FA Cup - Everton hold Liverpool again

Eurosport - Mon, 26 Jan 08:30:00 2009

Liverpool drew 1-1 with Everton at Anfield in the FA Cup fourth round, the Merseyside rivals' second such result in a week.

2008-2009 Liverpool Everton Steven Pienaar Albert Riera - 0

After Monday's draw in the Premier League, the teams again could not be separated as Joleon Lescott's close-range header was cancelled out by a low Steven Gerrard strike.

The consequence is a third derby, this time at Goodison Park, with a place in the last 16 still at stake for the winners of the replay.

Although Liverpool dominated much of the game, Everton will feel they let their neighbours off the hook, as Gerrard's 54th-minute equaliser came courtesy of a mistake by goalkeeper Tim Howard.

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez's commitment to the FA Cup has never been absolute - the Reds' 2006 triumph notwithstanding - but he took this fixture seriously enough to give goalkeeper Pepe Reina only his sixth appearance in the competition in four seasons.

There was another blow to Robbie Keane's rock-bottom confidence as the Irishman was left out of Liverpool's 18-man squad, as Benitez played Fernando Torres as a lone striker with David N'Gog on the bench.

Everton boss David Moyes picked his strongest available side, but that still meant no Mikel Arteta, with the Spanish midfielder sidelined after suffering a rib injury in training.

On Monday, Liverpool lost the lead against Everton after they lost track of Tim Cahill and the Australian headed a late equaliser.

Lightning struck for the second time in six days with 27 minutes gone, as the shortcomings of Benitez's zonal marking system at set-pieces were once again exposed.

Cahill and Lescott are clearly Everton's biggest aerial threats, but both men found enough space to combine for the opening goal. Cahill met Steven Pienaar's corner with a firm header goalwards, and Lescott deflected it to ensure Reina had no chance.

Contrast Liverpool's slackness with the touch-tight marking from Everton, with Phil Jagielka rarely letting Torres beyond his grasp. The Spaniard showed sharpness and some nice touches, but never had the space to show his explosive acceleration or deadly finishing.

It was not all bad from the home side - they enjoyed 70 per cent possession and completed more than three times as many passes as their opponents in the first half. Despite all this, they were unable to muster a goal attempt worthy of the name as Everton keeper Howard's activities were restricted to dawdling over goal-kicks.

Liverpool's frustration was personified by Jamie Carragher, who was so incensed at what he perceived as time-wasting by Howard that he pursued referee Steve Bennett down the tunnel at half-time and earned himself a booking for dissent.

The second half began in much the same pattern, with Liverpool dominant but unable to land a significant blow - then suddenly they were level.

It came from a piece of magic by Torres. The Spaniard collected the ball on his chest just inside the Everton half with his back to goal, and somehow played Gerrard clear with a sublime flick of his left boot.

Gerrard raced through and struck low towards the near post with his left foot. Somehow the ball eluded Howard and fizzed into the net.

Liverpool poured forward in search of a winner. Howard partially redeemed himself with a good save from a Gerrard volley, while Torres had a close-range shot blocked.

But Everton proved too well organised and the tie now travels across Stanley Park to Goodison.

Sporting Life / Eurosport

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  1. Dr Mark Lunt is your hatred of the people of Mersydide­ as strong as ever ?

    From Nicholas, on Tue 17 Feb 12:23AM

  2. Dr Mark Lunt is your hatred of the people of Mersydide­ as strong as ever ?

    From Nicholas, on Tue 17 Feb 12:23AM

  3. Dr Mark Lunt is your hatred of the people of Mersydide­ as strong as ever ?

    From Nicholas, on Tue 17 Feb 12:23AM

  4. Dr Mark Lunt is your hatred of the people of Mersydide­ as strong as ever ?

    From Nicholas, on Tue 17 Feb 12:23AM

  5. It was only a mistake by howard that liverfool got a­ draw from this game...FACT.

    From David, on Mon 26 Jan 7:45PM

  6. DOES ANYONE ELSE LAUGH TO THEMSELFS WHEN THEY THINK­ THAT THE BITTER BLUE @#$%E ARE ALL MADE UP WITH A­ DRAW....HAAAHAAAHAAAHHAAAA PROPER MUGS! THEY WERE­ BOUNCIN OFF THE WALLS LIKE THEY HAD JUST WON SOMETHING­ WHEN THE FINAL WHISTLE WENT, IN BOTH GAMES! YOU WOULD­ NEVER GET A LIVERPOOL FAN CHEERING IF WE GOT A­ DRAW.
    JUST FACE FACTS EVERTON, UR A SMALL CLUB WITH­ FANS THAT CELEBRATE FOR A DRAW....U MAKE ME LAUGH,­ ALWAYS BE IN OUR SHADOWS. THERES ONLY 1 CLUB IN­ LIVERPOOL.

    From robbiedaley, on Mon 26 Jan 4:37PM

  7. For all the money in the world i wouldn't swap the­ spirit everton have in the team. They had half a team­ out in both games and still liverpool superstars could­ not beat them. Oh its great please to all liverpool­ fans carry on moaning and making excuses.

    From mattykerry, on Mon 26 Jan 2:54PM

  8. Well done Everton, Everyone outside the so called top­ four are very proud of you and Villa for @#$% up these­ so called top four big guns,
    @#$% to what Benitez, and­ the rest of the morons have to say about Moyes tactics­ as he's got them absolutely spot on, its obvious­ that it is killing them to think that a team without a­ recognized striker in the squad can be causing them so­ much grief and damage to their teams of of so called­ superstars.
    I am a Man City Fanatic but i will be­ cheering Everton on all the way to the FA Cup final

    ­ "C'mon you Toffee's!!"

    City Til'­ I Die!!

    From Billy, on Mon 26 Jan 11:41AM

  9. think about this everton pose 2 play gd away an­ liverpool r playin @#$% at home an they still cant beat­ us even da manks t**ts couldnt beat us at home wigan­ 2morrow chelsea sunday we beat them

    From stephenkeown, on Mon 26 Jan 11:21AM

  10. Re Sean O-B. Fact: You know fu*k all about football.­ Fact: Liverpool are better away than at home. Fact:­ Gerrard is one of (if not) the best attacking­ midfielder in Europe.
    Fact: Now Fu*k off and take up­ knitting.

    From liverpool_lad_52, on Mon 26 Jan 11:18AM

  11. Fact : Liverpool do not have enough creativity to make­ the difference at home or away - proven by the­ draws.
    Fact : Everton used their resources effectively­ yesterday and were rock solid 90% of the time at the­ back.
    Fact : Benitez is tactically challenged and­ can't get his point across to players - proven by­ Everton's goal.
    Fact : Liverpool seem to think that­ Gerrard is a God, look at his overall game - very­ overrated.
    Fact : Benitez, Gerrard, Carragher all think­ Liverpool are better than they are, and deserve to win.­ Consistency is the key to success, only JC (Jamie) is­ consistent for the reds, get more like him and change­ the coach and the approach and it might turn around.
    I­ am a neutral football fan, but on my reckoning only a­ mistake from the keeper yesterday kept Liverpool in the­ FA Cup.

    From Sean O'B, on Mon 26 Jan 10:29AM

  12. maybe if everton tried to play football instead of­ building a wall in front of their goal then there might­ of been a decent match of football with a few more­ goals in it. everton are meant to be a good team so why­ not try and win the match instead of just survive! and­ to all u di*kheads taking the pis* out of scoucers why­ dont you go to liverpool and say them rather than­ sitting behind ur computer with virtual @#$%!

    From peter.mcaloon, on Mon 26 Jan 10:01AM

  13. Such games are no draws, they are defeats!

    From gordon.merk, on Mon 26 Jan 9:07AM

  14. Moyes should disproof Rafa by playing same with ManU­ and Chelsea. He should show us he always try to win by­ winning them.Then I will accept he is not aiming­ @Liverpool alone

    From Michael, on Mon 26 Jan 8:42AM

  15. everton must win at goodison park this time around to­ progress to the next round

    From oyedeji, on Mon 26 Jan 8:12AM

  16. HAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA why do u­ liverpool fans think you`ll beat everton 5-0?

    IT WAS­ 1-1 AND EVERTON DOMINATED THE POSSESION

    From Nath, on Mon 26 Jan 7:55AM

  17. Benitez ....... stop moaning, your team has drawn more­ games at home than any other because you are incapable­ of breaking teams down. You have 50 million pounds of­ strikers and if it wasn't for a mistake by our­ keeper you would be out.
    Everton have an English back­ four, with an English midfielder. Our two substitutes­ are English U21 Internationals and we have an English­ attacking midfielder in Leon Osman ........ I am proud­ of them all we are the future of English football along­ with teams like Villa as we develop English talent­ ..... Stop Moaning

    From Gazza, on Mon 26 Jan 4:46AM
  18. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    gerrad hate keane cus his wife wan divorce gerrad for­ keane

    From nthk8, on Mon 26 Jan 4:35AM
  19. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    keane secretly admire gerrad wife..tats y he was left­ out of the team.

    From nthk8, on Mon 26 Jan 4:34AM

  20. cmon liverpool!

    From nthk8, on Mon 26 Jan 4:33AM
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