Liverpool saw their winning streak come to an end as Leeds secured their first clean sheet since August, continuing a frustrating start to the new year for Arne Slot’s squad.
Leeds manager Daniel Farke chose a cautious approach regarding the fitness of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, opting to keep his key striker on the bench. It was his five-man defense that ultimately played a key role in securing a goalless draw at Anfield.
When Calvert-Lewin finally entered the match as a substitute, he believed he had netted the winning goal with his first shot at the ground, only to see it ruled offside.
This draw marked Leeds’ second stalemate with Liverpool in less than a month, extending their unbeaten run to six matches. However, it was a bitter pill for Liverpool, who had the opportunity to close the gap to third-placed Aston Villa to just four points.
Despite a promising display from Jeremie Frimpong, who played in the role previously held by Mohamed Salah, Liverpool struggled to find the decisive strike. Although they showcased the pace of summer signing Florian Wirtz, breaking down Leeds’ well-organized defense proved challenging.
One bright spot for Slot, who recently let go of set-piece coach Aaron Briggs, was that his team managed to maintain a third consecutive match without conceding from set-piece situations, although this was a minor consolation.
Liverpool had 18 shots compared to Leeds’ four, yet failed to capitalize, with Frimpong’s wing play providing the only real attacking threat. He effectively used the touchline, driving towards the byline.
Wirtz had an early attempt blocked by James Justin after Pascal Strijk successfully fended off Hugo Ekitike, allowing time for the defense. Two quick successive crosses through the six-yard box resulted in groans from the crowd as no players were in proximity to capitalize, and a third attempt from Frimpong was so rapid that Ekitike could only deflect it towards goalkeeper Lucas Perri.
Leeds’ sole chance emerged from a wayward clearance by Alisson Becker, which fell to Ethan Ampadu. Fortunately, the Liverpool keeper managed to recover in time to save the follow-up shot.
As the second half began, Leeds felt the pressure, but it took until the 60th minute for Perri to be challenged, which came from a long-distance effort by Dominik Szoboszlai.
The match lacked the drama of their previous encounter that ended 3-3, with Liverpool’s slow build-up play benefiting Leeds’ defense.
Anfield held its breath as Virgil van Dijk aimed a downward header from Szoboszlai’s corner, but it ultimately went wide.
Calvert-Lewin, in top form with goals in his last six outings, made a late appearance in the final 20 minutes but would have surely scored had it not been for a stray leg preventing the perfect comeback.