After City beat Arsenal on Wednesday, Liverpool knew that they could not win the league at Goodison Park. However, with both of the last 2 meetings between the sides ending 0-0, Liverpool would still have been keen to get one over on their rivals. Despite this, a third consecutive 0-0 ensued. With .62 vs .66 xG, the statistics suggest that neither side did enough to earn the 3 points.
BEST PLAYER - MASON HOLGATE
After spending last season in the Championship with West Brom, this season has seen Holgate make the step up to the Premier League. The centre back put in a cultured performance against Liverpool, playing as if he had 10 years of experience instead of 1. Holgate was colossal in defence, intercepting the ball 4 times, making 2 tackles and winning 71% of his duels, a greater proportion than any other Everton player. Despite Liverpool attacking with pace, Holgate was also never dribbled past, a statistic often used to rave about Van Dijk.
WORST PLAYER - ROBERTO FIRMINO
Roberto Firmino usually loves playing away from home, having scored 8 of his 9 Premier League goals this season on the road. However, he did not enjoy playing at Goodison Park. Liverpool’s false 9 got bullied in Everton’s final third, only winning 2 of 8 duels. Even when he retained the ball, Firmino was wasteful, attempting 3 dribbles but only completing 1 and shooting once, missing the target. Firmino and Holgate’s respective performances are unlikely to be mutually exclusive with Holgate’s tireless defending definitely helping to contain the Brazilian.
UNDERRATED PLAYER - TOM DAVIES
The Everton academy product played a crucial role in ensuring that Liverpool did not create better chances, making 3 tackles (the joint-second most of any Everton player) to prevent Liverpool progressing up the pitch. Davies was also crucial to his side’s possession, having the joint-most touches of any non-defender and completing his passes with a greater accuracy (82%) than André Gomes (80%), a player known for his vision. Davies also hit the post with his only shot. It was only a couple of inches that prevented him being the hero on derby day.
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