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.
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.
Comment 114 - 133 of 153
I CLICKED ON TO THIS SITE THINKING IT WAS ABOUT FOOTBALL .... SORRY MY MISTAKE, AFTER LOOKING AT MOST OF THE COMMENTS IT SEEMS AS IF I HAVE LOGGED ON TO A LUNATIC ASYLUM.
I had no interest in watching the games at present....I found a hot place, you guys should try it ___Wealthy beauty co m_____a great place for rich people to meet their soul mates....
Rattled?.
LoL you guys crack me up.
Sunday was Evertons cup final.
Drawing in the league is a pain in the *ss but other teams will slip up.
The main thing is we are joint top.
How many players from the everton side would get into the liverpool team.lol
And if he could afford them how many players would david moyes LOVE from our team.
Derby games throw statistics out the window,no matter what format ,league or cup.
We'er only just over 1/2 way through the season!!!!!!.
If you have reason to,make your retarded remarks when the seasons finished,might give you enough time to come up with something original.
The b*llocks you guys come out with shouldn't even be on this forum.
Are you all on a curfew? tagged? lol.
As the toffees seem to have the measure of raffas efforts it really does show just how rattled the red half of liverpool are....contenders for a trophy?...nah, more chance of rc allcock finding a girlfriend!
Where was Robbie Keane, has he gone back to Spurs? :D (joke)
Everton should have won this one, bad mistake by Howard. For all of Liverpools possesion they did not look that good. Everton will have Arteta and Fallini back for replay and at Goodison. I think Everton will win that one.
U scouse muppets make me laugh. Dom, Carlos Quieroz left last year to manage portugal, and as for post 110 utds game is moved forward 2 days which will suit better anyway. U muppets are @#$% coz you have a @#$% manager and @#$% players and can only fit 44,000 clowns in to fall asleep watching your sorry football.
....@#$%'S-R-US.....
mark lunt leave him now
he has been reported and will be away for a while
i think rafa is shafted now
all over rafa
stopcock hahahahahahahahahaa
rc you live up to it for sure
my name's erolflinn, if anyone's a @#$% it's me !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
alcock hahahahaha still makes me laugh... he lives up to his name
RC_PLEASE_STOPCOCK
RC_farrelvellozaCOCK
Dr Mark Lunt please do not stop with your diatribe.
John Perkins your Dean at the university I feel sure
will be mst impressed with one of his Senior Lecturers
enhancing the reputation of his University..........
RC, go and get yourself a life rather than put all this garbage online,what age would you be, i would say about eight. FREAK.
RC_WHERE'S_HE_GONE_COCK
RC_smallCOCK...
PUBLIC LAVATORIES
LIVERPOOL
MERSEYSIDE
LI7 6YP
Please login to post a comment
Not already a Yahoo! user ? Sign up to get a free Yahoo! Account