EPL Results: Liverpool Hold Everton in a Merseyside Derby for the Ages

There was passion, tackles, needle and most importantly goals, plenty of them, in a Merseyside Derby for the ages as Everton and Liverpool played out an unbelievable 3-3 draw.

The English Premier League kicked off after the international break in stunning style, as the fans were treated to some heart-pounding, chance-a-minute action, which had everyone on the edge of their seats until the final whistle.

Philippe Coutinho gave Liverpool the lead in just the fifth minute, before Kevin Mirallas equalised soon after. The Red-half of Merseyside went into halftime with a lead, thanks to Suarez's wonderful freekick, only for Everton to fightback brilliantly courtesy a brace from that outstanding striker Romelu Lukaku.

However, Liverpool would just not go away, as Daniel Sturridge came in from the bench to head home two minutes from time as the match ended 3-3, just about.

The result means Liverpool stay second, a point behind Arsenal, with 24 points from 12 games, with Everton three points behind their rivals in fifth.

The start was frenetic, with goals and tackles flying-in left, right and centre. Liverpool, playing with Luis Suarez as a lone striker as Daniel Sturridge was not deemed fit enough to start.

Both teams, coached by former Swansea managers, were always going to take the attack to their opponents, promising an entertaining encounter, and it certainly did not disappoint with three goals before the 20-minute mark had even been breached.

Liverpool opened the scoring in just the fifth minute, thanks to come slack defending from Everton. After an initial touch from a corner, Philippe Coutinho found himself in acres of space inside eight yards, and the Brazilian did not need too much persuading to prod the ball home with James McCarthy on the line unable to prevent the ball from going in.

Everton, though, were not behind for too long, equalising three minutes later off another setpiece. Ross Barkley got ahead of Skrtel to nod a header towards the far post, with Kevin Mirallas jumping ahead of Steven Gerrard to slot the ball home.

The home side were the better side going forward after that two goals, with a couple of nice interplay, and some brilliant individual play from Barkley getting the fans to increase their decibel level a notch or two.

However, Liverpool were the team to pull ahead for the second time in the game, and no surprises whatsoever that it was Suarez. The Uruguayan, off a freekick, found a gap in between the Everton wall to curl one brilliantly around the post and into the bottom corner, with Tim Howard unable to reach the ball.

A bit of needle came to the fore soon after as Mirallas was lucky to just be given a yellow card for a studs up tackle on Gerrard, while the Liverpool skipper himself felt the ire of the Everton players after a hefty challenge on Gareth Barry.

The Liverpool physio also seemed to feel the heat of the cracking occasion, getting into some verbals with a couple of Everton players.

Everton could not find a way through for a second time in the first half, and create some more clear-cut chances they needed to in the second 45.

The Toffees started brightly yet again, and kept Liverpool pinned back from the beginning. Gerrard Deulofeu, in for Leighton Baines, who had to be taken off with a knock, had a wonderful please-put-the-ball-in-the-back-of-the-net chance eight minutes into the second half, but fluffed his lines.

Glen Johnson gave the ball away in the Everton half, with Barkley then sliding through Deulofeu, who just could not find a potent-enough strike to get past Mignolet, who saved with his feet.

Suarez then created a put-the-game-to-bed chance, poking the ball through to Joe Allen, who somehow fired wide from ten yards.

The incredible pace and chances just kept coming and coming, Romelu Lukaku running free but seeing his chip brilliantly kept out by Mignolet.

Everton just kept coming at Liverpool, and Mignolet just kept batting chances away, diving to his right to push away a deflected Lukaku freekick. But the persistence would payoff for Everton, and deservedly so, as the home side kept the ball alive from the Mignolet save, worked it nicely down the right, before a cross found its way to Lukaku, who side-footed the ball home from 12 yards past the despairing dive of the Liverpool goalkeeper in the 72^nd minute.

After Lukaku squandered a 4-on-2 counter-attacking opportunity for Everton, Liverpool nearly went into the lead at the other end, as the game's pace just refused to relent. Steven Gerrard lifted a nice cross from the right towards the far post, with Suarez charging in to head on target, only for the ball to strike Howard and go out for a corner.

Deulofeu had another crack at an Everton goal, but Mignolet stood firm, before that man Lukaku again struck on 82 minutes, rising high from a corner to thump in a header into the back of the net - just what on earth was Jose Mourinho thinking sending this monster of a striker out on loan?

Liverpool would have the final say, though, as Sturridge, the man who was forced out of the starting lineup with an injury, did what he has done all season - find the back of the net - getting in ahead of the Everton defence to head in a corner in the 89^th minute.

Both sides could have snatched in right at the end, but perhaps fittingly for such a great encounter, both sides left with a point each, a point to remember at that.