Premier League

Liverpool 0

Leeds United 0

Liverpool: Alisson (GK), van Dijk (C), Konaté, Wirtz (Gakpo 66’), Szoboszlai, Bradley (Chiesa 79’), Jones (Mac Allister 66’), Ekitike, Robertson (Kerkez 66’), Frimpong (Ngumoha 84’), Gravenberch. Subs not used: Mamardashvili (GK), Nyoni, Ramsay, Lucky.

Leeds: Perri (GK), Gudmundsson, Ampadu (C), Struijk, Aaronson (Okafor 70’), Nmecha (Calvert-Lewin 70’), Bijol, Stach, Bornauw (Bogle 83’), Justin, Gruev (Tanaka 90’). Subs not used: Darlow (GK), Piroe, Harrison, Byram, Gnonto.

Venue: Anfield

Attendance: TBC

Referee: Christopher Kavanagh

Booked: Ampadu, Bijol (Leeds)

It is now six matches unbeaten for Leeds United, continuing their rich vein of form with a thoroughly deserved draw away against Premier League champions Liverpool.

In a match dominated by the defences, the Whites thought they had snatched all three points with a late Dominic Calvert-Lewin strike, only for the offside flag to be raised.

Backed by a superb travelling contingent that silenced the Anfield crowd, the visitors were more than value for the point against the Reds to kickstart the New Year.

Ahead of the encounter in Merseyside, Daniel Farke had made four changes to the side that were held to a draw against Sunderland previously, recalling James Justin, Ilia Gruev and Lukas Nmecha, and also handing a full Premier League debut to Sebastiaan Bornauw.

The Whites started brightly on a bitterly cold evening and, after a flurry of attacking set-pieces, defender Jaka Bijol was first to test Alisson with a header from an Anton Stach corner kick.

The hosts then began to threaten and Lucas Perri was first called into action, saving twice to deny Hugo Ekitike and then the onrushing Florian Wirtz, before Justin was well placed to hack clear.

The full-back’s next intervention was even more crucial, diving in front of a point-blank effort from the German to avert the danger, following initial pressure from Bijol contesting with Ekitike.

Just after the half-hour mark and reading the game brilliantly to pick off a loose Alisson pass out from the back, skipper Ethan Ampadu raced onto the ball and struck first-time from 35 yards out, forcing the Brazilian into a crucial low save.

Moments later, the Reds should have taken the lead though, somehow, Ekitike miscued and headed off target from inside the goalmouth.

It was captain Virgil van Dijk’s turn to glance wide next, under pressure from a stubborn Leeds defence in the final meaningful action of an attritional opening period.

HALF TIME: Liverpool 0-0 Leeds United

Both teams emerged from the break unchanged and Farke’s side were once again bright in the opening moments, looking to create inroads down the left flank through Brenden Aaronson and Gabriel Gudmundsson.

The Whites were showing their strength at the back when skipper Ampadu threw himself in front of a Connor Bradley drive from the edge of the area and Pascal Struijk thumped the resulting corner away from danger.

Perri was then forced into a superb stop diving low to his right to parry a fierce long-range Dominik Szoboszlai effort as the hosts began to up the tempo in search of the opener.

After a van Dijk header that whistled narrowly beyond the upright, first activity from the United dugout introduced Calvert-Lewin and Noah Okafor into the action, replacing the hardworking Nmecha and Aaronson respectively.

With just under 10 minutes of normal time remaining, the England international striker thought he had continued his excellent goalscoring form, prodding home from inside the area, only for the assistant’s flag to be raised for an alleged offside.

Great tenacity from Okafor and quick feet from Gruev then saw the Bulgarian international dance into the area. His low cross was dangerous and just needed a white shirt to tap in but it was van Dijk who unceremoniously hacked away.

Heading into injury time and Stach came close to netting, initially having a left-footed strike blocked by a red shirt before lashing a powerful follow up agonisingly over the crossbar.

The winner wasn’t to be forthcoming and referee Christopher Kavanagh brought proceedings to a close, extending the Whites’ unbeaten run before Sunday’s crunch clash with Manchester United.

FULL TIME: Liverpool 0-0 Leeds United