UNSEEN: WHAT THE REFEREE TOLD HUGO EKITIKé AFTER THAT CONTROVERSIAL PENALTY SHOUT TODAY
Arne Slot suffers his first 0-0 draw as Liverpool boss. Read how Leeds stifled Anfield and Alisson reached a 100 clean sheet milestone.
Anfield saw two unbeaten records stay intact, but only one team left feeling good about it. Leeds managed to stifle Liverpool, resulting in Arne Slot's first goalless draw as manager, a game that showed the limitations still present despite the team's recent progress.
The dull 0-0 draw, Slot's first in 84 Liverpool games, was largely due to Jaka Bijol and Pascal Struijk's strong defense, along with Liverpool's struggle to break down Leeds' compact setup. Liverpool's chances were limited, and some boos could be heard at Anfield as the final whistle blew on a lackluster performance.
Before the game, Farke surprised everyone by leaving out Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The in-form forward had scored seven goals in six games, but given his past injury issues at Everton, the Leeds manager didn't want to risk a player who's key to their season's goals.
If I don't use the whole squad with a schedule like this, it won't work, Farke said. I have to protect a player like Dominic. We know he's had some tough years recently. He's in great form, but I need to look out for him, and sometimes you have to think with your head, not your heart. This reasonable plan was hurt by Lukas Nmecha's limited impact as Calvert-Lewin's replacement for 70 minutes.
Liverpool struggled when Farke switched to a 4-3-3 formation at Elland Road. Containing Liverpool was the main goal at Anfield, with a 3-5-2 formation. Aside from a few scares from Hugo Ekitiké, Leeds succeeded in a fairly uneventful first half. The visitors started strong, testing Liverpool with several early corners that Slot's team (now without a set-piece coach after Aaron Briggs' departure) managed to clear. After that, Liverpool controlled possession, with Jeremie Frimpong standing out on the right. Liverpool's play had more energy and accuracy than usual, but clear chances were still hard to come by.
Slot's team had three chances to score in the first half, all involving Ekitiké. After a good exchange with Curtis Jones, the French player cut inside Gabriel Gudmundsson and forced Lucas Perri to make a save at his near post. The Leeds goalkeeper bobbled the shot, and James Justin made a timely intercept to stop Florian Wirtz from scoring the rebound.
Leeds, now under pressure, almost got caught out by Ibrahima Konaté's long ball. Ekitiké broke free from Bijol, who then held the forward as he entered the area. Ekitiké stayed on his feet and passed to Wirtz, who was stopped by another good challenge from Justin. The striker's penalty appeals were turned down by the referee, Chris Kavanagh.
Ekitiké's frustration grew when he missed his best chance. After Frimpong retrieved an Andy Robertson cross and sent the ball back into Leeds' six-yard box, the striker headed the ball poorly, hitting Perri while facing an open goal. Frimpong's cross was fast, and Ekitiké was likely surprised it reached him, but a player of his talent would usually score that.
Leeds' best chance came from an Alisson mistake. The Liverpool keeper made a bad clearance, sending the ball straight to Ethan Ampadu, who shot it back towards Alisson's goal. The Brazilian recovered just in time to save his own error. A small positive for Alisson was his 100th clean sheet in the league for Liverpool. He's only the fifth goalkeeper in the club's history to reach that mark, following Ray Clemence, Bruce Grobbelaar, Pepe Reina, and Elisha Scott.
The game became messy, with not much quality or excitement. Dominik Szoboszlai, back from a one-game suspension against Wolves, tested Perri from a distance. The keeper palmed away Szoboszlai's shot, and Ampadu handled the rebound while trying to clear it, giving Liverpool a free kick 19 yards out. Wirtz's weak attempt, hitting straight into the Leeds wall, summed up the game. Ampadu was booked for the handball and will miss the next game against Manchester United due to suspension.
Slot made three substitutions in the 66th minute to try and add some urgency to Liverpool's play. Soon after, Virgil van Dijk almost celebrated his eighth anniversary of joining Liverpool by heading in a goal from a Szoboszlai corner. The header bounced just wide of Perri's top corner.
Calvert-Lewin thought he had continued his scoring form and given Leeds the lead from Gudmundsson's cross in the 81st minute. The striker beat Van Dijk and Alisson to Sebastiaan Bornauw's pass before scoring from close range, but he was slightly offside. Anton Stach also threatened the visitors late on, but after his first shot from substitute Noah Okafor's cross was blocked, he skied the second attempt.
ALISSON "OPEN" TO LIVERPOOL EXIT AS JUVENTUS PREPARE MASSIVE SWAP DEAL OFFER
With Alisson Becker open to a Juventus move, Liverpool is scouring the market for a replacement ahead of a major summer rebuild.
Liverpool isn’t just sitting around; it’s actively searching for someone to take Alisson Becker’s spot since Juventus looks serious about making a bid for their veteran keeper. Even though Alisson’s got a year left on his deal after the club triggered an extension back in March, he might leave this summer.
He’s been Liverpool’s go-to guy in goal since he arrived from Roma in 2018; he’s played 332 games, cost £67 million, and for years, he was untouchable. But injuries have piled up during the 2025/26 season, and it’s starting to look like his time at Anfield could be coming to an end.
Juventus are now right in the mix. Apparently, Alisson isn’t against the idea of leaving Liverpool, and Juventus could even throw their own goalkeeper, Michele Di Gregorio, into the deal for the Brazilian.
Juve are ready to offer Alisson a contract running through the summer of 2028, with an extra year as an option. Sky Sports says Liverpool already knows what’s happening and is getting their ducks in a row before a massive transfer window.
The club’s facing a big summer. Salah and Robertson are going, and now they might need a new keeper too. Giorgi Mamardashvili has stepped up when Alisson was out, playing 18 games across all competitions, but he’s injured himself, leaving Slot with just Freddie Woodman as his only fit option.
Recently, Slot was asked if losing Alisson at the same time as Robertson and Salah would be too much. He said, “The club makes decisions it thinks are right. If this happens, there's a reason behind it, maybe another good reason why we did what we did.”
He pointed out that Liverpool doesn’t make transfers on a whim. Decisions are thought through, with the club’s interests always at heart.
Regarding keeping Alisson for his experience, Slot admitted that’s one argument, but there are others and, ultimately, the club will decide what’s best. Alisson’s contract still has a year left.
When pressed about Juventus, Slot replied, “Ali’s main focus is clear; he wants to get back in goal for Liverpool as soon as possible and then play for Brazil. That’s his short- and mid-term future.”
LIVERPOOL WARNED TO OFFER CURTIS JONES NEW CONTRACT BEFORE 14-MONTH DEADLINE
Analysis: Curtis Jones’ elite passing stats and why Jermaine Pennant believes Liverpool cannot afford to lose the versatile midfielder.
Liverpool really needs to sort out a new contract for Curtis Jones before they make the same mistake it did with Luis Diaz. That’s what the Inside Liverpool panel thinks, especially now that Diaz is lighting up Bayern Munich and making Liverpool’s transfer moves look pretty questionable.
Bayern’s front three, with Diaz in the mix, have racked up 100 goals across all competitions this season – the first time any non-Spanish team has done that. Diaz himself has bagged 26 goals in 46 matches and just scored against PSG in the Champions League semi-final.
Looking back, Liverpool probably wish they hadn’t let Diaz walk for £65 million last summer. Since then, fans at Anfield haven’t seen anyone who brings what he did: that relentless pressing, always looming as a threat on the counter. Sure, they’ve brought in Rio Ngumoha, a teenager, just 17, but Arne Slot, the coach, knows you can’t just expect him to fill those shoes right away.
On talkSPORT’s Inside Liverpool, Jermaine Pennant, who has played for the club, said that Liverpool has to bring in another proven attacker over the summer. Pennant’s point: Diaz was great whether he played in the middle or on the left, and Liverpool needs someone with that kind of flexibility. You don’t want to sign a backup like Hugo Ekitike and then end up overcrowding with too many strikers when the main guy returns.
Now, Jones could end up in the same boat this summer. There’s a lot of uncertainty around his future, and when you look at the numbers, he’s only got 14 months left on his contract. Several clubs in England and Europe are watching, and he’s only started 15 games for Liverpool this season.
Even though he hasn’t played much, Jones is impressing; he’s second only to Rodri in midfielder passes per 90 minutes in the Premier League. He’s also ranked second behind Moises Caicedo for passing accuracy, and right behind Rayan Cherki for carries. Pennant said the club can’t afford to let him go: Jones is so versatile; you can play him anywhere in midfield or even right back. He knows the club, loves it, and helps connect the squad.
Jones has been one of the top performers recently. Pennant thinks Liverpool should offer him a new deal, especially since the squad is thinning out and they’ve already lost Trent Alexander-Arnold. In the end, it’s up to Jones if he wants to stay or move for more game time, but Liverpool has to make the offer while they still can.
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