Derby-Day Draw vs. Everton Sees Liverpool Suffer Another Setback

Phil Jagielka's incredible strike left Liverpool with a missed opportunity to kick-start their season, and had them ruing their third stoppage time goal conceded at Anfield in five games.

The Everton captain hit an incredible strike at The Kop end to cancel out Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard's free-kick earlier in the second half. It was a bitter blow for Brendan Rodgers' side.

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A 1-0 win and a match-winning goal for Gerrard would have given Rodgers' side a major confidence boost after a stuttering start to their new season. A much-needed clean sheet would also have been very welcome.

Alas, it's instead another setback in a campaign that has started in frustrating fashion—in terms of results, performances and injuries suffered.

Daniel Sturridge remained sidelined for the 223rd Merseyside derby, and while Mario Balotelli is proving doubters wrong with good discipline and work rate, he continues to lack the movement and finishing that Liverpool fans became so accustomed to seeing last season.

Positives

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There were, though, plenty of positives for Rodgers to take from the game, not least the improved performance defensively. Dejan Lovren enjoyed his best 90 minutes since joining the club, Martin Skrtel added strength to the back four and full backs Javier Manquillo and Alberto Moreno impressed, too.

Both Spaniards are still young and have much to improve, but this was a better performance from both.

Another huge positive was the performance of Adam Lallana, who was the Reds' most lively attacker. He's now looking fully fit after recovering from the injury he suffered in pre-season, and he showed good movement against Everton.

Negatives

On the flip side, Balotelli's wayward finishing—and exceptionally poor conversion rate—must be a concern for Rodgers. The Italian had 10 attempts on goal, of which only two were on target (five blocked, three off target, as per FourFourTwo StatsZone).

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Balotelli's work rate was applauded and he showed good discipline, but those are surely the basic requirements of a footballer. He needs to start finding the back of the net, being less wasteful and making better movement off the ball in the final third.

New signing Lazar Markovic struggled again, and the 20-year-old looks like he will need time to find his feet in the Premier League. He looked lightweight and lacking confidence.

Another disappointment was the way Liverpool seemingly sat back and invited Everton for the equaliser, with an air of inevitability around Anfield. Perhaps that's the sign of a team lacking confidence and demonstrates why a win would have been so beneficial.

Overall, this match will feel like a defeat for Rodgers' side, who are now without a Premier League win since August.

"It was very clear that we were much the better side today," Rodgers said, per LiverpoolFC.com. "When you concede a goal like that so late on, it epitomises the luck that went against us today. But I'm certainly very proud of the players."

A Champions League trip to Basel in the week provides another test, with fixtures against West Bromwich Albion, Queens Park Rangers and Hull City offering the opportunity to get some much-needed points on the board in October.