As the full-time whistle went at Anfield, a goalless draw against Leeds United prompted some boos from sections of the home support.
It was the first time Liverpool had drawn 0-0 under Arne Slot, and the first result of that scoreline in 117 matches in all competitions, since December 2023 against Manchester United.
Liverpool had not lost and Slot’s side had extended their unbeaten run to eight games. But after a largely dull display, it showed a fanbase sharing their frustrations.
Far too often this season, Liverpool have been a tough football team to watch.
It is not an overstatement to say that the Anfield crowd has been spoiled over the past decade from the Jurgen Klopp era to Slot winning the title in his first year at the club.
The standards are immensely high and rightly so for a club of this magnitude, but against a Leeds side who got promoted to the Premier League last season, Liverpool looked one-dimensional and lacked the quality to break through the visitors and their 5-4-1 setup.
Bar Jeremie Frimpong, who had the pace to move past some of the Leeds players with ease but perhaps lacked that final delivery, there were few moments which got the fans off their seats.
It was hardly the start to the New Year that Liverpool, Slot or the Anfield faithful would have desired.
One BBC Sport reader summed up the feelings of the fanbase in our live text.
“Liverpool still look as though there’s a piece missing,” said Jan from Rye.
“Heavy metal football this is not – it’s not even aluminium foil football.”
Leeds boss Daniel Farke suggested after the game that part of his tactical setup was to ask his players to close the centre of the pitch and allow Liverpool to have possession on the wings. It was a strategy that served the visitors well.
Liverpool had their chances – 19, in fact, but only four of which were on target.
It was the Reds’ highest expected goals (xG) tally (1.96) without scoring in a Premier League match at Anfield since April 2024 (2.8, against Crystal Palace).
Asked what was missing from his side’s performance, Slot said: “A goal. That is the most simple answer.
“We are the team that has the most ball possession in the league but it doesn’t mean a lot if you cannot create enough chances and to create chances against a low block. We saw a team that kept trying but it was hard for us to find an opening.”
Liverpool’s best chance came when Hugo Ekitike missed an open goal with a header in the first half but in fairness, the ball came at serious pace to him from Frimpong’s strike across goal.
Former Liverpool forward Daniel Sturridge told Sky Sports that Slot’s side looked fatigued by the recent fixture schedule.
“They looked tired if you asked me,” Sturridge said. “They lacked that sharpness, those movements.
“They controlled the game but in the last third, they didn’t have sharpness. They will have to go back to the drawing board and look at what cost them but for me it was the creativity that was very much lacking.”
Ekitike was unfortunate not to get a penalty when he stayed on his feet under a challenge from Jaka Bijol in the box, which was at the centre of Slot’s post-match reflections.
“If he had fallen down it would probably have been a penalty but this season so many times when we were fouled we did not get a penalty,” Slot said.
“This season we have conceded a few soft penalties but Brentford away with Cody Gakpo the referee said, ‘play on’ so our players try to stay on our feet and then it is hard for the VAR to interfere.”
And Slot said that he would never encourage his players to go down.
“We keep doing the same things,” said the Dutch manager. “I don’t believe in the fact that over a season you get what you deserve but in a long time, two, three, four seasons, then I believe in it.
“I think I am not wrong in that we only had one penalty this season, for the team with most ball possession it is surprising.
“But I would not tell you I am encouraging them to do that. We are just who we are. We stay on our feet.”
In a sense, that much is admirable from Slot but he needs to realise sooner rather than later that his side cannot carry on performing the same way.
The fact Liverpool are fourth is a huge positive given the first half of the season they have had but the performances simply must improve.
