Leeds United continue to distance themselves from the relegation zone after holding Liverpool to a 0-0 draw at Anfield.
Substitute Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who had scored in each of his previous six appearances, thought he had netted an 81st-minute winner for Leeds, but was denied by the offside flag.
Hugo Ekitike saw multiple opportunities go begging in a wasteful display for Liverpool, with Virgil van Dijk and Dominik Szoboszlai also missing chances to win it late on.
And Leeds’ patience almost paid off, but they were unable to stun their hosts with another late goal as they did in the reverse fixture at Elland Road last month.
Daniel Farke’s side remain 16th but move seven points clear of the relegation zone, while Liverpool stay fourth, pulling three points clear of Chelsea and Manchester United.
How the match unfolded
Liverpool started brightly, with Ekitike’s early tight-angled strike from the right of the box being spilt by Lucas Perri, but he quickly recovered to block Florian Wirtz’s follow-up.
Shortly after the half-hour mark, Alisson almost played Liverpool into trouble with a wayward pass into midfield, and though Ethan Ampadu immediately pounced, his first-time shot was too low and the goalkeeper got down to hold it.
Ekitike then had a golden chance to break the deadlock in front of an empty net, but he headed Jeremie Frimpong’s cross back away from goal despite being just two yards out.
Liverpool continued to push after the break, with Szoboszlai – back in the team after serving his one-match suspension – drilling a long-range shot on goal, which Perri pushed to safety.
Van Dijk thumped an unmarked header just wide of the right post from a corner in Liverpool’s best late chance before Calvert-Lewin dinked a lovely effort over Alisson from close range, but he had strayed just offside as Leeds missed the chance to take all three points.
Liverpool lack golden touch
The first half of the Premier League season has not been the smoothest for Liverpool, but they steadied the ship and had a strong finish to 2025.
But they have not carried that form into the new year, with Leeds continuously frustrating them throughout the 90 minutes at Anfield.
Wirtz looked full of confidence after recently hitting form and could have broken the deadlock if not for a heroic block by James Justin.
And while Ekitike provided his usual threat, he will feel he should have done better with his 33rd-minute header, as the goal was gaping.
But in the second half, it was initially Conor Bradley who took the game to Leeds, forcing two corners with his blocked shots, but Liverpool could not take advantage of those opportunities.
And with 65 minutes gone, Arne Slot eventually looked to his bench with a triple change that introduced Milos Kerkez, Cody Gakpo and Alexis Mac Allister, but none provided the much-needed spark.
Even though Liverpool put together some wonderful, flowing build-up, they remained disjointed in the final third, and with no out-and-out goalscorer on the bench as an option, they continued to draw a blank.
Slot’s side piled on the pressure with no reward in the closing stages as their three-match winning streak was ended. They travel to Fulham next, looking to bounce back and extend their seven-game unbeaten streak in the league.
Leeds shut up shop
Leeds’ six-game unbeaten streak also included a manic 3-3 draw with Liverpool in early December, with Farke’s side showing their spirit to snatch a point through Ao Tanaka in stoppage time.
However, he, along with Calvert-Lewin, who had scored seven goals in his six appearances before this game, were left on the bench as Farke shuffled his pack amid the hectic schedule.
Without their red-hot striker, they struggled to create any chances of real note in the first half; despite causing minor problems from early set-pieces, Ampadu’s snatched effort was their clearest opening before the break.
And they continued to pile bodies behind the ball in the second half, with Farke clearly keen to frustrate Liverpool’s misfiring front line, though that meant Lukas Nmecha and Brenden Aaronson were largely spectators before being taken off.
The introduction of Calvert-Lewin provided Leeds with more of a threat, particularly from set-pieces, and he will be disappointed that his fine finish after being teed up by Sebastiaan Bornauw did not extend his scoring streak.
It was ultimately their defensive resilience that secured the point this time around, as they threw their bodies on the line to grind out the result, which will be a big confidence boost ahead of their next encounter with old rivals Man Utd on 4 January.
Club reports
Liverpool report | Leeds report
What the managers said
Arne Slot: "Not the first time this season, from all the ball possession we have, we do generate chances, but I don't think it is enough or maybe it should be enough if you look at the xG, but we should be able to create more.
"We were very close with Virgil, but we didn't and this season multiple times we have conceded a goal in a game like this and that's a positive thing today. We kept a clean sheet and that's why we have a draw today."
Daniel Farke: "It doesn't come along that often that you get a clean sheet and a point at Anfield. We had to defend and suffer but we are newly promoted and came to the defending champions.
"There's always a special atmosphere on New Year's Day and you could feel that from the crowd but we performed well. The lads defended well and didn't allow clear cut chances. It's always important to be rock-solid against the ball and keep a clean sheet."
Next five PL fixtures
Key facts
Liverpool played out their first 0-0 draw in 117 matches in all competitions since December 2023 against Manchester United.
Liverpool have drawn their last three Premier League matches against newly promoted sides, their longest run without victory since April 2021 (four games), which also included a draw against Leeds.
This was Liverpool's highest expected goals tally (1.96) without scoring in a Premier League match at Anfield since April 2024 (2.8 v Crystal Palace).
Lucas Perri became the first Leeds goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet against Liverpool in all competitions since Nigel Martyn (April 1999) and first at Anfield since John Lukic (April 1995).