Liverpool Stars Struggle Against Leeds as Slot's Worst Fears Come True

Liverpool endured a frustrating scoreless stalemate against Leeds United at Anfield on New Year's Day, delivering a lackluster display that highlighted Arne Slot's worries regarding the team's squad depth.

Prior to Thursday's encounter with the promoted side, Slot expressed frustration that injuries have limited his capacity to influence matches through substitutions—a key element of last season's Premier League championship campaign.

The Dutch manager utilized his entire bench at Anfield, introducing a World Cup champion, a £40 million ($53.8 million) summer signing, and the campaign's second-highest goalscorer, yet failed to secure a winning goal.

The supporters who endured until the final whistle were disappointed with the lifeless performance that left Liverpool in fourth position, trailing league leaders Arsenal by 12 points. Leeds' away supporters, in contrast, celebrated a hard-fought draw that established a seven-point buffer above the drop zone.

Liverpool Player Ratings vs. Leeds (4-2-3-1)

*Rating provided by FotMob*

GK: Alisson—8.0: Pursuing his 100th Premier League clean sheet, Alisson nearly sabotaged that quest early in the opening period with an errant pass. He faced minimal pressure afterward.

RB: Conor Bradley—7.1: Linked up effectively with the natural fullback positioned ahead of him.

CB: Ibrahima Konaté—7.9: It was versus Leeds three weeks prior that Slot notably criticized Konaté's habit of being "at the crime scene." The Liverpool center-back held the upper hand for most of the match before Dominic Calvert-Lewin's introduction returned him to the uncertain form of recent weeks.

CB: Virgil van Dijk—7.4: Distributed the ball from side to side with the casual ease that characterized Liverpool's display.

LB: Andy Robertson—7.0: Virtually unchallenged by James Justin defensively, Robertson focused on pushing the wingback deep into Leeds' defensive territory.

CM: Ryan Gravenberch—7.6: Switched roles with Curtis Jones in an effort to unlock the compact structure of Leeds' defense without significant success. Found more success in defensive duties.

CM: Curtis Jones—7.1: Frequently resembled Rio de Janeiro's "Christ the Redeemer" statue while seeking possession, and when Jones's extended arms were rewarded with the ball, he distributed it promptly.

AM: Dominik Szoboszlai—7.0: Returned to his preferred attacking midfield position, Szoboszlai's tendency to drift across the pitch actually produced one of his least impactful performances of the campaign.

RW: Jeremie Frimpong—6.9: Selected over Federico Chiesa in Mohamed Salah's absence, Frimpong quickly validated his inclusion with an energetic performance along the right wing. The opportunities he generated remained unconverted.

ST: Hugo Ekitiké—6.4: The Liverpool player closest to making an offensive impact, Ekitiké's integrity perhaps cost him in the first half when he didn't claim a penalty.

LW: Florian Wirtz—6.9: Any confidence gained from ending his goal drought five days earlier seemed to have already disappeared. The only debate regarding his substitution was that it didn't occur sooner.

Subs not used: Giorgi Mamardashvili (GK), Calvin Ramsay, Wellity Lucky, Trey Nyoni.

Leeds (5-4-1)

Starting XI: Lucas Perri; James Justin, Sebastiaan Bornauw, Jaka Bijol, Pascal Struijk, Gabriel Gudmundsson; Anton Stach, Ethan Ampadu, Ilia Gruev, Brenden Aaronson; Lucas Nmecha.

Subs used: Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Noah Okafor, Jayden Bogle, Ao Tanaka.

Player of the match: Lucas Perri (Leeds)

Liverpool player of the match: Alisson

Liverpool 0–0 Leeds: How Events Developed at Anfield

Unlike Enzo Maresca, both Liverpool and Leeds entered the new year with momentum. Neither team had experienced defeat since November and featured two strikers in "exceptional form," using Daniel Farke's words.

However, while Leeds' manager rested Dominic Calvert-Lewin with Sunday's Manchester United fixture in mind, Slot again selected Hugo Ekitiké. The French striker with five goals in his last four Premier League appearances faced an eventful, though fruitless, pursuit of another.

Ekitiké was brought down within the first 15 minutes by the persistently physical Jaka Bijol. Referee Chris Kavanagh dismissed the penalty appeals, allowing play to continue long enough for Florian Wirtz to send a weak attempt into James Justin's leg.

Liverpool's top scorer had managed to escape Bijol's attention shortly after the half-hour point. Attempting to redirect Jeremie Frimpong's powerful cross goalward, Ekitiké managed to send a header wildly off target. It resembled a defensive clearance more than an attacking effort.

Slot would soon long for the disappointment of those early missed opportunities as a surprisingly flat second half developed. Liverpool continued to attempt numerous shots, but this was largely according to Leeds' plan. The visitors were perfectly happy to retreat into their 5-4-1 formation, a wall of bodies that steadily gained assurance.

Given the disappointing nature of Liverpool's attacking intent, Slot implemented a triple substitution with 25 minutes remaining. Wirtz was among the three players withdrawn after a painfully ineffective showing, though numerous players in red could have been reasonably replaced.

The changes provided little evidence they deserved to start. Alexis Mac Allister barely made a meaningful contribution while Kerkez and Gakpo posed as little danger down the left as Wirtz had previously.

While Liverpool could only point to an off-target header from an unmarked Virgil van Dijk at a corner, Leeds were quickly energized by the arrival of Noah Okafor and the prolific Calvert-Lewin, who had an effort over the line correctly disallowed for offside.

To Slot's certain frustration, no inspiration could be found in either the starting lineup or among the substitutes as Liverpool began 2026 in the most disappointing fashion possible.

Liverpool vs. Leeds Half-Time Statistics

Liverpool vs. Leeds Full Time Statistics