Five talking points as Liverpool are held to United stalemate

Manchester United held Liverpool to a 0-0 draw in a drab affair at Anfield.

The hosts never found their attacking rhythm, creating few clear-cut chances against the stubborn visitors.

And United had the chances to win the game on the break, Rasmus Hojlund going closest, before Diogo Dalot was sent off in injury time for dissent.

Here is what we learned from the underwhelming match.

Anfield letdown

There is no getting away from the fact that this showdown was a major disappointment.

Liverpool attempted to make the running — but all of their front three were wasteful, while the Reds missed Alexis Mac Allister's playmaking ability in midfield.

And by the finale, the likes of Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo were resorting to hit-and-hope shots and crosses from distance.

It ensured the Anfield crowd were kept quiet, with Gary Neville stating on commentary that he could not remember such a flat atmosphere in this fixture.

Stubborn United

Liverpool smelt blood from early on in the contest, with the confident Anfield crowd roaring their side onto the field and into a fast start.

But that swell of emotion quickly died down as the Reds failed to land much of a blow on their wounded opponent.

United were happy to utilise similar tactics to those that kept Bayern Munich quiet in the Champions League on Tuesday, putting men behind the ball and stifling their opponents' attacking riches.

A 0-0 draw is better than what many predicted for Erik ten Hag's side, even for a club that aspires for better.

Lack of threat

But though United may be satisfied with the result, Ten Hag will have been frustrated by their poor efforts to take something more.

Having hardly launched an attack in the opening 45 minutes, the visitors worked more counter-attack chances in the second, only to be consistently let down by the final pass and finish.

Antony was particularly wasteful, while Rasmus Hojlund missed the best chance when shooting straight at Alisson.

It denied the Red Devils what could have been a memorable win.

Midfield muddle

Mac Allister was absent — but this stodgy effort from Liverpool suggested Klopp has not yet found his best midfield combination.

Wataru Endo was particularly culpable at Anfield, often sloppy in possession and not moving the ball at the tempo his side needed.

The hybrid role of Trent Alexander-Arnold is designed to fix that issue but is still a work in progress, as was proved when he was permanently moved centrally in the second half.

Klopp must find the efficiency of his greatest midfield — Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and Georginio Wijnaldum — if he is to guide his side to the levels they hit from 2018-22.

Bump in the road

Dropping points is a blow for Liverpool, who must sense an opportunity to win their second Premier League title.

But having seen Arsenal overcome Brighton in a tricky home match hours earlier, the Reds could not move back to the top of the league themselves with this stalemate.

It was their third failure to win in seven league games, while even victories against Fulham and Crystal Palace have come with difficulty on that run.

With Manchester City surely set to pick up, Klopp's side must improve if they are to last the distance.