Manchester United dropped points for only the second time this season on Saturday as they were held by arch-rivals Liverpool to a scoreless draw at Anfield.
Jose Mourinho set up his team to sit deep and hit the hosts on the counter for the Jurgen Klopp’s men were expected to dominate the fixture.
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And the hosts did just that, monopolising possession from the start and had the lion’s share of chances in the first-half.
Liverpool defender Joel Matip saw his shot from close-range brilliantly saved by United keeper David de Gea and while the rebound fell to Mohamed Salah, the Egyptian winger couldn’t keep his effort on target.
United had a solid chance of their own after some neat interplay between Anthony Martial, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Romelu Lukaku but the Belgian striker could only shoot straight at Simon Mignolet minutes before the interval.
The hosts’ dominance was more apparent in the second-half as they swarmed forward but United managed to keep them at bay.
Their three-man defence comprised of Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Matteo Darmian held firm and stymied Liverpool time and again.
Philippe Coutinho went down inside the box on the hour-mark after a challenge from Ander Herrera but referee Martin Atkinson waved play on. Replays suggested there was contact made but the game continued without a
Traditionally, Liverpool-United clashes have been fraught with cards but the latest edition was a mild-mannered one in comparison with only two United players getting cautioned.
United held for the draw and while they top the Premier League by a point, Manchester City have a chance to open up a two-point lead when they play Stoke City later in the day.
Liverpool, meanwhile, move above Burnley into sixth with 13 points but could slip back into seventh should the Clarets win their game in hand over West Ham on Saturday.
