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Pickford blunder heaps more Anfield heartache on Everton

Liverpool 1 - 0 Everton

Everton were seconds away from another hard-fought goalless draw away at a top-six side but were beaten by Divock Origi's goal deep into stoppage time as the Liverpool substitute capitalised on an error of judgement by Jordan Pickford.

The England star appeared to try to catch a looping ball back into the penalty area as it dropped towards his crossbar but ended up gifting it to Origi who only had to nod home from close range.

It was rough justice on Marco Silva's men who had done enough to win the match based on the chances they carved out in the first half but didn't really get going sufficiently in the second to secure what would have been a first win at Anfield in 19 years.

Silva named an unchanged line-up for the third successive game which meant Yerry Mina partnering Michael Keane at centre-half, Bernard playing left wing and Richarlison deployed as the central striker once more and Everton made a good start.

Mina came very close to opening his account when he connected with a third-minute free kick from the right but steered a downward header just wide.

Then, in the 21st minute, it looked as though Andre Gomes had to score his first Premier League goal but was denied first by Allison Becker and then Joe Gomez on the line. Theo Walcott had cushioned Bernard's cross back to the Portuguese who stopped to head from three yards out but the keeper made himself big and the defender did well to slide the ball off his goal-line from the rebound.

In between, Sadio Mané had blasted over and Roberto Firmino had fired wide and Richarlison had had a dangerous run aborted when he overran the ball as he bore down on Liverpool's goal.

Walcott would see a similar chance go begging as Allison did enough to force the winger into knocking the ball behind for a goal-kick as he tried to round the Brazilian. Meanwhile, Pickford came up trumps to make a good stop to divert Xherdan Shaqiri's shot wide after Idrissa Gueye had given up possession near the halfway line.

Liverpool emerged from the half-time break the stronger of the two sides and went close when Mohamed Salah flashed an effort inches past Pickford's post, Mané wasted a great opportunity following Michael Keane's mistake when he side-footed wide and the Senegalese forward missed with another effort from the edge of the box.

Everton introduced Ademola Lookman after Walcott was forced off with an ankle injury and they began to refind their attacking rhythm. Seamus Coleman popped up on the overlap but couldn't find a blue jersey with his cut-back and Bernard had a decent sight of goal but couldn't curl it on target from 20 yards.

The Blues' revival in the game from an attacking point of view never really materialised, however, and it was the reds who looked the more dangerous in the closing stages, Coleman having to come across to clear the ball ahead of Origi in the 87th-minute before the substitute striker smacked a shot off the crossbar as the match headed for a draw.

The drama was reserved for the final minute of stoppage time, though, when Liverpool won a free kick, the ball was lumped forward and initially cleared by the Everton defence. Virgil van Dijk sent it back into the box with an improvised flick that looked to be sailing harmlessly over. Pickford tracked the flight of the ball, assumed it might drop under his crossbar and tried to make the catch but could only bounce it onto the woodwork where Origi was ready to pounce.

The result extends Everton's miserable run in Merseyside derbies to a ninth year without a win and to two decades since Kevin Campbell last ensured victory for a Blues side at Anfield.

Everton remain in sixth place with back-to-back home games to come against Newcastle and Watford.

 

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