Liverpool were denied a return to the top of the Premier League as a resolute Manchester United defensive display held their dominant hosts to a 0-0 draw at Anfield.
Andre Onana made his league-high eight saves in a match, while his team-mates battled to only the fourth goalless draw of the season so far to frustrate the home crowd.
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How the match unfolded
Centre-back Ibrahima Konate replaced Jarell Quansah in Liverpool’s only change from their late victory at Crystal Palace last weekend.
Erik ten Hag made four changes, with Jonny Evans, Raphael Varane, Rasmus Hojlund and Kobbie Mainoo all returning.
Liverpool started ferociously, winning a corner inside the opening 20 seconds, which was met by a roar from the Anfield crowd, the largest since the 1960s thanks to the redeveloped Anfield Road stand being opened for the first time.
The home side continued to apply the pressure, Darwin Nunez’s back-post header testing Onana, who could only parry to the feet of Mohamed Salah, whose effort from close range was scrambled behind for a corner.
Then Virgil van Dijk, up from the back for Liverpool’s seventh corner, powered a header that Onana had to tip over.
With the first half approaching its conclusion, Ryan Gravenberch cut a low ball back to the edge of the box to find Salah, but his low shot was saved by Onana.
It was Man Utd who had the first real chance of the second half. Alejandro Garnacho was sent through on goal, but Trent-Alexander Arnold got back to deny the Argentinian with a brilliant tackle.
Following his substitution for the injured Gravenberch on the hour, Cody Gakpo immediately found himself in space and passed to Salah, whose curled shot towards the top corner was comfortably saved by Onana.
The hosts came forward again, with Salah setting up Alexander-Arnold, whose fierce low shot brushed the near post.
But in the next minute, Man Utd, much against the run of play, came close to breaking the deadlock, with some neat passing resulting in a Hojlund shot from close range that was straight at Alisson.
With the contest now stretched Liverpool came forward once more, Salah jinking inside on to his left and bending a well-hit shot that forced Onana into another flying save.
In the fourth of five additional minutes of stoppage time, Man Utd were reduced to 10 men after Diogo Dalot was shown two yellow cards for dissent in the space of 10 seconds by referee Michael Oliver.
But Liverpool were unable to capitalise and their fifth draw of the season means they slip to second on 38 points, one behind Arsenal, whom they face next weekend.
Man Utd are seventh on 28 points, one off Newcastle United in sixth and one ahead of West Ham United, where they travel to next weekend.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Man City
MCI
|
38 | +62 | 91 |
| 2 |
Arsenal
ARS
|
38 | +62 | 89 |
| 3 |
Liverpool
LIV
|
38 | +45 | 82 |
| 4 |
Aston Villa
AVL
|
38 | +15 | 68 |
| 5 |
Spurs
TOT
|
38 | +13 | 66 |
| 6 |
Chelsea
CHE
|
38 | +14 | 63 |
| 7 |
Newcastle
NEW
|
38 | +23 | 60 |
| 8 |
Man Utd
MUN
|
38 | -1 | 60 |
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Key facts
- Liverpool are unbeaten in their last eight Premier League home games against Man Utd (W4 D4), keeping a clean sheet in each of the last five. This is their longest run without a league defeat against them at Anfield since a run of nine between 1970 and 1979.
- Liverpool attempted 34 shots, their most in a Premier League game on record in which they failed to score (since 2003/04). Overall, it was the most shots by a team without scoring in a match in the competition since Man Utd's 38 v Burnley in October 2016.
- This was the first Premier League game at Anfield in which Salah neither scored or assisted since 21 January (v Chelsea), having had a direct hand in at least one goal in each of his previous 16 home games in the competition. Salah had four shots on target in today’s game, his joint-most in a Premier League match without scoring.
- Four of the last eight Premier League games between Liverpool and Man Utd at Anfield have ended goalless, after only one of the first 24 in this exact fixture in the competition had done so beforehand.
- Kobbie Mainoo became the youngest Man Utd player to start against Liverpool in a Premier League game at the age of 18 years, 242 days. Along with Alejandro Garnacho, it was also just the second time the Red Devils had started two teenagers in a match against Liverpool in the competition (after Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo in January 2005).
