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A pair of unbeaten records remained in place at Anfield, but solely one side could take real contentment from the result. Daniel Farke's men carried out a perfect strategy of frustrating and containing Liverpool, with the maiden goalless draw of Arne Slot's tenure highlighting the lingering issues behind the current title holders' latest upturn.

Defensive Masterclass Earns Vital Point

A lacklustre goalless draw, the initial in 84 fixtures for Slot's team, was largely attributable to the defensive dominance of the outstanding centre-back pairing Jaka Bijol and Pascal Struijk, combined with the Anfield side's inability to break down a well-drilled visitors' unit. Liverpool were limited to speculative half-chances, and a smattering of discontent echoed around the famous ground at the final whistle on a laboured performance.

"If I don't use the whole squad and we have a fixture list like this, I would never make changes," Daniel Farke stated. "For a player like Dominic I have to look after him. We all know his recent history was difficult. He is in red-hot form but it's vital I look after him and sometimes the head needs to win over the heart."

The Hosts' Struggle in the Final Third

Arne Slot's team at first displayed more zip and sharpness than in previous matches, with the right wing-back prominent on the right side. Nevertheless, golden opportunities were scarce. Their primary moments in the opening period involved striker Hugo Ekitiké.

• Following a neat one-two with Curtis Jones, the France forward drifted infield and forced a stop from goalkeeper Lucas Perri at his front post.
• The visitors' shot-stopper could not hold the effort, requiring a timely intervention from James Justin to prevent Florian Wirtz converting the rebound.
• Ekitiké later sprinted clear onto a ball over the top but was impeded by Jaka Bijol; although staying on his feet, his shouts for a spot-kick were waved away.

Missed Chances Are Pivotal

Ekitiké's afternoon was compounded when he did not manage to hit the net with his clearest chance. Connecting with a pacy Frimpong cross in the goal area, the striker miscued a glance that struck the Perri while facing an open goal.

At the other end, their clearest opportunity came from an Liverpool goalkeeper mistake. The Brazilian keeper sent a careless pass straight to midfielder Ethan Ampadu, whose first-time effort back down the centre was gathered by the recovering Alisson.

Scrappy Final Stages

The match deteriorated into a bitty encounter, devoid on incident. Dominik Szoboszlai, returning from a ban, tested Perri from distance. The resulting scramble resulted in Ampadu handling the ball, giving Liverpool a free-kick in a dangerous position, which Wirtz sent into the wall.

Slot introduced a three substitution to inject impetus, and moments later Virgil van Dijk came close to nodding his team in front from a set-piece, his effort bouncing just past the post.

Substitute Dominic Calvert-Lewin believed he had extended his scoring streak for Leeds in the closing minutes, but his finish was ruled out for a marginal offside call. In the end, both teams had to settle for a single of the points.