Liverpool vs Leeds United: Anfield’s New Year resolution remains elusive as visitors find familiar grit

The first day of 2026 brought little in the way of festive cheer to Anfield. Less than a month after their chaotic 3-3 draw at Elland Road, Liverpool and Leeds United played out a stalemate of a vastly different character. 

Where the previous encounter was defined by defensive frailty and erratic bursts of scoring, this 0-0 draw was a study in frustration for Arne Slot and disciplined pragmatism for Daniel Farke.

Liverpool began with the territorial dominance expected of the home side, but for all their possession, the lack of a final product was stark. 

Hugo Ekitike, so often the spark in recent weeks, missed a guilt-edged opportunity in the first half, miscuing a header from a Jeremie Frimpong cross. Florian Wirtz, too, found himself in a promising position before the interval only to slice wide. 

Despite the return of Dominik Szoboszlai to the midfield, the hosts struggled to inject the necessary tempo to unsettle a Leeds side that defended with a dense, low block.

Farke’s side, bolstered by their recent five-match unbeaten run, grew in confidence as the clock ticked. While they largely focused on containment, they nearly stole the points in the 81st minute. 

Dominic Calvert-Lewin, introduced from the bench, thought he had scored in his seventh consecutive Premier League match when he lifted the ball over Alisson, only for the assistant’s flag to correctly signal a narrow offside. 

It was a warning shot that Liverpool failed to heed, as their late surge, including the introduction of Federico Chiesa and the young Rio Ngumoha, yielded plenty of crosses but no genuine incision.

As six minutes of added time evaporated, the frustration in the stands became audible. Liverpool’s late flurry of corners was dealt with comfortably by the Leeds rearguard, spearheaded by Pascal Struijk and Jaka Bijol. 

When the final whistle blew, Leeds celebrated a hard-earned point that moves them further from the relegation scrap, while Liverpool were left to reflect on a performance that felt more like a regression than a step forward.

But beyond the scoreline, this was a match that highlighted the tactical friction at the heart of the current Liverpool project. Slot has sought to bring a more measured, controlled style to Anfield, moving away from the heavy metal volatility of his predecessor. 

Yet, in this instance, that control frequently bordered on the pedestrian. Against a Leeds side that had clearly learned the lessons of their December collapse, Liverpool’s patience lacked the sudden gear-shifts required to break down organised resistance.

The result, however, masked deeper truths about the physical and psychological state of this squad. In the absence of Mohamed Salah, the responsibility for creative magic has been distributed across a younger, less seasoned forward line. 

While the talent of Wirtz and Ekitike is undeniable, they found themselves suffocated by a Leeds midfield, anchored by the tireless Ethan Ampadu and Anton Stach, that refused to be pulled out of position. 

It was a game of chess where neither side was willing to risk the queen, resulting in a draw that felt inevitable long before the end

• Liverpool’s aesthetic shift has come at the cost of penalty-box urgency. Under Slot, the Reds have traded chaos for composure, but here that composure felt like a lack of conviction. 

Without Salah’s individual gravity to pull defenders out of position, the intricate passing patterns often fizzled out before reaching the danger zone.

The inability to convert 69% possession into a single goal suggests that the team is still learning how to be clinical without being frantic.

• Daniel Farke has instilled a defensive discipline that makes Leeds a formidable mid-table force. The Leeds of 2024 might have buckled under the late pressure at Anfield, but the 2026 iteration is built on sturdier stuff.

By switching between a back three and a back four with fluid ease, and utilising the aerial dominance of Struijk and Bijol, they neutralised Liverpool’s crossing threat entirely. 

This resilience suggests they are no longer merely relegation survivors but a side capable of taking points from the elite through structural integrity.

• The set-piece vacuum is becoming a structural liability for the Reds. The pre-match departure of set-piece coach Jack Briggs loomed large as Liverpool wasted a succession of corners and free-kicks.

In a game of such fine margins, the delivery was consistently poor, and the movement in the box from the home side was static.

If Liverpool are to sustain a top-four challenge in the second half of the season, they must find a way to make dead-ball situations a weapon rather than a wasted opportunity.