Steven Gerrard was Liverpool’s hero yet again on Sunday as they remained in the FA Cup after being held to a 1-1 draw by city rivals Everton at Anfield for the second time in a week.
Everton took the lead in the 27th minute when Liverpool failed to mark Tim Cahill in the box.
The Australia midfielder’s header from Steven Pienaar’s corner was nodded home from close range by Joleon Lescott.
PHOTO: AP
But Gerrard, as he’s done so often before, dragged Liverpool back into the match with a well-struck shot six minutes before the hour although Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard ought to have saved at his near post.
“Of course he should have done better, you don’t need to tell Tim that,” Everton manager David Moyes said.
Asked about the undesirability of a replay, Gerrard said: “Both sides could have done without it, both would have wanted to progress tonight.”
Lescott said: “I thought we played well in the first-half but we showed our resilience in the second-half.”
“Today to concede and not have held the lead was a disappointment but we are confident we can do a job at Goodison,” he said.
Earlier, Arsenal were also left contemplating the somewhat unwelcome prospect of a replay against Cardiff City after their Welsh opponents held them to a goalless draw at Ninian Park.
“We could do without it, but let’s not complain because we play football,” Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said.
“It’s one more game to play. If that’s the price we have to pay to stay in the hat, we’re happy to do it,” he said.
Cardiff, beaten in last year’s final by Portsmouth, spurned several good chances in the first half in a match where Arsenal missed opportunities of their own against the second-tier Championship club.
The match was a repeat of the 1927 final which Cardiff won 1-0 to become the only non-English club to win the FA Cup.
Meanwhile, English soccer’s “big four” of Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal were kept apart when the draw for the fifth round of the FA Cup was made on Sunday.
Merseyside rivals Liverpool and Everton face a potential last 16 clash with Aston Villa but Villa also have a fourth round replay after being held to a goalless stalemate on Saturday by Championship side Doncaster.
The winners of the replay between Midlands foes Derby and Nottingham Forest can look forward to a glamor tie at home to English, European and world champions Manchester United.
Cardiff or Arsenal face the winners of the replay between Premier League strugglers West Brom and Burnley.
Watford face Chelsea, the club where Hornets manager Brendan Rodgers began as reserve coach.
The fifth round ties will be played on the weekend of Feb. 14-Feb. 15 with fourth round replays taking place on Feb. 3 and Feb. 4.
Fifth round draw
Sheffield United v Hull
Watford v Chelsea
West Ham v Middlesbrough
Sunderland or Blackburn v Coventry
Derby or Notts Forest v Man United
Swansea v Fulham
Liverpool or Everton v Doncaster Rovers or Aston Villa
Cardiff or Arsenal v West Brom or Burnley
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