Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah went missing today in what could be one of the biggest moments of Liverpool’s season, the Reds’ title hopes are on the rocks. The Egyptian’s decision making was slightly off at times, when you couple that with the fact that he failed to covert arguably the best chance of the game – fans will be starting to question his ability. In the 27th minute of the clash, Salah’s attempt at goal after breaking through one on one with Jordan Pickford was blocked by the England international. This is the defining moment from today’s clash – the difference between Liverpool coming away with one point instead of three. Mohamed Salah has failed to score in three consecutive Premier League games for the first time since joining Liverpool: ? vs. Man Utd ? vs. Watford ? vs. Everton He had his fair share of chances today… pic.twitter.com/GDq7LveohK — Squawka Football (@Squawka) March 3, 2019 It could do Salah a world of good to be rested soon, Jurgen Klopp can call on Xherdan Shaqiri to provide Liverpool with the creative spark they’ve been missing. At the very least, this kind of move from Klopp would show Salah that he still has to come up with the goods to warrant a regular starting berth. Klopp needs to keep Salah on his toes. Here’s an overview of his uninspiring performance today: Mohamed Salah’s game by numbers vs. Everton: 2 shots 2 big chances missed 1 offside It just wasn’t his afternoon. pic.twitter.com/ecjxuIgPfh — Squawka Football (@Squawka) March 3, 2019 As a result of Liverpool’s draw with their Merseyside rivals today, Manchester City now have more points than Liverpool – after playing the same amount of games – for the first time since December.<doc-sep>Jürgen Klopp beat the Liver bird on his chest in front of Liverpool fans gathered in the Bullens Road stand but the noise that pulsated around Goodison Park after the final whistle emanated from elsewhere. Everton’s long wait for victory in a Merseyside derby goes on but they found ample compensation in damaging their rivals’ bid for the Premier League title. On a local level the 233rd Merseyside derby brought Liverpool closer to the nine-year anniversary of their last defeat by Everton and extended their unbeaten run to a record 17 matches. But Liverpool are not competing on a local level this season, not when a first league championship since 1990 stands tantalisingly on the horizon. By that rarefied standard this represented a fairly dispiriting trip across Stanley Park for Klopp. The comfort belonged mainly to Marco Silva and his committed team who, as the noise levels that greeted an otherwise forgettable goalless draw testified, departed the happier by far. Mohamed Salah reacts as another chances goes begging for Liverpool against Everton at Goodison Park. Photograph: Magi Haroun/Rex/Shutterstock For the first time since 7 December Liverpool find themselves playing catch-up to Manchester City in the title race, having played an identical number of games. Their manager’s defiant message to the away support afterwards spoke of resilience and belief, and neither should be undermined by a one-point gap, but a fourth draw in six league outings reflects the lack of conviction that has afflicted Liverpool too often in 2019. They created the clearest openings at Goodison with Mohamed Salah clean through on goal twice and Fabinho presented with a golden opportunity at close range. None were taken thanks to interventions that reflected Everton’s wholehearted display through Jordan Pickford, Michael Keane and Lucas Digne respectively. Everton were certainly up for the 200th league edition of the most played derby in English football, crowd and players alike. Goodison was a febrile old place before kick-off as it produced its finest atmosphere of the season for a fixture that offered Silva’s side an opportunity to connect with an exasperated fanbase. Tony Bellew, the former world champion boxer and vocal Evertonian, said a few prayers when the game began and within seconds a pumped-up Seamus Coleman clattered into Divock Origi, Liverpool’s 96th-minute hero when the rivals met in December. Theo Walcott of all people collected the first booking for a foul on the same player after merely seven minutes. Liverpool needed time to find their rhythm in the face of a quick and aggressive Everton display. Dominic Calvert-Lewin refused to be intimidated by the power and height in Liverpool’s central defence and worked ferociously across the front line, though he was too often left isolated when Pickford pinged wasteful clearances in the young Everton striker’s direction. Quick Guide Follow Guardian sport on social media Show Twitter: follow us at @guardian_sport Facebook: like our football and sport pages Instagram: our favourite photos, films and stories YouTube: subscribe to our football and sport channels Photograph: Chesnot/Getty Images Europe Was this helpful? Thank you for your feedback. The England goalkeeper’s distribution was erratic at best but his shot-stopping could not be faulted when Liverpool created the only clear chance of a frenetic first half. Everton’s shape was occasionally ragged and the space between their central defenders and midfielders would have been manna from heaven for Roberto Firmino. Unfortunately for Klopp his influential Brazilian was fit enough for only the final 27 minutes from the bench having injured an ankle at Manchester United last Sunday. A mistake by Morgan Schneiderlin presented Liverpool with their first opening. His failure to control a short pass enabled Fabinho to release Salah with a perfectly weighted pass. Salah sprinted in from the right, Pickford stood his ground and made a fine stop to his right. Coleman threw himself in the way of Jordan Henderson’s shot from the rebound and Everton escaped. The Republic of Ireland captain was alert to stop Salah latching on to a superb ball over the Everton defence by Henderson as Liverpool, with their breathtaking speed and numbers on the break, carried the greater threat.An end product, a touch of composure and quality on the ball were lacking in both teams, however. This was another in the lengthy list of Merseyside derbies that resembled a scrap more than a spectacle. Alisson was forced into his first save of the game early in an improved second half when Calvert-Lewin met Digne’s corner with a glancing header. Pickford, his clearances sailing out of play or on to a Liverpool player’s head with alarming regularity, saved comfortably from a Trent Alexander-Arnold free-kick. The Fiver: sign up and get our daily football email. Salah was given another clear run at Pickford’s goal when Joël Matip ghosted beyond Schneiderlin and put the forward through via a deflection off Kurt Zouma. Liverpool’s leading marksman seemed poised to convert when Keane launched himself into an excellent and vital interception. Another last-ditch tackle, this time from Digne, denied Fabinho as the Brazilian midfielder was about to bury a Virgil Van Dijk header across goal at close range. With Firmino and James Milner entering the fray courtesy of a double substitution by Klopp, who withdrew the subdued Georginio Wijnaldum and Origi respectively, the visitors had several openings to punish Everton on the counter-attack late on but failed to capitalise. Matip and Van Dijk were both wayward with presentable headers. The hosts, too, had their glimmers of opportunity in a more open second half with Richarlison improving their approach down the right. Bernard was millimetres away from connecting with the winger’s low cross and was also foiled by a fine Van Dijk tackle as he sought to weave his way into the area. Klopp’s team could not repeat their habit of punishing Everton at the frantic end this time and it is advantage Manchester City, albeit a slim one.<doc-sep>Do edgy Liverpool need even more from Salah-Mane double-act vs. Everton? The Senegal hitman’s goals have crucially kept the Reds top, but his Egyptian teammate must rediscover his mojo in Sunday's heavyweight showdown Neutrals can sit back and enjoy this season’s rip-roaring title race between Liverpool and Manchester City, replete with unpredictability and drama. The last time we've had such a thrilling championship battle was arguably back in the 2013-14 season, when the Reds and City competed for the biggest prize in the land. On that occasion, the Citizens, under Manuel Pellegrini, ended that campaign as champions, although Brendan Rodgers’ Reds had been top of the pile with three games to play. The league’s lead changed hands 25 times five years ago, during that memorable season, and while the current campaign hasn’t quite been as topsy-turvy, it hasn't been any less compelling. Liverpool fans haven't enjoyed a title success since the inception of the Premier League in its current guise, with many of the current Anfield faithful not even born when Kenny Dalglish's side lifted the First Division in 1990. Expectedly, nerves are jangling, and it was interesting to hear Virgil van Dijk appeal to the fans after a nail-biting 1-1 draw with Leicester City to stay calm in the run-in. “It sounded like it was [nervous],” van Dijk began, acknowledging the nervous energy among the supporters. “You get that feeling as well from the crowd, and I think it’s not really necessary at the moment.” Recent agitation hasn’t been helped by the fact that Sadio Mane seems to be the only consistent goalscoring threat the club have at the moment. Sadio Mane | 2018-19 Premier League stats Inclusive of the Leicester draw, the Senegal international has found the back of the net four times in the Reds’ last five league games. By contrast, the club’s talisman Mohamed Salah has only netted once – in a 3-0 success against Bournemouth – in the last month, likewise the currently injured Roberto Firmino. Salah’s four blanks in a quintet of games could be seen as the pressure telling. Mohamed Salah | 2018-19 Premier League stats Prior to facing Manchester United, Liverpool’s top scorer admitted to Jamie Carragher in a sit-down interview to be "feeling the pressure, because [I am] human", and those words may be used as a stick to beat him if the Reds fall short. While the Egyptian seemed to improve in the Reds’ 5-0 midweek annihilation of Watford, Klopp would demand more from his ace in the concluding weeks of the campaign. The aforementioned resounding defeat of Javi Gracia’s Hornets was a welcome relief for fans of the Anfield club following a labored 0-0 draw at Old Trafford on Sunday. In a game that saw Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s squad weakened by pre-match and in-game injuries to key players, the club from the North West fell way short of expectations by failing to capitalize. Klopp’s side failed to create anything meaningful, and even had Alisson Becker to thank for thwarting Jesse Lingard from opening the scoring for the Red Devils. On a day in which the onus was on Liverpool to go for the kill at the home of their injury-hit rivals, the pair of Salah – who again struggled in a big match – and the toiling Mane failed to pull a rabbit out of the hat for the away side. Even though Sunday’s dour draw passed as disappointing, the five-star response in midweek was outstanding. However, Liverpool have won only two of their last six matches, and it remains to be seen whether they're completely over their recent wobble. Since the turn of the year, they’ve failed to pick up maximum points in all but one game on their travels: there was a 2-1 defeat by City, a 1-1 draw at West Ham United, and the recent goalless encounter against United. Their only away success in 2019 was a 1-0 win against Chris Hughton’s struggling Brighton & Hove Albion side: a Salah penalty secured the points, but it only masked a second-rate display at the Amex. Up next is a trip to city rivals Everton, and Marco Silva’s side have a score to settle given how the reverse fixture in early December ended. The Toffees gave a good account of themselves, but a last-gasp Divock Origi goal saw the Reds claim a slender 1-0 success. It was something of an injustice that the blue half of Merseyside will be desperate to overturn. With only 10 games left, the most compelling title race in recent memory nears its final stretch; Liverpool need 14-goal Mane – who surpassed his personal best tally in England with his Watford brace – and out-of-form Salah to begin to deliver consistently once again. Crucially, City are slated to play first in the coming gameweeks, which has the potential to heap further pressure on the Reds, particularly as you'd expect Pep Guardiola's side to claim wins in fixtures against Bournemouth, Watford and Fulham before Klopp’s team even kick a ball. Ostensibly, Mane seems to be thriving, but Salah appears to be caving under the weight of expectation. If the pair fail to work together in the final weeks of the season, fans of the Anfield club may have to wait a while to end nearly three decades of hurt and pain in their search for that so-far unattainable Premier League title.<doc-sep>Sloppy Salah sums up wasteful Liverpool as Reds hand Premier League advantage to Manchester City The Egyptian star had two golden chances to put his side top against Everton but missed both, leaving the Reds a point behind the champions Advantage Manchester City, then. Liverpool’s title fate is no longer in their own hands after they were held to another goalless draw away from home. They're going to have to do it the hard way. Everton, just as Manchester United had done a week ago, were able to put a sizeable dent in the Reds’ championship hopes here. This stalemate will have been celebrated as loudly at the Etihad as it was at Goodison Park. It leaves City a point clear with nine games remaining. Article continues below Yet again, Liverpool will feel they should have taken more from a tough away fixture. Unlike at Old Trafford, though, Jurgen Klopp’s side fashioned the chances from which to do so. The best of them fell to Mohamed Salah, whose wastefulness rather summed up Jurgen Klopp’s side on the day. Twice, the Egyptian found himself homing in on goal, as Liverpool found a way in behind Everton’s defence. Twice, the PFA Player of the Year, the man with 64 goals in 90 appearances for the club, failed to take advantage. Had he done so, he’d have become the fastest player in Reds history to 50 league goals, and the fastest to do so in the Premier League for a single club, beating Alan Shearer’s record. He's a remarkable goalscorer, but Salah fluffed his lines. Twice. Played in by Fabinho in the first half, he managed to narrow the angle for himself, allowing Jordan Pickford to block his rather telegraphed left-footed effort. His second chance, after the break, again saw him run clear after Kurt Zouma’s errant touch. Again, you’d have backed him to score, but again his control was poor, and his hesitancy allowed Michael Keane to get back and make a crucial tackle. Salah grimaced, his shoulders slumped. He knew what a big chance it was. There would be others, with Fabinho somehow unable to convert a Virgil van Dijk knock-down from no more than five yards and Joel Matip failing to make decent contact with a free header from about the same distance as the clock ticked down. Salah’s, though, were the big ones, the ones you'd expect to be taken. It is harsh to place the blame solely at his feet, but his misses were indicative of the Reds’ hesitancy in front of goal of late. Having seemingly returned to their fluent best in battering Watford in midweek, this was a worrying regression from Klopp’s men. Just as at Old Trafford, they appeared to get worse, sloppier, more hurried as the game wore on. Will they live to regret it? Time will tell, but if they are to win their first title in 29 years, they will have to do it from behind. City, the reigning champions, are finding ways to win games when Liverpool are finding ways to draw them. That’s five in the last seven in all competitions, and seven for the season in the league. Not fatal, by any means, but damaging nonetheless. Asked if they can go on and bring back the prize they crave most, Liverpool are yet to come up with the answers. “You’re gonna win **** all,” was the chant from the delighted Evertonians at the final whistle here. It’s a bit early for that, of course. Nine games remain, and with their two toughest away fixtures out of the way, Liverpool’s next two games – against Burnley and Fulham – should offer a chance to get back to winning ways. Their defensive strength remains a source of real comfort, too. This was their fifth clean sheet in succession, the first time they've had such a run since December 2006. Van Dijk, at the heart of it, was imperious once more. There simply isn't a better centre-back in world football right now than the big Dutchman. Improvement will be needed at the other end, though. From Salah, from Sadio Mane and from the rest. From Klopp too, perhaps. His substitutions here, bringing on James Milner and Adam Lallana while Naby Keita and Xherdan Shaqiri remained unused, left fans uninspired. "This is not PlayStation," was the manager's response to a question about his attacking ambition which clearly irked him. "Was there any drawn game which we didn't try to win?" Soon after, he was gone, a wry smile as he went. A long way to go, still, but Liverpool will do well to win the league playing – and finishing – like this.<doc-sep>
Another Sunday away against a local rival, another goalless draw, and another point that will either be what ended up winning Liverpool the league or that ended up costing them the title. That’s the problem with games like these: it can never be said an away point in such an environment is a bad result, but equally too many of such outcomes could be costly. And again there is the underlying thought that something has gone wrong with the forward line, that just when Liverpool could have done with a spark of magic to snatch a win from a hard-fought game, the fire has dimmed. The positive way to look at it is that, although Manchester City are now top of the table, they have the harder fixtures to come, most notably the away game at Manchester United. In that sense, the point gained here is significant in that, had Liverpool lost, City could have drawn that game and still won the league even if Liverpool win every remaining game (barring a remarkable swing of goal-difference). No game is necessarily straightforward, of course, and as the finish line draws closer, the slightest molehill can loom as a great mountain, but this was probably the hardest away game Liverpool had remaining. But on the other side of the equation is the fact that Liverpool have now drawn five of their last seven games in all competitions, and failed to score in three of their last four. Jürgen Klopp was dismissive after Wednesday’s 5-0 win over Watford of talk of anxiety but the fluency of that game was out of keeping with Liverpool’s general form since the turn of the year. The forward line is not flowing as it did at this stage last season. Sadio Mané, here under pressure from Everton’s Séamus Coleman, has carried Liverpool’s forward line recently but never seems as comfortable in the middle as he does on the flank. Photograph: Jon Super/REX/Shutterstock The foot injury that caused Roberto Firmino to start on the bench did not help, of course, but there are issues here that go beyond one switch of personnel. Most obviously, there is the form of Mohamed Salah. It was generally accepted that he could not do again what he did last season, that that was a zenith that was never likely to be hit again, but after a few weeks when he did touch those heights again, he has scored just once in his last seven games and looked distinctly tentative here. There were occasional flashes of the old brilliance, but for much of the game Salah played the way Jordan Henderson’s critics believe he plays. So too, unfortunately for Liverpool, did Jordan Henderson. Quick Guide Follow Guardian sport on social media Show Twitter: follow us at @guardian_sport Facebook: like our football and sport pages Instagram: our favourite photos, films and stories YouTube: subscribe to our football and sport channels Photograph: Chesnot/Getty Images Europe Was this helpful? Thank you for your feedback. There were heavy touches and oddly misplaced passes but, most critically, there were three missed chances. Conventional wisdom has it that the time to worry is if a forward stops getting chances and perhaps that is true, but there must equally be concern not just that Salah missed, but the way in which he missed. The first opportunity had the makings of a classic Salah goal as he shuffled in from the right and worked the ball on to his left foot. But rather than opening his body and arcing the ball into the top corner as he has done so often, he scooped ended up scooping it tamely at Jordan Pickford. Then there were the two occasions when space opened in front of him and he had a run into the box. But both times there was a momentary hesitation, none of the smoothness of a confident player. In the first instance his effort was well-saved by Pickford; in the second Michael Keane made was able to get across and make a vital block. It is not just Salah, of course. Sadio Mané, who has carried the forward line recently with six goals in his previous six Premier League games, never seems quite as comfortable in the middle as he does on the flank. Divock Origi struggled to impose himself. And then there is that midfield and the lack of creativity that has been exposed repeatedly this season – away against Paris Saint-Germain, Napoli and Manchester United.