Head coach Arne Slot lamented Liverpool’s lack of firepower after the Reds were held to a goalless draw by Leeds United at Anfield on Thursday evening.
Despite enjoying nearly 70 per cent of possession, Liverpool struggled to overcome a determined defensive display by Daniel Farke’s side and were restricted to just four shots on target out of a total of 19 attempts.
The closest they came to breaking the deadlock was when Hugo Ekitike missed a first-half open goal.
Virgil van Dijk then headed a corner wide after the break before Leeds were denied a shock late win by the offside flag after Dominic Calvert-Lewin had fired past Alisson with nine minutes to go.
Slot bemoans low block
Reflecting on a game which had promised fireworks but only delivered a damp squib, Slot was in no doubt what his side were lacking.
“A goal,” he told reporters. “That is the most simple answer.
“We are the team that has the most ball possession in the league, but it doesn’t mean a lot if you cannot create enough chances and to create chances against a low block.
“We saw a team that kept trying but it was hard for us to find an opening.”
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Frimpong frustrated, Farke delighted
Liverpool winger Jeremie Frimpong shared his manager’s thoughts.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, the Dutchman admitted: “It’s really frustrating. We wanted to win the game. I don’t think we created that [many] chances.
“They defended well. At the end of the day, 0-0, it’s very frustrating but on to the next game.
“Obviously we tried, of course we had a couple of chances. I think I should have delivered the ball better. That’s all I can say.”
Farke, however, was delighted with the point – and his side’s first clean sheet since August.
“It was always clear that we would need a special performance to travel away with a point,” he said.
“It was clear there would be several periods where we had to suffer, but we didn’t allow them clear-cut chances.”
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Unique result for Slot
The game was, remarkably, the first 0-0 draw of the Arne Slot era and the first stalemate since Manchester United’s visit in December 2023 – a run of 117 games in all competitions.
It also marked a 100th league clean sheet for goalkeeper Alisson.
The Brazilian became the fifth stopper to reach that milestone, joining Anfield legends Ray Clemence, Bruce Grobbelaar, Pepe Reina, and Elisha Scott.
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