit of precision in attack.
Their linkup play in the final third left plenty to be desired and their final ball let them down on a number of occasions.
Speaking on BT Sport, the punditry trio of Duncan Ferguson, Rio Ferdinand, and Peter Crouch said that the team were lacking the trademark runs in behind that had made them such a dangerous opponent in the past. They felt the sale of Sadio Mane had a lot to do with that.
Ferguson: Thery're just not the same, are they?
There's something missing there with that spark up front. They're not as clinical as they were before.
They're not making the nice penetrating runs that they used to make, not as much anyway.
Ferdinand: I think that's a great point.
Them penetrating runs from outside to in, from the two wide players especially to support the centre forward, that's a big threat that they aren't doing as much. The ball is not being played, or it is not being played as much? That's something they've got to work out.
That's one thing they've got work out, but the midfield area is so important for them.
Crouch: Countless time Mane has come up up trumps in games like this when it's really tight and their backs are against the wall.
I'd say they're missing him, but hindsight is a wonderful thing. [Darwin] Nunez will come good I'm sure.
Mane had only one year left on his Liverpool contract, meaning that the club had little option but to sell him this summer if they did not want to lose him for nothing in 2023.
Darwin Nunez was brought in to add to their forward option, and while he had an impressive start, he has missed the last three games due to suspension and was a bit off the pace this afternoon. Mohamed Salah has put up some good numbers this season, but he has also looked a bit less dangerous than we have become accustomed to seeing.
Jurgen Klopp will be hoping that a return to fitness for a number of his injured stars will help ease the issues in the team. They can't afford to drop too many more points in the coming weeks if they want to make a sustained title challenge this season.
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