Saturday 31 January 2004 15:00 FA Barclays Premier League
"Liverpool"	0 - 0	"Everton"
	(0-0)
GOAL
1  Jerzy Dudek   2  Stephane Henchoz   4  Sami Hyypia  23  Jamie Carragher   3  Steve Finnan  28  Bruno Cheyrou  20  Anthony Le Tallec   7  Harry Kewell  16  Dietmar Hamann  17  Steven Gerrard (c)  10  Michael Owen  Subs:  29  Patrice Luzi  18  John Arne Riise  21  Djimi Traore  25  Igor Biscan  13  Danny Murphy		25  Nigel Martyn  28  Tony Hibbert   4  Alan Stubbs   3  Alessandro Pistone  15  Gary Naysmith  18  Wayne Rooney  21  Alex Nyarko  16  Thomas Gravesen  14  Kevin Kilbane  10  Duncan Ferguson   8  Tomasz Radzinski  Subs:  13  Steve Simonsen   2  Steve Watson  27  Peter Clarke  26  Lee Carsley  11  Francis Jeffers
SUBSTITUTIONS
		Nyarko (Carsley 58)  Radzinski (Jeffers 73)  Rooney (Watson 77)
OFFICIALS & BOOKINGS
Referee: Steve Bennett (Kent)
Booked:		Booked: Gravesen 36
VENUE		MANAGERS
Anfield (capacity 45,362) Attendance: 44,056		Gerard Houllier (Liverpool) David Moyes (Everton)

 Price: J3,00

  Notes:

  - 170th Merseyside derby ends goalless at Anfield for the second year running.

  170TH DERBY ENDS IN STALEMATE

  An enthralling derby played at a frenetic pace with both sides having great chances and both goalkeepers making great saves has somehow ended goalless at Anfield this afternoon.

  Both managers will doubtless be content with a point apiece following a tremendous match which could have gone either way, but Gerard Houllier is likely to be slightly more disappointed than his Everton counterpart after watching his side dominate the derby for lengthy spells.

  As a pure spectacle this was a brilliant encounter with both teams hell bent on the victory which would have secured their fans local bragging rights for the rest of the season.

  The first half was an enthralling affair with both sides having chances to break the Anfield deadlock.

  Liverpool began the brighter of the two teams with Owen, Le Tallec and Kewell causing the Everton defence no end of problems with their attacking bursts both down the flanks and through the middle.

  It was German midfielder Dietmar Hamann who enjoyed the first shot in anger with a vicious dipping drive from outside the area which forced Everton goalkeeper Nigel Martyn to fly to his left to keep out.

  Once Everton had recovered from Liverpool's early onslaught they began to pose problems of their own for the Reds' defence. Tomasz Radzinski should have done better when Stephane Henchoz allowed him a run on goal but the Canadian striker let the opportunity pass without troubling Jerzy Dudek.

  The best chance for the Blues in the first half came after 19 minutes when Thomas Gravesen waltzed through several weak challenges on the edge of the Liverpool area before striding forward and firing a low shot straight at Dudek.

  Steven Gerrard was again at the centre of everything Liverpool did and the Reds' skipper carved out two great chances for himself before the half time whistle.

  He had already sent one low shot flying inches wide in the opening stages of the match before a cleverly worked move sent him clean through on the Everton goal midway through the half. With only Martyn to beat Gerrard let fly with a venomous drive which the Everton 'keeper did brilliantly to turn over for a corner.

  Gerrard came even closer before the half came to an end when a curling shot from inside the area was turned onto the base of the post by the out-stretched fingertips of the Everton number one.

  Everton finished the half the stronger of the two teams and appeared to have a case for Liverpool playing the remainder of the match with only ten men after Sami Hyypia appeared to check Radzinski's run on goal. Thankfully, referee Steve Bennett wasn't impressed with their appeals.

  Duncan Ferguson headed wide from Wayne Rooney's cross in the closing minutes of the half before, in stoppage time, Alan Stubbs' header from a right wing corner was expertly turned over the bar by Dudek.

  Everton slipped straight back into gear at the start of the second period when Wayne Rooney escaped the challenges of several Liverpool defenders before dragging his shot wide of Dudek's far post.

  Liverpool responded immediately and again it was their inspirational skipper at the heart of the action when Gerrard ran at the Blues' defence and drove a shot on the turn narrowly wide.

  The Reds' French connection were next to combine to good effect after 54 minutes when Anthony Le Tallec picked out Bruno Cheyrou with a great cross from the right, but the in-form midfielder could only direct his glancing header wide of the target.

  Everton goalkeeper Nigel Martyn was called into action after 67 minutes to keep out a bullet header from Kewell after a wonderful cross from Gerrard.

  Martyn was finally beaten less than a minute later but, unbelievably, one of his defenders was in the right place at the right time to clear Le Tallec's goalbound header off the line.

  Cheyrou drove over, Kewell and Owen drove wide and Carragher brought an astonishing save from the Everton 'keeper in the closing stages as the Reds searched for the winner, but in the end time ran out and both sets of fans left the stadium wondering what might have been.

  The match could have provided a feast of goals for both teams but in the end finished scoreless. There won't be a better nil-nil draw in the Premiership this season.

  Teams

  Liverpool: Dudek, Finnan, Henchoz, Hyypia, Carragher, Hamann, Gerrard, Cheyrou, Kewell, Le Tallec, Owen. Subs: Luzi, Murphy, Riise, Traore, Biscan.

  Everton: Martyn, Hibbert, Pistone, Stubbs, Naysmith, Nyarko, Gravesen, Kilbane, Rooney, Radzinski, Ferguson. Subs: Simonsen, Watson, Jeffers, Carsley, Clarke.

  Referee: Steve Bennett

  Conditions: Unavailable

  Attendance: 43,771

  Liverpoolfc.tv Man-of-the-Match: Steven Gerrard

  Breakdown

1 mins: Le Tallec crosses from the right but Martyn holds after good Liverpool move
3 mins: Stubbs intercepts Gerrard throughball looking for Owen
5 mins: Great challenge from Hyypia to prevent Kilbane surging clear
6 mins: Dudek claimmakes a brave save at feet of Ferguson after good build-up play from Blues
7 mins: Tremendous volley from Hamann pushed aside by Nigel Martyn
9 mins: Great run from Kewell, thwarted by Hibbert. Le Tallec fails to make contact with Carragher's cross. Good stuff from Liverpool
11 mins: More excellent work from Kewell. His cross diverted behind with Le Tallec lurking
13 mins: Great turn from Owen, leaves Stubbs for dead and his cross-come shot flies across the face of goal
14 mins: Henchoz blocks Kilbane's long range blast
15 mins: Rooney causing problems from the Reds defence who struggle to clear their lines
17 mins: A venomous 30 yard from Nyako well held by Dudek
18 mins: A defensive mix up puts Radzinski in the clear, but the Canadian makes a similar mess of the best chance of the match
19 mins: Good work from Owen to feed Le Tallec, who hits a 25-yard right footed strike, over the bar.
20 mins: Great save from Dudek after Gravesen somehow squirms through the Liverpool defence. Another great chance for Everton
23 mins: Liverpool break quickly through Cheyrou and Gerrard, with the captain surging on hit a wicked right foot drive inches wide
24 mins: Le Tallec tries a curler from the edge of the area which sails high over Martyn's crossbar
27 mins: Le Tallec's throughball just evades Owen's darting run. nice stuff from the young Frenchman, who is adapting well to the derby atmosphere
29 mins: A perfect throughall from Carragher puts Owen in the clea, but the Reds number 10 is given offside
32 mins: Radzinski evades Hyypia to go clear through on goal, and goes down. Referee says dive which infuriates his teammates
34 mins: Gerrard misses best chance of half, clean through on goal and 10 yards out, his effort is tipped over by Martyn
36 mins: Booking: Thomas Gravesen:
36 mins: Gravesen booked for trip on Hamann
38 mins: Another fantastic chance for Gerrard. following a goalmouth scramble, the ball falls to the skipper 8 yards out, but his low show is magnificently tipped onto the post by Martyn
42 mins: Ferguson should have given Everton the lead as he rose to meet Radzinski's cross, but his header drifted wide from just 8 yards
44 mins: Stubbs' rocket header wonderfully tipped over by Dudek
45 mins: Kewell shot blocked as reds break quickly

46 mins: Liverpool kick-off the second period attacking the Kop end
48 mins: Dudek easily claims Clarke's high cross
48 mins: Rooney fires over from 15 yards, when clean through on goal. should have scored
49 mins: Liverpool immediately hit back at the other end with another chance for Gerrard, this time the skipper fires just wide from the edge of the area
50 mins: Henchoz does well to nod back to Dudek under pressure from Ferguson
50 mins: Good break from Kewell feeds Owen in the area, but the Reds striker miscontrols the ball and the chance is gone
54 mins: Le Tallec's cross presents Cheyrou with a golden chance. The Frenchman heads wide, but should have been celebrating another goal.
56 mins: Liverpool apply the pressure from a corner, Cheyrou's goalbound he

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