LIVERPOOL, England -- It was a game that had it all -- a frenzy of goals, controversy and two teams going toe-to-toe for Premier League points -- but at the end, when referee Michael Oliver blew the final whistle on a pulsating 2-2 draw between table-topping Everton and champions Liverpool in the 237th Merseyside derby, there was jarring silence.
After four months behind closed doors in England due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this game proved that football without fans can still be exciting, passionate, and loaded with talking points. Indeed, it was more like a demolition derby at times.