GIANTS’ STORY HAS NO PUNCH
Box-office bout fizzles out as rivals resort to shadow boxing
LIVERPOOL 0 MANCHESTER UTD 0
AFTER the build-up, the let-down. The hype over these giants of English football colliding in a title race turned out to be badly overblown as two teams hell-bent on avoiding defeat made sure they avoided victory at the same time.
United came closest through Paul Pogba seven minutes from time only to be thwarted by a fine stop from Alisson, who was marginally the busier of two underemployed goalkeepers, but neither side really deserved three points.
What should have been a classic ended up as an unfulfilling stalemate.
For United, a point at Anfield was further evidence of their credentials as genuine title contenders. They were the first side to shut out Liverpool at their fortress home in 43 Premier League games.
The hosts, who have been blunt in the league of late, were restricted to three shots on target and – with United managing four – the champions could not have any real complaints over the result.
They dominated possession but even with the silky promptings of Thiago Alcantara, they could not create much.
Thiago’s brief time at Liverpool has been bumpy, with illness and injury intervening, but his class was evident on his Anfield debut in all he did yesterday, from the no-look passes to the shoulder-drops which led his pursuers a merry dance at times.
His drive from outside the box in the 78th minute brought a smart save from David De Gea. Yet there was still some cohesion missing from Liverpool.
United parked their expensively upholstered bus effectively and could quite easily have pinched the game on the break with Bruno Fernandes also bringing a good save out of Alisson in the second half.
You expect bite with this rivalry but although there were three bookings, it was more chess than rollerball. There was a sending off by referee Paul Tierney – the ball which had to replaced in the
15th minute after going flat. Just like the occasion. So much had been made of this encounter, with United facing Liverpool as league leaders for the first time since 2013, that perhaps it was inevitable the game might not live up to expectations. But for it to fall so far short was disappointing. With Liverpool tasked with unpicking the tight United rearguard without leaving themselves vulnerable to Marcus Rashford’s pace on the break, caution was the watchword.
De Gea’s routine save from Roberto Firmino’s weak effort was the only stop either goalkeeper had to make before the break.
United, operating as counterpunchers, had to wait 34 minutes for their first attempt on goal. But it was the closest of the opening period with Fernandes just wide from a free-kick after Luke Shaw had been tripped by Xherdan Shaqiri, who was making his first league start for 13 months.
Harry Maguire had to be alert to deny Firmino just before the hour as Andy Robertson swept in a dangerous cross but it was a rare moment to raise the pulse rate from Liverpool.
United cautiously tip-toed their way more into the match and fashioned a shooting opportunity for Fernandes in the 65th minute, but from outside the area he drilled the ball straight at Alisson.
The Liverpool goalkeeper had to be sharp to deny Fernandes with his legs after the overlapping Luke Shaw pulled the ball back into the path of the Portuguese. But he saved his best for Pogba to deny the Frenchman from 10 yards out after AaronWan-Bissaka had set him up.
These two sides meet again on Sunday in the FA Cup fourth round. Let’s hope for better.