Everton's long wait for a derby win continues after the fourth consecutive Premier League draw between the two clubs at Goodison Park.
The game was marred by two VAR decisions at either end of the game that went in favour of Everton. VAR failed to check a red card offence when Jordan Pickford took Virgil van Dijk out of the game, and then Sadio Mane was adjudged offside at the end of the game when Jordan Henderson what he believed was the winning goal.
It was a rare derby in the sense that Everton started the day top of the table - a feat not achieved in a Merseyside derby since 1989.
Liverpool selected Thiago - his first start in a Liverpool shirt, and he partnered Fabinho and the returning Henderson in the middle. At the back Joel Matip was selected ahead of Joe Gomez - the casualty of the reds heavy defeat to Aston Villa.
Things started well for Liverpool when three minutes after emerging through the Goodison Park car-park, Sadio Mane latched on to an Andy Robertson cross to drill into the net.
Moments later the reds had the pressure building when at the back post, Jordan Pickford smashed through Virgil van Dijk. A scissor kick off the ground across van Dijk's right leg.
The Liverpool player was hurt but all attention from VAR was on whether or not it was offside.
As it happened: Everton 2-2 LFC
As van Dijk hobbled off the pitch, bizarrely not a word was spoken to the Everton keeper.
Eventually Joe Gomez arrived on the pitch to replace van Dijk who missed part of a Premier League game for the first time in two years.
In the 20th minute, Everton got an equaliser. James Rodriguez delivering the ball to Michael Keane who headed it above Adrian.
Both Mane and Thiago had chances to put the reds back in front before the break but they went in level.
The second half saw some early moves by Liverpool - Fabinho sending a shot over the crossbar in the opening sixty seconds but it was Mo Salah who put the reds back into the lead when he smashed a shot past Pickford.
The Everton keeper made a couple of good saves, notably from a Matip header, to keep his side in the game and it was Dominic Calvert-Lewin who headed in from a Lucas Digne cross to settle the scores level once more at 2-2.
The game turned increasingly ugly with yellow cards beginning to be shown but it was Richarlison who was eventually red carded for a horrible challenge on Thiago. Everton finally reduced to ten men, but it was the 89th minute.
Jordan Henderson had the ball in the Everton net in stoppage time...
But it was ruled for *this* offside call in the build-up 😳 pic.twitter.com/BJ2N2qc1jN
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) 17 October 2020
Liverpool pushed and it was Jordan Henderson who believed he had scored a 92nd minute winner. But then VAR intervened once more and adjudged, by the incorrect drawing of a line, that Sadio Mane was offside. Goal chalked off and the points shared.
Liverpool's attention now turns to the Champions League and a game against Ajax.
