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Two unbeaten runs continued in place at Anfield, but solely one side could take genuine contentment from the result. Daniel Farke's men carried out a textbook game plan of stifling and restricting Liverpool, with the first scoreless draw of Arne Slot's reign highlighting the lingering issues behind the current title holders' recent recovery.

Defensive Display Earns Crucial Point

A lacklustre scoreless stalemate, the first in 84 fixtures for Slot's team, was primarily attributable to the immense dominance of the excellent centre-back pairing Jaka Bijol and Pascal Struijk, combined with the Anfield side's failure to break down a well-drilled visitors' unit. The Merseysiders were limited to speculative half-chances, and a smattering of boos could be heard around the stadium at the final whistle on a sluggish performance.

"If I don't use the whole squad and we have a fixture list like this, I would not do this," the manager explained. "With a footballer like Dominic I have to protect him. We all are aware his past couple of years was difficult. He is in red-hot form but it's vital I look after him and sometimes the mind needs to win over the heart."

Liverpool's Frustration in Front of Goal

Arne Slot's team at first showed more zip and precision than in previous outings, with Jeremie Frimpong influential on the right side. However, golden opportunities were scarce. Their primary moments in the opening half involved forward Hugo Ekitiké.

• After a smart one-two with Curtis Jones, the France international cut inside and forced a stop from keeper Lucas Perri at his near post.
• The visitors' shot-stopper could not hold the effort, requiring a crucial intervention from James Justin to stop Florian Wirtz tapping in the rebound.
• Ekitiké later raced through onto a long ball but was impeded by Jaka Bijol; although not going down, his shouts for a penalty were dismissed.

Spurned Opportunities Prove Pivotal

Ekitiké's afternoon worsened when he did not manage to hit the target with his clearest opening. Meeting a pacy Frimpong delivery in the goal area, the attacker miscued a glance that hit the goalkeeper while with an unguarded net.

At the other end, their clearest opportunity arrived from an Alisson mistake. The experienced shot-stopper sent a careless clearance directly to midfielder Ethan Ampadu, whose first-time shot returned down the centre was saved by the recovering goalkeeper.

Turgid Final Stages

The contest deteriorated into a bitty encounter, low on incident. The midfielder, returning from a ban, tested Perri from range. The resulting scramble led to Ampadu controlling the ball, awarding Liverpool a set-piece in a promising position, which Wirtz sent into the wall.

The Liverpool manager made a three change to inject urgency, and soon after Virgil van Dijk came close to heading his team in front from a set-piece, his effort bouncing just past the post.

Late introduction Dominic Calvert-Lewin believed he had extended his goal run for the visitors in the closing stages, but his tap-in was flagged out for a marginal offside call. Ultimately, the two teams had to settle for a share of the points.