Manchester United hold Liverpool to goalless draw at Anfield

• Manchester United held a dominant Liverpool side to a frustrating goalless draw at Anfield on Sunday
• Virgil van Dijk’s header in the first half and Luis Diaz’s header after the break were as close as Liverpool came to finding the back of the net

At Anfield on Sunday, Manchester United held a dominant Liverpool side to a frustrating goalless draw. Liverpool were never short of effort in the match as they had 34 shots on goal and almost 70% possession of the ball. However, they failed to capitalize on their chances, with striker Darwin Nunez being poor and Dominik Szoboszlai looking a little leg weary.

Virgil van Dijk’s header in the first half and Luis Diaz’s header in the second half were as close as Liverpool came to finding the back of the net.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and Virgil van Dijk react after the match at Anfield. Photo/ Reuters.

It was a missed opportunity for the Reds, who conceded the top spot in the standings to Arsenal. For Manchester United, the draw earned them a crucial point against an opponent who has been thoroughly beating them in the past few seasons at Anfield.

Manchester United’s best chance of the evening fell to Rasmus Hojlund in the second half, but the Dane who is still searching for his first Premier League goal, hit Alisson’s chest with the ball. The visitors finished the game with 10 men after Diogo Dalot was sent off in stoppage time for two yellow cards.

No on expected a struggling and injury hit Manchester United side to stop Liverpool’s run of eleven successive home wins this season, but they did with a draw.

How The Game Unfolded

This was the day Liverpool partly opened their newly revamped Anfield Road Stand for the first time, bumping up the attendance to 57,000, the biggest of any home game since the FA Cup with Burnley in 1963.

Liverpool had won their last two games against Manchester United at Anfield by an aggregate score of 11-0. And with the visitors coming from a 3-0 humbling by Bournemouth at Old Trafford and a tame Champions League exit after losing to Bayern, many expected them to lose with a huge margin at Anfield. However, they put on a spirited fight which earned them a vital draw at a time when the odds were totally against them.

Liverpool started the game on a high note, just like they did when they met at Anfield and ended up thrashing United 7-0 in one of the most humiliating fixtures for the Red Devils. There were three corners inside four minutes as the hosts wanted an early goal, but Erik ten Hag’s men did well to withstand the pressure.

The hosts were sloppy in the final third, with Mohamed Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai squandering numerous opportunities that could have put them in front. Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool’s captain, came close to giving his side the lead as the game went on but his powerful header went just over the bar. Ibrahima Konate might have done better with a similar chance but he also squandered his own.

Manchester United survived the first 45 minutes, but the pattern continued after the restart. However, there was a moment when the Alejandro Garnacho came close to scoring but Trent Alexander-Arnold did impressively well to stop him from shooting.

Raphael Varane and Darwin Nunez in action on Sunday as Liverpool faced Manchester United. Photo/ Stallion Times.

Manchester United had another chance afterwards after a brilliant counter-attack tore Liverpool’s defence, only for Rasmus Hojlund to be denied by Allison. The visitors increase in confidence almost cost them as they were opened at the back, but Onana managed to save Salah’s curling effort.

Liverpool pressed for a goal in the last minutes of the game but were unlucky. The Red Devils finished the game with ten men after Diogo Dalot was sent off in stoppage time. Liverpool are second on the table and Manchester United are seventh.