Liverpool’s unexpected record breakdown in grueling stalemate against arch-rivals Manchester United

The highly anticipated clash between Liverpool and Manchester United on Sunday resulted in an anti-climactic stalemate. Owing to the draw and Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Brighton and Hove Albion on Sunday, The Gunners have dethroned the Anfield Giants to sit at the top of the Premier League table with 39 points to their name and the former following close behind with 38 points.

The match between Jurgen Klopp’s and Erik ten Hag’s men was all shots and no hope. According to Opta via X, the game saw the Reds attempt 34 unsuccessful shots against their rivals. This happens to be Liverpool’s maximum number of shots fired in a Premier League game without scoring whilst rivaling Man Utd’s 38 unsuccessful shots against Burnley in the October of 2016.

Liverpool vice-captain Trent Alexander-Arnold went closer than most to breaking the deadlock but ultimately, he too fell short. The Man Utd equivalent of Trent’s attempt was Rasmus Hojlund’s strike that Alisson Becker kept out.

Attributing to The Red Devils’ stable defense, the Reds had to resort to shooting from a distance for majority of the game, squandering several scoring opportunities. The game dragged on to be a drab affair overall with no exciting highlights ending in Manchester United’s first draw in the season.

While the visitors can be proud of their display, one could argue that Liverpool were just a goal away from opening the floodgates. In the end, Liverpool have nobody but themselves to blame for not securing all three points on the night.

34 – Liverpool had 34 shots against Man Utd, their most on record (from 2003-04) in a Premier League game without scoring, and the most by any side without a goal in the competition since Man Utd's 38 v Burnley in October 2016. Wasteful. pic.twitter.com/v5wHYKfK03

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 17, 2023

Comparing the Reds’ performance with that of ten Hag’s players this season makes this game seem almost fraudulent. Klopp had accelerated his team into leading the ranks in the Premier League table. On the other hand, the latter’s performance has been subpar in comparison with their rivals. United were in fact lucky to escape Anfield without a thrashing.

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The Liverpool manager’s earnest efforts throughout the summer to refurbish his team’s midfield paid off. His midfielders put up a formidable front to Man Utd’s attacks. However, the forwards failed to stick their goals during Sunday’s game. Their aggressive style of attacks failed get through their rival’s strong defense.

In the end, while we dominated the game, the decision making in the final third left much to be desired. Hopefully, lessons were learnt and we will do better in the coming games.