Liverpool failed to collect the three points they needed to return to the top of the Premier League when they drew 0-0 with Everton at Goodison Park. With nine games to go, it’s advantage Manchester City.
It was the Reds’ seventh stalemate of 2018/19 in the league, their fourth in the last six matches, and only Southampton – with nine – have drawn more top flight matches this season.
Liverpool’s consistently strong defence meant they never looked like losing the match. They had only had seven shots, in large part due to an imperious display by Virgil van Dijk. It felt like the Dutchman was first to every ball when it came in or around the Reds’ penalty area. Indeed, Van Dijk made 13 clearances, the most he’s made in any match this season.
In keeping Everton at bay throughout, Liverpool picked up their 17th clean sheet of the league campaign. It’s a shut out tally they’ve only topped five times in the Premier League era, and not since 2008/09. It was also their fifth clean sheet in a row in all competitions, meaning the Liverpool goal has not been breached for 512 minutes.
The problem is they need to be winning rather than drawing matches, and that hasn’t looked very likely away from Anfield in 2019. Combined with the stalemate at Old Trafford, this result means Liverpool have been scoreless in two away league matches in a row for the first time since the fourth and fifth away matches of jurgen Klopp’s reign.
Having only netted once at Manchester City, Brighton and West Ham in the trio of away days prior to that means the Reds haven’t scored twice on the road since before Christmas. The Brendan Rodgers era ended with 10 away league games in a row where Liverpool failed to score at least twice, but this is the first time they’ve had a streak of five such matches under Klopp.
They played out long far more often than usual, leaving Liverpool unable to win the ball high up the pitch.
Prior to kick-off the Toffees had played 14% of their passes long this season, which is broadly in line with the Premier League average. On Sunday, their long ball proportion was 23%, a rate only Cardiff have topped throughout 2018/19.
Where Liverpool have averaged 5.5 final third ball recoveries per match in this campaign, they made just one at Goodison Park. Even then, it was by Virgil van Dijk and in the first minute of the match, illustrating how the Reds’ attackers were unable to regain possession in threatening areas.
Not that they didn’t have chances, and the best opportunity fell to the man Kopites would want it to. Fabinho became the ninth different Liverpool player to create a clear cut chance for Mohamed Salah this season when he played him in with a through ball in the 28th minute.
Unfortunately for Liverpool, Jordan Pickford was equal to the shot and what would prove to be the Red’s best chance went begging.The rest of the match felt like a succession of almost moments for the away side.
Salah had a total of eight touches in the opposition penalty box – only four players in the Premier League had more this weekend – and both he and Fabinho failed to get shots away in the second half when well placed.
Liverpool had two shots from counter attacks, which is twice as many as any team in Europe’s big five leagues averages per match, but there should’ve been more. It was a similar story with set pieces, from which the Reds had four attempts but didn’t seriously test Pickford with any of them.
Liverpool have made the ninth best start by any club in the Premier League era. None of their other campaigns feature in the top 30. There has been so much to admire about their football in 2018/19, but with City one point ahead Klopp needs to solve the goal scoring issue away from home else Liverpool’s wait for a league title is likely to continue past May.