Boss: Stevie showed his influence again
Brendan Rodgers was delighted that captain Steven Gerrard took the opportunity to show the longevity of his influence on Liverpool by so nearly inspiring another derby victory over neighbours Everton.
With almost three-quarters of Saturday's meeting having elapsed, the home side were still searching for a breakthrough. Then, a free-kick in an inviting position slightly right of centre was awarded to the Reds at the Anfield Road end.
Mario Balotelli had taken charge of several set-piece situations earlier in the match, but this time the skipper assumed responsibility. And quite right too, for he arced a picture book finish around the wall and through the fingertips of Tim Howard.
As the clock ticked into stoppage time, it seemed that Gerrard had settled the 223rd edition of Merseyside's fierce derby, only for Phil Jagielka to stun Kopites with a thunderous equaliser to snatch a 1-1 draw.
Though the result was disappointing, Rodgers took great heart from the team's display and reflected on how his No.8 steadfastly remains a talismanic figure for the Reds.
"He is still a highly influential player and, as you saw with the free-kick, he has got great quality," the boss explained to Liverpoolfc.com after the final whistle.
"The biggest credit you can give to Stevie is that at 34 years of age, at this level, he is being man marked. I think in a couple of the games that has just showed you the level and influence that he still has on this team.
"[Steven] Naismith tried to follow and get around him, but we did some work on clearing the space so we could move him out of positions so we could get the ball in different areas."