Everton drew 0-0 with Liverpool on Sunday afternoon, holding their local rivals to a goalless draw at Goodison Park.
The teams were back in action for the first time since the Premier League’s return from the global pandemic, and the three-month break was obvious.
Both sides were short of their best, and whilst Liverpool dominated possession, Everton arguably had the better chances.
Late on in the game, Dominic Calvert-Lewin caused major problems. He forced Alisson into a smart save with a backheel following fine movement against Virgil van Dijk, before Tom Davies’s follow-up hit the post.
Calvert-Lewin then headed an effort wide, before Richarlison smashed a shot straight at Alisson as Everton couldn’t quite pull off the smash-and-grab.
Calvert-Lewin again showed why he is an absolute pest for defenders to play against. He’s quick and physical, he’s dominant in the air and works tirelessly, meaning defenders can never rest against him.
Gary Neville did have some advice for him though. During Sky Sports’ coverage of the game (20:36), Neville noted that Calvert-Lewin made a ‘big mistake’ by running offside for a big chance to score, and he needs to show more composure to reach the next level.
“Just impatient, Calvert-Lewin. He had to hold his run, the space was there. What we just saw there from Calvert-Lewin effectively is a big mistake from a striker. For the top strikers, where he has to get to, it’s a big moment in the game that, where you just need to show that little bit more composure,” said Neville.
After the game, fellow pundit Jamie Carragher offered his view (21:07). As quoted by the Liverpool Echo, Carragher noted that Calvert-Lewin has received too much criticism from fans during his time at Everton, as he will always cause defenders problems.
Carragher added that Calvert-Lewin could be a top centre forward, even comparing him in some ways to ex-England international Bobby Zamora – even if he isn’t the most glamorous name.
“I really like Calvert-Lewin, I’m not just jumping on the bandwagon,” said Carragher. “He’s got a few goals under Carlo Ancelotti. I’ve always been a big fan of his, I always felt he got too much criticism off the Everton fans. The big thing was not taking chances. Sometimes he’d miss easy chances but when you play you appreciate a centre-forward that can run, that can press, that is good in the air, who causes centre-back a problem.”
“When I played against centre-forwards and people ask ‘who is the toughest you’ve played against’, sometimes I name players who you wouldn’t think were top players or goal-scorers. I think Bobby Zamora, he was big, strong, running channels, he was a nightmare for me. He’s now adding goals and with the other stuff, he could go on to be a top centre-forward,” he added.
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