Liverpool had plenty of chances to score vs Manchester United, but several near misses forced the Reds to settle for a scoreless draw at Anfield.
First Half
Liverpool got off to a bright start as Kostas Tsimikas earned a corner straight away off the kickoff. They also earned back-to-back corners in the fourth minute, but Mohamed Salah's cross was too heavy for Darwin Núñez.
Dominik Szoboslai blasted a shot well over the bar in the 11th minute. Liverpool nearly scored off of a scramble in front of the net as the United keeper spilled the ball, but Salah's toe-poke went wide. The Reds kept the pressure on as they earned seven corners before the half-hour mark. Virgil van Dyjk's header from one of those corners in the 27th minute was saved to keep the match scoreless.
After the match settled down, Liverpool earned yet another corner in the 36th minute, but once again, a header was high. Salah forced a save in the 42nd minute with a low shot toward goal. Since the ball was kept out of the back of the net, the teams had to settle for a 0-0 scoreline at the break.
Second Half
Liverpool started the second half with a flurry of shots toward goal, but each attempt was blocked. Salah and Núñez nearly linked up for a goal in the 50th minute but the ball rolled through to the keeper just before Núñez could get to it.
Salah tried his luck from outside the box in the 64th minute, forcing a save and Trent Alexander-Arnold put a golden opportunity wide. The action picked up from that point as Alison was forced into his first save of the match and an impressive save on the other end denied Salah.
A scramble in front of the net led to another Liverpool corner in the 77th minute, but the resulting shot from Konate was saved. Substitute Joe Gomez nearly scored in the 85th minute but he put a shot wide after appeals for a handball in the box were ignored.
Liverpool had several chances in the five minutes of added time. The best came off the head of Harvey Elliott, but his header was high. As a result, the teams had to settle for a scoreless draw.
Streaks Snapped
The draw marks the first time this season that Liverpool have dropped points at Anfield. It is also the first time in 34 matches across all competitions Liverpool have failed to score, tying a club record.
Dominating The Stats
Despite being unable to find the back of the net, Liverpool had plenty of chances. They outshot Manchester United 34-8 (8-1 on goal). Liverpool also had a 12-0 advantage in corners and controlled possession at a 70 percent clip.
A Look At The Table
After the draw, Liverpool dropped to second on the table, a single point behind Arsenal. That sets up a huge match between the Reds and the Gunners on December 23rd for control of the top spot heading into 2024.
LFC Globe Verdict
Manchester United is one of the best defensive teams in the Premier League and they showed why in this match. They continually frustrated Liverpool with stout defending and clearances particularly in the attacking third of the pitch (See Stats Listed above). Even so, with all the chances Liverpool had, they should have put away at least one. A draw is not terrible, but let's just hope those two dropped points come back to haunt Liverpool later in the year.
Man Of The Match
It's hard to choose one for either side since neither team scored, but I'm going to go with Kostas Tsimikas. He took most of Liverpool's 12 corners and delivered several other nice crosses that nearly resulted in goals
What's Next
Liverpool will return to action on Wednesday 20th, December when they travel to Burnley for a Carabao Cup fixture. Kickoff is set for 20:00 GMT
Goals
Liverpool
None
Manchester United
None
Substitutes
Liverpool
- Joe Gomez for Dominik Szoboszlai 61'
- Cody Gakpo for Ryan Gravenberch 61'
- Harvey Elliott for Darwin Núñez 78'
- Curtis Jones for Luis Diaz 78'
Manchester United
- Marcus Rashford for Alejandro Garnacho 71'
- Fachundo Pellistri for Antoni 82'
- Hannibal Mejbri for Kobbie Mainoo 82'