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A pair of undefeated runs remained intact at Anfield, however solely one team could take real contentment from the result. Daniel Farke's men carried out a textbook strategy of frustrating and containing Liverpool, with the maiden goalless draw of Arne Slot's tenure highlighting the persistent limitations within the current title holders' recent upturn.

Resolute Masterclass Earns Vital Result

A lacklustre scoreless draw, the first in 84 fixtures for Slot's team, was largely due to the defensive solidity of the excellent centre-back pairing Jaka Bijol and Pascal Struijk, combined with the home side's inability to break down a compact Leeds defence. Liverpool were reduced to hopeful half-chances, and a smattering of boos echoed around the stadium at the full-time signal on a laboured display.

"Should I do not use the whole squad and we have a schedule like this, I would never make changes," Daniel Farke explained. "For a player like Dominic I have to look after him. We all know his recent couple of years was difficult. He is in incredible form but it's vital I look after him and sometimes the head needs to win over the heart."

Liverpool's Struggle in the Final Third

Liverpool at first showed more zip and precision than in recent outings, with Jeremie Frimpong prominent on the right side. Nevertheless, clear-cut chances were few and far between. The home side's best openings in the opening period involved forward Hugo Ekitiké.

• Following a smart one-two with Curtis Jones, the France international cut inside and drew a save from goalkeeper Lucas Perri at his near post.
• The Leeds' goalkeeper could not hold the effort, needing a crucial block from James Justin to stop Florian Wirtz tapping in the rebound.
• Ekitiké later sprinted clear onto a ball over the top but was impeded by Jaka Bijol; although not going down, his appeals for a spot-kick were dismissed.

Missed Chances Are Pivotal

Ekitiké's afternoon worsened when he failed to find the target with his best chance. Meeting a swift Frimpong cross in the six-yard box, the striker miscued a header that struck the Perri while with an open goal.

For Leeds, their clearest sight of goal came from an Liverpool goalkeeper error. The Brazilian keeper played a careless clearance directly to disruptor Ethan Ampadu, whose instant shot returned towards goal was saved by the recovering goalkeeper.

Scrappy Final Stages

The match descended into a bitty encounter, devoid on incident. The midfielder, back from suspension, tested Perri from distance. The subsequent scramble led to Ampadu handling the ball, awarding Liverpool a free-kick in a dangerous area, which Wirtz wasted into the defence.

The Liverpool manager made a three substitution to bring impetus, and soon after Virgil van Dijk went agonisingly close to nodding his side in ahead from a corner, his effort bouncing just wide the post.

Late introduction Dominic Calvert-Lewin believed he had continued his scoring run for Leeds in the closing minutes, but his tap-in was flagged out for a tight offside call. In the end, the two sides had to settle for a share of the spoils.