Liverpool, Jan 14 (AP) Aston Villa missed a chance to go level on points with Premier League leader Liverpool by drawing 0-0 at Everton in a lackluster match on Sunday.

Emiliano Martinez, Villa's Argentina goalkeeper, pulled off the best save when he spread his legs to deny Dominic Calvert-Lewin in a one-on-one chance just before halftime. Martinez got up and was soon diving to his left to tip aside a follow-up shot from James Garner.

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Villa barely threatened at the other end until late on, though looked to have taken the lead in the 18th when Alex Moreno drilled home a shot from the edge of the area. After a long VAR check, the goal was ruled out for offside in the buildup.

In a dominant end to the match by Villa, Matty Cash's goalbound shot was blocked near the line by a sprawling challenge from Jarrad Branthwaite and Jhon Durán later flicked a finish just wide.

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Villa stayed in third place, level on points with Manchester City in second and two behind Liverpool, which doesn't play until next weekend in a round of fixtures played over two weeks amid England's short winter break.

Everton, hampered by a 10-point penalty at the end of last year for financial mismanagement, restored its one-point cushion above the bottom three. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)