DANIEL Sturridge came off the bench to earn Liverpool a draw in a pulsating, controversy-spiced 221st Merseyside derby.

The England international was not deemed fit enough to start after playing 90 minutes against Germany in midweek with a dead leg but still had a big say in the result.

Sturridge's equaliser apart, the main talking point after the game will have been whether Everton's Romelu Lukaku - scorer of two second-half goals - should have remained on the pitch after a knee-high challenge on Luis Suarez before the break. Philippe Coutinho gave Liverpool an early lead after Suarez touched on Steven Gerrard's fifth-minute corner.

A raucous Goodison Park was silenced briefly but within three minutes regained its voice as Ross Barkley somehow got to Leighton Baines' free-kick ahead of Martin Skrtel and diverted it to Mirallas who nipped in front of Gerrard to stab home.

When Lukaku raced forward after Steven Pienaar had robbed Gerrard on halfway only the speed of goalkeeper Simon Mignolet in coming off his line snuffed out the danger. But it was Liverpool who scored again after 19 minutes, Suarez curling a brilliant free-kick round the wall and into the net.

Everton responded again with Barkley forcing Mignolet to tip behind for a corner.

Then came Lukaku's challenge on Suarez, the Belgian clattering into the Uruguyan's right knee and leaving him in a heap on the floor.

Suarez may have a reputation for going down easily but his pain looked genuine on this occasion and the only excuse referee Phil Dowd could surely have had for showing only a yellow card was that he was unsighted.

While Suarez was able to continue, Roberto Martinez had to take Leighton Baines off early in the second half. Gareth Barry moved to left-back and substitute Gerard Deulofeu, on loan from Barcelona, could have made himself an instant hero after outpacing the defence but mis-hit his shot and Mignolet saved.

Joe Allen, starting his first Premier League match since March, could have put the game to bed but, with only Tim Howard to beat, missed the target from 10 yards out.

Mignolet denied Lukaku three times but was finally beaten. He could only parry his compatriot's free-kick and when Mirallas crossed back in Lukaku seized on James McCarthy's deflection to ram home.

Howard produced a brilliant block to keep out Suarez's close-range header and Mignolet defied Deulofeu before Lukaku headed the hosts in front for the first time from a Mirallas corner.

That appeared to have settled the outcome until Sturridge nodded home Gerrard's free-kick.