Another match. Another tie at Anfield. Another derby. Another stalemate. Another poor first forty-five minutes. Another much improved second forty-five minutes. Another goal by the captain. Another reminder that the captain is really coming of age, and challenging Kenny’s throne. Another reminder that great minds think the same, and feel each other without touching. Another reminder that Fernando Torres is really something else.
Audacious, elegant, masterful twist of the body, then similar superlative touches to the ball. All this to let his companion run free, get past their organized and clustered attention, and then nullify the law of angles to score again, save the tie and let us start again. And it seems it’s going to take much more than we would have thought. It was already felt to be too much of a repeat we can do without, albeit all the intrigues that a Merseyside derby can offer, but maybe then Everton want to make the most of their last few years in the city of Liverpool, before they uproot to Kirby. You might hate your neighbor but the thought of going in isolation unsettles you to paranoid proportions.

Liverpool kicked-off in the first forty-five minutes, and for some time they didn’t seem to want to let away of the ball, as they dominated possession. Still, not much was being done with such possession superiority, and they were finding it hard to trouble a very organized and probably efficient Everton side. Chances were minimal and then close to the half hour mark, they found themselves defending, playing it all safe by giving away a corner. And once again, Liverpool were undone by a set-piece. This time, Tim Cahill was lurking a bit off the six yard box, still being the target for them, but rather than getting on target himself, he ping-ponged to Lescott to finish the act.

With one goal behind, and a set of ten men behind every ball, the act got all harder for Liverpool. It was time to widen the game, but with Ryan Babbel on the left and Dirk Kuyt on the right, the reds were getting predictable. Kuyt was his usual busy self, even though admittedly he was guilty of missing the game’s best chance when with time and space in his hands, he shot too centrally into Tim Howard’s body. It was a rare moment when Liverpool outnumbered Everton in their own penalty area. On the other hand, Babbel was given another chance but I feel he squandered it as much as Kuyt did his. Too many times, he was going for the easy option, preferring to knock the ball against his marker rather than taking him on, and hardly ever menaced into the penalty area. He’s been disappointing in the first half of the season, and so far started the second half equally poorly. It was no surprise seeing him being subbed by Albert Riera.

Once again, Liverpool failed to make the home advantage count, and doing it all over again at Goodison Park does not feel as daunting. Away grounds seem to let the reds express themselves better, and it is almost apt that the next match is away to Wigan. I am not getting too concerned though as one particular Spaniard seems to be getting back to his best, and with that the dream can only resuscitate itself.