Wednesday 1 February 2017 23:04, UK
Manchester United suffered another blow to their top-four chances as they played out a goalless draw with relegation-threatened Hull City at Old Trafford.
It was United's third straight draw after they were held by Liverpool and Stoke, and while they are now unbeaten in 14 Premier League games, their inability to kill off their opponents is proving costly.
No Premier League team has drawn more games than Jose Mourinho's side this season, and Manchester City's 4-0 win at West Ham means they are now four points behind their rivals in sixth place.
It could have been worse, too. Liverpool loanee Lazar Markovic struck the the inside of the post with one Hull chance, while substitute Abel Hernandez spurned a late opportunity to score a breakaway winner.
For United, though, the biggest issue was once again their failure to convert their own scoring chances. The hosts had 67 per cent of the possession and 15 attempts on goal to Hull's six, but failed to capitalise on their dominance.
Hull goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic made his first big save when he denied Paul Pogba in a one-on-one in the first half, and he was busy in the second period too.
He denied United substitute Juan Mata from point-blank range, and there were further saves from Marcos Rojo and Pogba before the final whistle. Marcus Rashford and Zlatan Ibrahimovic were also guilty of failing to test the Swiss shot-stopper when they shot wide with presentable chances.
The stats highlight the issue. Mata and Pogba's misses mean United's clear-cut chance conversion dropped below 30 per cent for the season - a full 10 per cent lower than any other Premier League team - while their overall shot conversion rate over 8.5 per cent is the third-lowest in the division.
After draws with Hull, West Ham, Burnley, Everton, two with Stoke and a defeat to Watford, United have now dropped points in seven games against teams outside of the top six.
"We didn't score, we didn't win," said Mourinho afterwards. "A lot of things that happened today on the pitch, I have a feeling of déjà vu and déjà vu a lot of times during the season."
It's a worrying theme for Mourinho, and United will need to find a ruthless edge in their upcoming games against Leicester, Watford and Bournemouth - starting with their trip to the King Power Stadium on Nissan Super Sunday.
