Liverpool striker Luis Suarez threatened to take the game away from Everton before the home side struck two quick goals to claw themselves back into the game as another fiery and entertaining Merseyside Derby of the English Premier League ended 2-2 at Goodison Park.
A Leighton Baines own goal - enforced by Liverpool's prime forward - and a Suarez header gave Liverpool a 2-0 lead, before Leon Osman and Steven Naismith struck for Everton in a topsy-turvy first half. Suarez nearly sealed a dramatic last minute winner, but the assistant referee incorrectly flagged the play for offside.
The game began with all eyes on Suarez, after David Moyes had lashed out at the striker's penchant to dive. The Uruguayan international, clearly fired up by the pre-match build up, started brightly with a point or two to prove.
After an end-to-end first ten minutes, Liverpool struck the opener. A couple of missed challenges from Everton down Liverpool's left, allowed Jose Enrique to fire in a low cross, which eluded everyone in the middle, finally falling to Suarez on the edge of the penalty box in the right. The 25-year-old drove the ball across the six-yard area, with the ball deflecting off Baines and into the net.
Suarez's celebration was one that will interest the FA -- the striker running all the way up to the Everton bench before making a swan dive in celebration, much to the chagrin of Moyes.
Liverpool then took control of the match, when Suarez got the slightest of touches off his head from a Steven Gerrard free kick - the ball nestling into the bottom corner in the 20th minute.
The lead was reduced after two minutes, however, when Leon Osman struck a true low shot into the bottom corner after a poor clearance from Brad Jones - preferred to Pepe Reina - saw the ball fall kindly to the midfielder on top of the penalty area.
Everton kept pressing for the equalizer - the home team clearly had the ascendancy after scoring their first goal, and deservedly found the equalizer ten minutes from half time.
Kevin Mirallas - who had to be later substituted due to an injury - played the ball into the box to Marouane Fellaini, who made a quick turn and hooked the ball into the danger area for Naismith to tap-in just ahead of his teammate Nikica Jelavic.
A couple of long-rangers from Seamus Coleman and Gerrard followed as the half ended with the score at 2-2.
With such a searing first half, there was a good chance of the second being a bit of an anti-climax, and unfortunately that is what it was for much of the second 45.
Keeping in mind the threat posed by Everton with Fellaini and Jelavic in the box, Brendan Rodgers brought on another central defender - Sebastian Coates - for midfielder Nuri Sahin, with Suso making way for Jonjo Shelvey.
Everton were still the marginally better side, even if Raheem Sterling had the best chance of the half. The young winger, who did not have one of his best games, scuffed his effort wide, after being put through brilliantly by Enrique.
The game slowly started to slow down from the frenetic pace of the first, and looked like it would end at 2-2. Suarez, however, had other ideas, getting in on the end of a Steven Gerrard cross after a Coates nod down. The assistant referee, however, had his flag up, although it was unclear whether it was for an offside on the defender or for a foul while heading it back for Suarez - either way Liverpool will feel unlucky to have the goal disallowed.
Having said that though, both managers will agree neither side deserved all three points, with a share of the spoils a fair reflection of the game.
