Liverpool 0 Everton 0:  Everton celebrated an unexpected but deserved point at Anfield, where they dented Liverpool's hopes of claiming runners-up spot in the Premiership.

Liverpool toiled in growing frustration in the 205th Merseyside derby, but they could not find a way past Alan Stubbs and his team-mates, who added a point to the three they claimed back in September from a 3-0 victory at Goodison Park.

Everton took the gamble of playing Andrew Johnson up front, despite only a fortnight of treatment on what was thought to be a serious ankle injury. He passed a late fitness test, while Tony Hibbert returned at full-back for the Toffees for the first time since October after a groin injury.

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez opted to play all three of his main strikers - Peter Crouch, Dirk Kuyt and Craig Bellamy - while leaving out Sami Hyypia and going with a central defence of Jamie Carragher and Daniel Agger.

At times it left Liverpool looking lopsided, with no width on the left where Mikel Arteta did a good job in halting the runs of John Arne Riise.

With fog rolling in across a packed and rocking stadium, Everton were the first to show real intent. Tim Cahill and Mikel Arteta on the right worked space and possession, and Liverpool struggled to cope with the supply of crosses.

Xabi Alonso nervously prodded one low centre behind, adding to Steven Gerrard's general annoyance with the standard of defending, before Hibbert motored on to a ball on the edge of the box to crash a fierce drive into Jose Reina's chest.

There were few real chances in the first period, but Tim Howard produced an excellent reflex save with his feet to block a Crouch hook, before Bellamy got in on the left to take a return ball and fire past Howard, only to be rightly given offside.

Liverpool came out for the second period with more intent, Alonso fired a 25-yard shot straight at Howard, and Carragher had a close-range effort blocked by Phil Neville.

Neville was never far from Gerrard, a constant annoyance to his fellow captain, and his marshalling of Everton's midfield was outstanding.

All the Toffees' toil was nearly rewarded on 60 minutes when Steve Finnan gave the ball away to Johnson, who cut into the box and pulled the ball away from the covering Alonso to force Reina into an excellent and crucial save from 12 yards

Late on Crouch failed to connect after a neat Fowler touch from a Carragher ball into the box and Riise then headed a deflected Arteta corner off the line.