Liverpool, Oct 14 (AFP) Manchester United ceded theinitiative in the Premier League title race after drawing 0-0with arch foes Liverpool in a drab game at Anfield today.
Despite his side having previously matched leadersManchester City stride for stride, United manager JoseMourinho resorted to familiar spoiling tactics that meant histeam registered just one shot on target.
Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool have now won just once in eightmatches, but this was a brighter showing on a balmy Merseysideafternoon, with Joel Matip and Emre Can going close eitherside of half-time.
The second successive goalless draw between the teams atAnfield preserved United's seven-point advantage overLiverpool in the table.
The result meant United fell short of setting their bestever points tally after eight games of a Premier Leaguecampaign, although they have now gone seven games withoutdefeat against their eternal rivals.
It was not the celebration Klopp would have wanted on thesecond anniversary of his appointment as Liverpool manager andhe currently has only one more point than his predecessorBrendan Rodgers had at the moment he was sacked.
Another former Liverpool manager, Anfield great KennyDalglish, was present for the inauguration of the stand thatnow bears his name and with United retreating from kick-off,he saw his team have plenty of the ball.
United's shackling of Liverpool's front three meantGeorginio Wijnaldum found himself with space to attack and hetested visiting goalkeeper David de Gea twice in the first 15minutes.
It took a dazzling stop from De Gea to keep the scorelineblank in the 34th minute, the Spaniard jutting out his leftfoot to block Matip's close-range volley from RobertoFirmino's cross.
After pinching the ball off Philippe Coutinho's toes,Mohamed Salah thrashed the rebound wide of the left-hand post.
Obliged to plough a lone furrow up front, United strikerRomelu Lukaku endured a frustrating first half and should havebeen booked for cleaning out Joe Gomez with a late challenge.
But he almost put United ahead against the run of playfollowing a slick exchange involving Anthony Martial andHenrikh Mkhitaryan, only for Liverpool goalkeeper SimonMignolet to parry.
Liverpool procured their second big chance 11 minutesinto the second half when Joe Gomez's cross from the rightfell invitingly for Can, who could do no better than hoist avolley into the Kop from six yards.
Still Liverpool came, still United resisted.
Coutinho unsuccessfully appealed for a penalty afterbeing caught by Ander Herrera right on the edge of the Unitedbox, while a lobbed cross from Firmino was just too high forthe leaping Salah.
Liverpool fashioned two last openings in stoppage time,but after leaping to meet corners from substitute AlexOxlade-Chamberlain, neither Dejan Lovren nor Matip could keeptheir headers down. (AFP) PDSPDS.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.