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CAPTAIN saves match

TUSSLE: Everton's Steven Pienaar, centre, fights for the ball against Liverpool's Alvaro Arbeloa, left, while Dirk Kuyt, right, looks on during their English FA Cup fourth round soccer match at Anfield Stadium yesterday. 25/01/2009. Pic. Paul Thomas. © AP
TUSSLE: Everton's Steven Pienaar, centre, fights for the ball against Liverpool's Alvaro Arbeloa, left, while Dirk Kuyt, right, looks on during their English FA Cup fourth round soccer match at Anfield Stadium yesterday. 25/01/2009. Pic. Paul Thomas. © AP

A goal by captain Steven Gerrard earned Liverpool a 1-1 draw with city rival Everton while Arsenal was also taken to a replay after finishing 0-0 with Cardiff in the fourth round of the FA Cup yesterday.

A goal by captain Steven Gerrard earned Liverpool a 1-1 draw with city rival Everton while Arsenal was also taken to a replay after finishing 0-0 with Cardiff in the fourth round of the FA Cup yesterday.

Gerrard fired the ball beneath Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard to cancel out Joleon Lescott's header as the 210th Merseyside derby ended with the same 1-1 scoreline as Monday's meeting in the Premier League, also played at Anfield.

"We completely dominated the game," Gerrard said after scoring against Everton for the second time in a week and securing a replay at Goodison Park on February 4.

"We are confident we can go in there and do it again. If you look at the chances we had in the 90 minutes we are enormously disappointed."

Cardiff's Roger Johnson praised the Bluebirds's defending which helped earn them a second crack against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on February 3. Liverpool threatened in the first 20 seconds when Xabi Alonso shot wide from 25 metres , but Everton went ahead in the 27th minute against the run of play.

Slack Liverpool defending allowed Tim Cahill to nod Steven Pienaar's corner ahead for the unmarked Lescott to glance past Pepe Reina.

"With their one chance we have made a mistake and they have scored," Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez said.

"We need to improve."

Everton defenders Lescott and Phil Jagielka succeeded in preventing Liverpool forward Fernando Torres from posing a threat for Howard.

Torres's strike partner Robbie Keane was left out of the matchday squad, raising further speculation about his future at the club.

Two days after appearing in court on a charge of assault and affray, a charge he denies, Gerrard scored a vital goal for his club thanks largely to Howard's poor goalkeeping.

After some individual trickery, Torres slickly back-heeled into the path of Gerrard, who took a touch before sending the ball past Howard at the near post.

With 10 minutes to go, Dirk Kuyt shot straight at Howard after latching onto Gerrard's low cross.

Gerrard then pulled the ball back for Torres, whose shot was blocked by Jagielka's intervention.

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp hit back at the critics who said his team didn't try in the FA Cup loss to Manchester United.

Tottenham are due to face Man United in the League Cup final at Wembley on March 1 and level on points with last-place West Bromwich Albion in the league.- Sapa-AP

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