One of the most eagerly-awaited clashes of the English Premier League football season turned into a major letdown as Liverpool and Manchester United nullified each other in a goalless draw at Anfield.
Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
After all the hype preceding the battle between English football's fiercest rivals, United's manager Jose Mourinho was left happier than his counterpart Juergen Klopp as the visitors doused Liverpool's acclaimed attacking pyrotechnics.
The home side, full of goals all season, proved desperately disappointing until finding some second-half drive and may have still felt they deserved the win as United goalkeeper David de Gea had to make fine saves from Emre Can and Philippe Coutinho.
Liverpool stay fourth on 17 points, two behind leaders Manchester City and Arsenal.
Mourinho, the master of stifling Anfield dreams when at Chelsea, again found his tactical mastery rewarded but United, seventh in the table on 14 points, have still won just one of their last five league games.
The Portuguese sounded satisfied as he suggested United's ability to keep a clean sheet against their hosts had shown "they (Liverpool) are not the last wonder of the world like you like to say they are".
Klopp admitted it had been a poor spectacle.
"I am not frustrated but I am not happy with the performance. No one will show this game in 10 or 20 years but we could have played better," he said.
"We get a point. It doesn't feel like the best thing but it is what we got."
-Reuters
