Liverpool 0-0 Man Utd: United earn point that keeps them top of EPL

Manchester United came to Anfield and effectively doused the Liverpool fire to remain top of the English Premier League while Liverpool dropped to third place because Leicester City won on Saturday.

The 0-0 outcome was a fair result as both teams did not do enough to take all three points.

Manchester United will see this as improvement while this blip will be getting Klopp worried. Four games without a win and just one goal scored will be reason to begin to fret.

Liverpool had shooting chances but seemed to want to score the perfect goal though they could easily have lost with Alisson making two great saves in the second half to prevent a rare home loss – Jürgen Klopp will surely be buying his goalkeeper, Alisson, dinner for making those two saves.

Too many passes in the box that did not add up allowed Manchester United to defend the box and keep David de Gea safe.

The first half was a case of pressure and patience. United effectively played with five defenders as Scott McTominay stayed in his half for the majority of the match, helping Aaron Wan-Bissaka to quell the threat of Sadio Mane.

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Liverpool with more ball possession and incursions into the United half but Harry Maguire led the Manchester defence to ward off the more ambitious attacks from Klopp’s men. Not many incisive movements by Roberto Firmino inside the United box allowed the United easily defend the perimeter of their box.

United were caught offside seven times – some very marginal calls that could have paid off in the second half. In the second half, Liverpool pushed but United were resolute and that accounted for the number of shots the Reds got on target, three, none of which troubled David de Gea.

In the 77th minute, Thiago Alcantara drove from midfield, skipped two United challenges and unleashed a screamer, destined for De Gea’s top-right corner but the Spanish goalkeeper was up to the task by keeping the ball out.

United could have won it late. First, Bruno Fernandes’ goal-bound prod was saved by Alisson, with his legs and then in the 84th minute, Paul Pogba would have been thinking he had won it again, just as he did against Burnley but there was Alisson again to the rescue.

United finished stronger and will savour passing the first major challenge of the season and keeping their away record pristine. No defeats in nine away matches – with seven wins and 21 goals to show.