Result moves Liverpool one point clear of Man City at top of Premier League
Monday 25 February 2019 06:01, UK
Liverpool claimed a hard-earned draw at Manchester United on Sunday to return to top spot in the Premier League – but was it a good result for Jurgen Klopp’s title-chasing side?
The visitors miserly defence kept Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's injury-hit side at bay throughout, though Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Daniel Sturridge - who replaced Roberto Firmino in the first half - were blunted at the other end.
Liverpool held but return to top
Man Utd 0-0 Liverpool - as it happened
With Liverpool now one point ahead of Manchester City and having played as many games as the defending champions with 11 fixtures to go, where does the goalless stalemate at Old Trafford leave their challenge? The Sky Sports punditry team assess the situation:
I think it is a missed opportunity. I think the way the cards fell for United in terms of their injuries I think Liverpool will feel as though they should have won.
They certainly had a lot of the ball. Not many teams come here [Old Trafford] and keep Manchester United living off scraps but they did that today.
Ultimately they did not have enough imagination or creativity in midfield. Liverpool's midfielders have scored six goals this year. That is not enough if you're going to win the league.
I thought they dominated the ball up until the 18-yard box. I reckon with 64 per cent of the ball coming to Old Trafford you've played well.
I think Liverpool can only play one way. They try to win every game they play in. They're over-reliant on the front-three. I come back to the goals from midfield.
It took real character to come here, play in a difficult stadium to dig out a result and they did it easily for me that is why I am encouraged.
It is all good pointing the finger and saying your front three are not scoring the goals and making the goalkeeper work. There is an element that you'd be delighted with Liverpool's midfield because they work hard for you, they're honest types, real hard grafters who steamroller teams.
But when you play a team who defend as well as United did today and who are organised and close the gaps and you can't thread that pass through, that is when Liverpool struggled because the strikers are not getting enough service to do the damage.
I seem to be the only one but I was impressed with Liverpool today. I've been a player coming here, I know how difficult it is to dig out a result here.
Even when Manchester United are not going well they still come after you. They didn't do that today. Liverpool kept them at arm's length, they were never in any real danger or [under] sustained pressure.
I think Liverpool having conceded three goals against Palace and looked vulnerable, then drawn with Leicester and drawn with West Ham there were questions marks against them. There are no question marks against them after that for me.
It took real character to come here, play in a difficult stadium to dig out a result and they did it easily for me that is why I am encouraged. I am more encouraged after the game than I was before it in terms of will they win the league.
I think they made a statement today. It is not exactly the perfect statement but they made a statement for me.
Liverpool's big thing for me was they had to stop being vulnerable and to get a clean sheet against Bayern Munich and Manchester United away I think is a big achievement in terms of where they were against Leicester and West Ham, where they looked like they could concede chances. So I think that's a big positive for Liverpool.
In the final third I think Jurgen Klopp set up to be a little more pragmatic with the selection of the likes of [Jordan] Henderson in midfield and Fabinho. The adjustment needs to come when you see Manchester United's problems in the first half.
I was surprised by the substitution of [Daniel] Sturridge. I thought [Mohamed] Salah would have gone up top and Xherdan Shaqiri would have come on because he's the one who can show that composure in the final third. The final third play was really poor.
I think where Jurgen Klopp will be disappointed is that was a chance to make a statement. Coming to win at Old Trafford with 11 games to go was a statement moment.
I said before the game that if you gave Jurgen Klopp a draw he would probably take it and I wasn't being cynical and it wasn't the Liverpool-Man United thing.
This is a tough place to play football for an opposing team, particularly for a team like Liverpool. It is the same for United going to Anfield.
The big thing for me is do the players get out of this game, get on that coach and think 'that is a really good point, we've defended well but didn't get it right up front'?
Or do they get on that coach thinking 'we didn't have enough authority, we didn't have enough belief'?
Because the top teams in history would go and win that game 1-0 or 2-0. When there is that amount of emotion in this ground for 20 minutes after half-time you counter-attack them and pick them off and you'd score.
Liverpool will always have that question until they win that title and they get over the line but do the players carry the positive out of this game onto that coach or do they carry a little bit of 'could we have done more, could we have done this?'
We don't know what they're thinking. In here I'd say it is a good point for Liverpool, they defended well, two clean sheets against two big teams but do they carry a negative thought out of it? I don't know.
I think where Jurgen Klopp will be disappointed is that was a chance to make a statement. Coming to win at Old Trafford with 11 games to go was a statement moment.
I still think Liverpool are in with a great chance of winning the league but the fury that he'll have tonight is his team could have done so much better. That game was there for the taking.
In the first half with 20 minutes to go United were there. They reorganised and did really well
I agree with Graeme there has to be a lot more from the front three. Yes, [Roberto] Firmino came off but you need your big players when you come somewhere like this.
They had them at the other end. When you think about the save the goalkeeper made in the first half. In these games it is not going to chance galore; it is top strikers playing against top defenders.
Liverpool's front three haven't quite exploded this season and they're going to need them to if they're going to win the league.
I take Gary's point about Liverpool being a bit scabby in those two drawn games but that hasn't been Liverpool this season. Defensively Liverpool have been fantastic.
Liverpool's front three haven't quite exploded this season and they're going to need them to if they're going to win the league.
I am really pleased with how Liverpool performed in the first half. Coming to Old Trafford, with the composure they showed under pressure with the front three not at it.
But it is what happened after that, because at half-time I said on commentary it had to be reinforced 'you go and win this game'. Given the problems United have got, just win the game and I think that is what will be a huge disappointment.
That midfield will always be pragmatic in some ways. I've said before about what you bring off the bench. We spoke about the Shaqiri substitution.
We talk about United being ravaged with injuries but they still finished with a front-three of [Romelu] Lukaku, [Marcus] Rashford and [Alexis] Sanchez and you think about what Liverpool are bringing on.
Liverpool's first XI is top class but what is coming from the bench probably isn't enough.
I think with Liverpool we're building this game up like they should have gone and won it. But it is the week, not Manchester United, it is the week.
I said this before this game, if Liverpool get out of this week and they're still top of the league whether it be a point- we don't know how City will get on in their two games - it is a good week.
City had that big week a couple of weeks ago where Liverpool were thinking points could be dropped. If you can get through Watford and Everton then you have a breather as there is no midweek game.
If Liverpool are top then you look at the next two fixtures [Burnley at home and Fulham away] then the big international break kicks in.
If Liverpool can get to March 4 and they're top they are in a great position to win the league.
