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A pair of unbeaten records continued intact at Anfield, but solely one side could derive real satisfaction from the result. Daniel Farke's men carried out a perfect game plan of stifling and restricting the hosts, with the first goalless draw of Arne Slot's tenure underscoring the lingering issues within the current champions' latest upturn.

Resolute Masterclass Secures Vital Point

A lacklustre scoreless stalemate, the initial in 84 matches for Slot's team, was primarily attributable to the defensive dominance of the excellent centre-back pairing Jaka Bijol and Pascal Struijk, coupled with the Anfield side's inability to break down a well-drilled Leeds unit. The Merseysiders were limited to speculative half-chances, and a smattering of boos echoed around the stadium at the full-time whistle on a laboured display.

"If I do not use the whole group and we have a fixture list like this, I would never do this," Daniel Farke stated. "For a player like Dominic I have to look after him. We all know his past history was challenging. He is in red-hot form but it's vital I look after him and sometimes the head needs to win over the emotion."

Liverpool's Struggle in Front of Goal

Arne Slot's team at first showed more zip and precision than in previous matches, with the right wing-back prominent on the flank. However, clear-cut chances were scarce. The home side's primary openings in the first half fell to forward Hugo Ekitiké.

• Following a neat one-two with Curtis Jones, the French international cut inside and drew a stop from keeper Lucas Perri at his front post.
• The visitors' shot-stopper could not hold the effort, needing a crucial intervention from James Justin to stop Florian Wirtz tapping in the loose ball.
• Ekitiké later sprinted through onto a ball over the top but was impeded by Jaka Bijol; despite not going down, his appeals for a spot-kick were dismissed.

Spurned Opportunities Are Costly

Ekitiké's evening was compounded when he did not manage to hit the net with his clearest opening. Meeting a pacy Frimpong delivery in the six-yard box, the attacker miscued a glance that struck the goalkeeper while facing an open goal.

At the other end, their most notable sight of goal arrived from an Alisson error. The experienced keeper sent a careless clearance directly to midfielder Ethan Ampadu, whose first-time shot returned towards goal was saved by the alert goalkeeper.

Scrappy Conclusion

The contest descended into a bitty encounter, devoid on incident. The midfielder, back from suspension, tested Perri from range. The subsequent scramble led to Ampadu handling the ball, giving the hosts a free-kick in a dangerous area, which Wirtz wasted into the wall.

Slot made a triple substitution to inject urgency, and moments later Virgil van Dijk went agonisingly close to nodding his side in front from a corner, his header bouncing just past the post.

Late introduction Dominic Calvert-Lewin believed he had extended his scoring run for Leeds in the closing minutes, but his tap-in was ruled out for a marginal offside. Ultimately, both teams had to accept a share of the spoils.