LIVERPOOL 0-0 LEEDS: Arne Slot's side continued their patchy Premier League form at Anfield as they were held by the Yorkshire club in a clash that won't live long in the memory
Arne Slot
Arne Slot's Liverpool were held by Leeds at Anfield(Image: Getty Images)
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Liverpool were held by Leeds United on Thursday evening as their inconsistent form continues.
Blighted by a host of injury issues, the Reds struggled to get any fluency going forwards, with chances at a premium. Leeds thought they had secured a memorable victory as Dominic Calvert-Lewin fired home, only to be denied by the offside flag.
The draw leaves Liverpool fourth and six points behind Aston Villa, while Leeds remain 16th in the standings.
Here are all of the talking points from Anfield:
Ekitike too honest
There's almost an unspoken rule in the Premier League that if a player doesn't go down in the box, they won't get a penalty. And that was certainly evidenced to Hugo Ekitike against Leeds.
Following a swift move, the Frenchman found himself in space behind the Leeds backline and shrugged off a challenge from Jaka Bijol before pulling the ball back to Florian Wirtz. It was a slightly clumsy challenge though and one that might have seen a penalty given had he gone to ground.
Ekitike kept his feet and only appealed once the move came to a close. Of course, you don't want to see players attempting to win penalties for little contact but Ekitike certainly had a case.
Hugo Ekitike
Hugo Ekitike was convinced he deserved a penalty vs Leeds
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Alisson almost costs Liverpool
The first-half at Anfield was certainly low on goal-mouth action. Leeds arguably had the best opportunity between the two sides and it was set up by a Liverpool player.
Alisson's lazy kick was picked off by Ampadu 35 yards from goal and the Welshman set his sights on the unguarded net. He did not get enough power or direction to beat the Brazilian goalkeeper, who had scrambled back to hold Ampadu's low effort.
Calvert-Lewin denied
Given his recent form, it was somewhat if a surprise to see Daniel Farke choose to drop Dominic Calvert-Lewin for the trip to Anfield. The former Everton man had scored in each of his last six appearances in the Premier League.
However, there looked to be thought behind that decision. Calvert-Lewin has certainly not had the best luck when it comes to injuries over recent seasons and with a clash with Manchester United to come, this seemed to be a good game to rest the forward.
That's not to say that his absence wasn't noticed though, with Leeds struggling at times to generate chances up the pitch. They certainly improved once he was introduced.
He thought he had scored the goal to give Leeds a priceless win - and score in his seventh consecutive game - but was clearly offside.
Calvert-Lewin
Calvert-Lewin saw his celebrations cut short by the linesman's flag
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Liverpool's inconsistency continues
For all of the firepower at their disposal, Liverpool's attacking play against Leeds was their undoing. Throughout the 90 minutes, they only managed to generate three shots on target.
That is simply not good enough for a side aiming to secure a spot in the Champions League come the end of the season. A question remains over Mo Salah's future at Anfield, while Alexander Isak's injury looks set to keep him out for a while.
That could then tempt Arne Slot to dip into the transfer market for more attacking recruits.
Good point for Leeds
Of course, Leeds would loved to have secured victory at Anfield. But it's tough to suggest that a point is not a positive result. Daniel Farke's men are now seven points clear of the drop zone.
There's still work left to do for the Yorkshire club to seal their spot in the league for next season but they're in an excellent place in which to do that.
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