Red’s suspicions turned out to be true.As any title contender will readily admit, dropping a point at home to inferior opposition can often be the difference when it comes to handing over the trophy in May.
So Liverpool will find this was a missed opportunity in a disappointing goalless stalemate that could have had ripple effects shortly after the frustrated home crowd left Anfield. Jurgen Klopp’s side are used to sending teams home, but this time Jurgen Klopp’s side had no answer when asked to find their way through the hastily constructed maze of an injury-ravaged Manchester United side.
It wasn’t the most reliable defensive line, but it was enough to frustrate a Liverpool side whose doubts had become clear in recent weeks.United have had no chance of sticking to their discipline as they have in recent away trips and their current form means they are always ready to turn the game into an obituary test. However, there is still a long way to go from Liverpool this season.
While much of United’s recent success has come from undercutting their opponents, here the visitors have helped the Reds dig themselves into a big hole, often guilty of rushing too much, rushing too much and poor decision-making as a result . . Third and last. Liverpool have picked up late wins against Fulham and Crystal Palace in recent weeks, Sheffield United no exception, so this was in some ways an expected result. It wasn’t a top-flight fixture at Anfield Road and in the end it was a semi-open affair with 7,000 plus fans making it the biggest league attendance in decades. But Klopp’s men got off to a tumultuous start and ran out of seconds to spare.
The struggles in the first half did little to keep the noise level down, with the undeniable support from kick-off giving way to increasingly loud murmurs of frustration. Since the start of the season, home wins have stopped at 11 wins.
Given the unique nature of the game between the two north-west rivals, a point against United can never be considered the final result.Rather, Liverpool fans were not only disappointed by the two-point loss, but suspicions grew that the team was not ready to face the championship challenge. Arsenal will be a barometer of where the Reds actually are next weekend. The debate over Darwin Núñez’s suitability for the Liverpool squad is long gone. However, at the moment it is not so clear whether the Uruguayan deserves a permanent place in the starting line-up.
Nunes has played 15 games since winning the League Cup with Bournemouth. And the longer the drought lasts, the less points he gets. Núñez, who was scoring goals at the start of the campaign, is now showing a lack of confidence, leading to a hesitation so damaging to a player with such instincts.Watch his reaction when the ball broke into his path for an undefended goal in the second half. Moments after considering his options, the opportunity was lost and Nunes soon replaced him. Cody Gakpo, who has been more active recently, will start strongly against Arsenal. But it’s not just about Nunes. Attacks as a unit currently do not work. Luis Diaz is good in patches but still doesn’t have a consistent end product and Mohamed Salah can’t do that every week.
Diogo Jota’s direct look at offside misses.Just as he did at Selhurst Park last weekend, Klopp played roulette with tactical changes and substitutions in the second half. But this time I couldn’t land on red.Since 2016, a team has had more than 34 shots on goal in its previous Premier League game without conceding a goal. And the clean sheet means they have missed a club record 35 consecutive games.
