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Two unbeaten records continued in place at Anfield, however only one side could derive real contentment from the result. Daniel Farke's men executed a textbook game plan of stifling and containing Liverpool, with the maiden scoreless draw of Arne Slot's tenure underscoring the lingering limitations behind the current title holders' latest recovery.

Resolute Masterclass Earns Vital Point

A drab scoreless stalemate, the initial in 84 fixtures for Slot's team, was largely due to the defensive solidity of the excellent defensive duo Jaka Bijol and Pascal Struijk, combined with the home side's failure to unlock a compact visitors' unit. The Merseysiders were reduced to speculative opportunities, and a smattering of discontent could be heard around the stadium at the full-time whistle on a laboured display.

"If I don't use the entire squad and we have a fixture list like this, I would not do this," Daniel Farke explained. "With a footballer like Dominic I have to look after him. We all are aware his past history was difficult. He is in incredible shape but it's vital I look after him and sometimes the head needs to prevail over the emotion."

The Hosts' Frustration in the Final Third

Liverpool initially displayed more zip and sharpness than in previous matches, with the right wing-back prominent on the right side. Nevertheless, clear-cut opportunities were few and far between. The home side's primary openings in the opening period involved forward Hugo Ekitiké.

• After a neat one-two with Curtis Jones, the France international cut inside and drew a stop from goalkeeper Lucas Perri at his front post.
• The Leeds' shot-stopper spilled the shot, needing a timely intervention from James Justin to stop Florian Wirtz tapping in the rebound.
• Ekitiké later sprinted through onto a long ball but was held by Jaka Bijol; although not going down, his shouts for a spot-kick were dismissed.

Missed Opportunities Are Costly

Ekitiké's evening was compounded when he failed to find the target with his best opening. Connecting with a pacy Frimpong delivery in the six-yard box, the attacker misdirected a glance that hit the goalkeeper while facing an unguarded net.

At the other end, their most notable sight of goal arrived from an Alisson mistake. The Brazilian shot-stopper played a wayward pass straight to disruptor Ethan Ampadu, whose first-time shot returned towards goal was saved by the recovering Alisson.

Turgid Final Stages

The contest deteriorated into a bitty encounter, low on quality. The midfielder, back from suspension, forced a save from Perri from distance. The resulting scramble resulted in Ampadu handling the ball, giving Liverpool a set-piece in a dangerous area, which Wirtz sent into the wall.

Slot introduced a triple change to inject urgency, and moments later Virgil van Dijk came close to nodding his side in ahead from a corner, his header flying just past the post.

Substitute Dominic Calvert-Lewin believed he had extended his goal run for Leeds in the closing minutes, but his tap-in was flagged out for a marginal offside. Ultimately, both teams had to accept a single of the spoils.