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Two undefeated records continued in place at Anfield, but solely one side could take real contentment from the result. Leeds United executed a textbook game plan of frustrating and restricting Liverpool, with the maiden goalless draw of Arne Slot's tenure highlighting the persistent issues within the current champions' recent upturn.

Resolute Masterclass Secures Vital Result

A drab goalless draw, the first in 84 matches for Liverpool, was largely attributable to the immense dominance of the outstanding defensive duo Jaka Bijol and Pascal Struijk, combined with the Anfield side's failure to break down a well-drilled Leeds defence. The Merseysiders were limited to speculative half-chances, and a sprinkling of boos could be heard around the stadium at the final signal on a sluggish display.

"Should I do not utilise the whole group and we have a fixture list like this, I would never make changes," Daniel Farke explained. "For a player like Dominic I have to protect him. We all know his past couple of years was challenging. He is in incredible form but it's vital I manage him and sometimes the mind needs to win over the emotion."

Liverpool's Frustration in the Final Third

Arne Slot's team at first displayed more zip and precision than in recent outings, with Jeremie Frimpong influential on the flank. Nevertheless, golden chances were scarce. Their best moments in the opening period fell to forward Hugo Ekitiké.

• After a neat one-two with Curtis Jones, the French international drifted infield and forced a stop from goalkeeper Lucas Perri at his near post.
• The Leeds' goalkeeper could not hold the effort, needing a crucial intervention from James Justin to stop Florian Wirtz tapping in the loose ball.
• Ekitiké later sprinted clear onto a ball over the top but was impeded by Jaka Bijol; despite staying on his feet, his appeals for a spot-kick were dismissed.

Spurned Chances Are Pivotal

Ekitiké's afternoon worsened when he did not manage to find the net with his clearest chance. Meeting a pacy Frimpong cross in the six-yard box, the striker miscued a header that hit the Perri while facing an unguarded net.

At the other end, their clearest sight of goal came from an Alisson mistake. The Brazilian shot-stopper played a wayward pass straight to midfielder Ethan Ampadu, whose first-time shot returned towards goal was gathered by the recovering Alisson.

Turgid Conclusion

The match descended into a bitty encounter, devoid on incident. The midfielder, returning from a ban, tested Perri from range. The resulting rebound led to Ampadu controlling the ball, awarding Liverpool a set-piece in a promising position, which Wirtz sent into the defence.

The Liverpool manager introduced a triple substitution to bring urgency, and soon after Virgil van Dijk went agonisingly close to nodding his side in front from a corner, his header flying just past the post.

Substitute Dominic Calvert-Lewin thought he had extended his scoring run for Leeds in the final stages, but his finish was ruled out for a tight offside call. In the end, the two teams had to accept a single of the points.