LIVERPOOL, England — Champion Liverpool was frustrated by VAR as it was held to a 2-2 Premier League derby draw with Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday after a late effort from Jordan Henderson was ruled out.

Everton remained top of the table on 13 points, three ahead of Liverpool, after an incident-packed end to the 237th Merseyside derby.

The game was locked at 2-2 after Dominic Calvert-Lewin's 10th goal of the season in all competitions had brought Everton level in the 81st minute.

Liverpool started Saturday’s Merseyside Derby with a the verve, power and intensity of being the best team in the world and wanting to make damn sure it was the best team in its own city. The Reds took a lead inside four minutes and looked like they could score half a dozen before halftime. Then came the Virgil van Dijk injury, which completely shifted the direction of the match and, possibly, Liverpool’s season. But should it have been a red card on Everton keeper Jordan Pickford?

Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho believes there could be only one reason why long-term rival Arsene Wenger missed out on mentioning him in his new book.

"Because he never beat me," Mourinho told reporters on Friday.

Wenger's autobiography — "My Life in Red and White" — looks back over his 22 years in charge of Arsenal between 1996-2018 but there was no mention of his touchline duels with Mourinho, whose Chelsea side dethroned the Frenchman's Invincibles in 2004-05.

Son Heung-min has helped Tottenham past Manchester United to become the most popular foreign club in South Korea with more than 20% of the nation now allied to the North London side, according to Nielsen Fan Insights.

Tough COVID-19 restrictions have cast a pre-winter gloom across Merseyside but at least Everton supporters have something to lift their spirits after their side's storming start to the Premier League season.

On Saturday Carlo Ancelotti's table-toppers host champions Liverpool at Goodison Park flushed with a rare sense of superiority over their Mersey rivals. Everton boast the only 100% record in the Premier League from teams that have played four games, are averaging three goals per game and in Dominic Calvert-Lewin have the division's joint-leading scorer.

MANCHESTER, England — Premier League clubs on Wednesday rejected plans put forward by Liverpool and Manchester United for radical changes to the league's structures and finances and said they would conduct their own review of the game.

The "Project Big Picture" proposals would have seen an increase in funds for the 72 clubs in the Football League (EFL) but also include special voting rights for the biggest clubs in the Premier League and a reduction of teams in the top flight from 20 to 18.

A West Ham United supporter has been banned from attending soccer games for three years after he pleaded guilty to racially abusing Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah.

Bradley Thumwood, 48, was handed a ban ordering after appearing at Thames Magistrates' Court on Tuesday following an incident during West Ham's 2-0 defeat by Liverpool at the London Stadium on Jan. 29.