London (AFP)

Manchester United passed solidly, but not brilliantly, his ordeal on Sunday at Anfield Road: the Red Devils came back with a draw (0-0) against the defending champion, Liverpool, and retain the lead in the championship.

With 37 points, ManU is however a very fragile leader, since Leicester are 2nd at two lengths and Liverpool 3rd at three points, while Manchester City, which receives Crystal Palace in the evening, is 5th at five points but with two games less.

After a tribute to Gerry Marsden, who died at the beginning of January and whose version of "You'll Never Walk Alone" is played - and resumed in chorus by the stadium, when the supporters are admitted - before each match at Anfield, the two teams delivered a rather hooked but unspectacular match.

In any case, it was once again clear that the suspense in the Premier League owes largely as much to the lower level of the Reds as to the progress, despite everything very real, of Manchester.

Some may be disappointed by the apparent lack of ambition of Ole-Gunnar Solskjaer's men, who are very happy to let Liverpool the ball in this game.

With a 4-2-3-1 set-up, with the only Anthony Martial at the forefront and a Pogba-Fernandes-Rashford line in front of a double pivot made up of Fred and Scott McTominay, they had bet everything on the murderous counters of which they are customary.

Unfortunately for them, with a Bruno Fernandes who seems to be marking time physically after a year of playing almost every game since his arrival, the Mancuniens have too often lacked precision in the last pass and the last gesture, or patience in their calls .

"We did not take the three points today because we did not play well enough for that", admitted Solskjaer after the match, at the microphone of Sky Sports.

- Manchester may have regrets -

The victory did not go far, however.

A free kick from Fernandes close by (34th), a resumption of the same Fernandes stopped by Alisson with his foot (75th) and above all a strike from Pogba alone seven meters from the goals, but right on the Brazilian goalkeeper, again good placed and decisive (83rd), were the best opportunities.

"To be completely honest, I must say that I am a little disappointed there right away (...) Coming here, with their injuries, we thought we could achieve a better result," said Solskjaer.

Opposite, Jürgen Klopp had once again had to tinker with his eleven and bring down Jordan Henderson, the captain and soul of the team, in central defense alongside Fabinho to compose the defensive axis.

In the middle, he called on the Swiss Xherdan Shaqiri, who did not even have a full championship match in his legs (84 minutes in four exits from the bench), alongside Thiago Alcantara, who was also only the 5th league appearance and first tenure at Anfield.

With 67% possession and 18 shots, but only three on target, Liverpool did not find the solution to the puzzle posed by a very serious Manchester defense which was hardly ever put out of position after the break.

"We can't control + Man United + for 90 minutes, we never got there and it's impossible for any team (...) but the boys played a very good game tonight", judged Klopp, despite everything.

"We should have used our chances better in the first half, it would have helped us, but the performance was good," he simply regretted, without wishing to dwell on the offensive difficulties of the Reds who remain in four games without a win , including three without scoring, in the league.

This result remains, however, almost more favorable to the title holders, who still have room for improvement if they find some of their injured, while Manchester United may already be leveling off.

© 2021 AFP