The goalless draw against Leeds United was met with boos from some of the home fans as the final whistle blew at Anfield.
This is Liverpool’s first 0-0 draw during Arne Slott’s coaching tenure, and the first time such a scoreline has occurred in 117 games in all competitions since December 2023 against Manchester United.
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Liverpool didn’t lose, with Slott’s side extending their unbeaten run to eight games. But after a largely lackluster display, fans began sharing their frustrations.
Liverpool have been an ugly team to watch at many times this season.
It’s no exaggeration to say that Anfield fans have been spoiled rotten over the past decade, from the Jurgen Klopp era to Slott winning the title in his first year at the club.
Standards are very high for a club of this size, as it should be, but against Leeds United, who were promoted to the Premier League last season, Liverpool looked one-dimensional and lacked the ability to break through the visitors and their 5-4-1 formation.
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Bar Jeremie Frimpong’s pace easily outpaced some of Leeds’ players but perhaps lacked the final pass and there were few moments to get fans out of their seats.
This was by no means the start to the new year that Liverpool, Slaughter or Anfield fans had hoped for.
A BBC Sport reader summed up the fans’ feelings in our live text.
“Liverpool still look like they’re missing a piece,” said Jane, from Rye.
“This is not heavy metal football – not even aluminum foil football.”
Leeds United manager Daniel Falke said after the game that part of his tactical plan was to ask players to close off the midfield and allow Liverpool to control the ball out wide. This is a helpful strategy for tourists.
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Liverpool had chances – 19 in fact, but only four shots on target.
This is the Reds’ highest expected goals against (xG) (1.96) without scoring in a Premier League game at Anfield since April 2024 (2.8 against Crystal Palace).
Asked what was missing from his team’s performance, Slott said: “Goals. That’s the simple answer.
“We’re the team with the most possessions in the league, but if you can’t create enough chances and create chances in the post, it doesn’t mean much. We saw a team that kept trying, but we struggled to find gaps.”
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Liverpool’s best chance came in the first half when Ugo Ekitic missed an empty net with a header but, to be fair, the ball came to him at full speed from Frimpong’s shot.
Former Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge told Sky Sports that Slott’s side have looked tired in recent fixtures.
“They looked tired if you ask me,” Sturridge said. “They lacked that sharpness, those moves.
“They controlled the game but in the final third they were not sharp. They will have to go back to the drawing board and see what it cost them, but to me it was a huge lack of creativity.”
Liverpool’s past three Premier League games against newly promoted teams have all been draws. [Getty Images]
‘We are who we are. We stand firm’
Hugo Ekitic scores 11 goals for Liverpool [Getty Images]
Ekitek was challenged by Jaka Bjor in the penalty area, but unfortunately did not win a penalty, which was also the focus of Slaughter’s post-match reflections.
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“If he had gone down, it could have been a penalty, but we’ve been fouled a lot this season and we didn’t get a penalty,” Slaughter said.
“We’ve conceded a few soft penalties this season but when Brentford played Cody Gakpo away, the referee said ‘play on’ so our players tried to stay on their feet so it was difficult for VAR to intervene.”
Slaughter, for his part, said he would never encourage his players to go down.
“We’ve been doing the same thing,” the Dutch coach said. “I don’t believe that in one season you get what you deserve, but over a long period of time, two, three, four seasons, I believe that.
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“I don’t think I’m wrong, we’ve only had one penalty this season, which is surprising for the team that has the most possession of the ball.
“But I’m not going to tell you that I encourage them to do that. We are who we are. We’re going to move forward.”
In a sense, this is admirable for Slaughter, but he needs to realize quickly that his team can’t continue to perform the same way.
Liverpool’s fourth-place finish is a huge positive considering their performance in the first half of the season, but their performances must improve.
