Everton and Liverpool met in the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park in their Premier League clash this afternoon.
Danny Ings put the Reds ahead in the 41st minute, but Romelu Lukaku struck on the stroke of half time to equalise for Roberto Martinez's side.
The Toffees upped the ante in the second half, but could not find a winner as the rivals shared the spoils in the 225th derby match.
Sports Mole takes a look at the match to see if the outcome was fair.
Match statistics
EVERTON
Shots: 14
On target: 4
Possession: 51%
Corners: 5
Fouls: 10
LIVERPOOL
Shots: 13
On target: 4
Possession: 49%
Corners: 11
Fouls: 19
Was the result fair?
The first half was an even contest at Goodison Park as both teams enjoyed spells of possession and good chances in front of goal. Eventually both teams managed to get on the scoresheet after spells of pressure due to poor defending as Ings capitalised from close range, while Lukaku also benefited from the ball landing in his path in the penalty area. In the second half, the Toffees dominated possession, but struggled to break down the Liverpool defence in the final third. Martinez's men did not carve out a clear-cut opportunity to really test Mignolet in the second period, so the draw was probably a just result.
Everton's performance
Everton came out of the blocks and took the game to the Reds in the opening stages as the match was played at a rapid tempo. The visitors managed to hit back and establish themselves in the contest, but the Toffees did a good job of riding out their spell of pressure to get their rhythm back. Steven Naismith should have put them ahead when he latched on to Ross Barkley's free kick, but the Scot was denied by a fingertip save from Simon Mignolet. The Belgian came to Liverpool's rescue again minutes later when the home side crafted another well-worked move in the box, but this time James McCarthy was denied.
As happens so often in the Premier League if you don't take your chances, you get punished and the Toffees were punished when Ings put the visitors ahead. It was a soft goal for Everton to concede as Barkley allowed himself to be jostled out by the striker, who headed home from close range. However, the hosts quickly regained their composure and Lukaku capitalised on a mistake from Emre Can to equalise with a fine left-footed strike before the half-time whistle. The striker was a thorn in the side of Liverpool all afternoon due to the quality of his hold-up play, but at times he lacked support, especially in the second half.
Although Everton dominated possession after the break the chances they created were not clear cut and the arrival of Arouna Kone came too late in the game to force a winner. Defensively, apart from Ings's goal, Martinez will be pleased with how his side's youthful backline coped with the threat of the Reds. Phil Jagielka led from the front with a fine performance, but young full-backs Tyias Browning and Brendan Galloway also shone. A solid outing from the Toffees, but they may have regrets looking back.
Liverpool's performance
The Reds will have come into the game under pressure to produce a performance for Rodgers, given the growing pressure on the 42-year-old. They were forced to absorb early attacks from Everton, but gradually grew into the game. Rodgers's men threatened from set pieces, where they seemed to have an advantage throughout the afternoon. Martin Skrtel could have put them ahead well before Ings found the net in the 41st minute, but he put a close-range effort over the bar. Liverpool were indebted to Mignolet for making two fine stops to deny Naismith and McCarthy, which could have changed the course of the match completely.
However, the Belgian came to their rescue and they soon went ahead through Ings as he converted from close range to notch his third goal for the club since his summer move from Burnley. The striker did have a chance to play Daniel Sturridge in on a counter, but failed to see his teammate, which fortunately for him led to the corner. The duo failed to link up well over the course of the afternoon, as their fledgling partnership struggled for rhythm, but there is enough quality for them to thrive once they build a relationship.
Defensively, apart from Can's mistakes and the two openings for Naismith and McCarthy, Rodgers will be delighted with the display of his side. The goal was cheap and came at precisely the wrong time, but the Reds displayed resilience in the second half to shut out the Toffees despite their dominance of possession to claim a point, where in the past they may have struggled.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Simon Mignolet: The keeper made the most telling contribution of the game as he made two fine saves to deny Naismith and McCarthy in the first half. The stops prevented Liverpool from falling behind and allowed Ings to put his side ahead, while Rodgers was then able to cater his tactics by putting men behind the ball, especially in the second half. The Belgian commanded his area well in the second half and made a couple more decent saves. A fine display from the keeper.
Biggest gaffe
With Liverpool on the brink of taking a 1-0 lead into half time, Can managed to lose his composure and miscued his clearance from a simple ball into the box. Unfortunately for the German, his miscue landed at the feet of Lukaku who buried the ball into the back of the net.
Referee performance
Martin Atkinson had an inconsistent display at Goodison Park. In the first half, he made all the correct decisions, but in the second period he should have sent Lucas Leiva off for a second bookable offence, while Barkley was also fortunate to escape a second yellow for diving. Atkinson did handle a late fracas between Lukaku and Mamadou Sakho extremely well as he managed to bring the situation under control with relative ease and booked both players. A decent outing in a difficult game to officiate.
What next?
Everton: The Toffees are next in action against Manchester United at Goodison Park on October 17.
Liverpool: The Reds travel to face Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane
Simon Sinclair
