Dull draw at Anfield was another reminder Liverpool vs Man United seldom produce classics… but Erik ten Hag can take encouragement from the result as Reds’ title credentials are dealt reality check

This bad match wasn't as against the history of the match as some people might think. Matches between the two most successful clubs in English football have not often been classics.

Yet this was an afternoon just to cheer on Manchester United. Erik ten Hag's players have answered a number of questions in advance. They were committed, organized and worked desperately hard. They deserved a point, even though this was the ceiling of their ambition from the start.

As for Liverpool, the question marks remain. Not in terms of their superiority over their major rivals. That remains significant. But as for their title credentials, that's what really matters at Anfield.

One of the curiosities of the Jurgen Klopp era is that Liverpool, for all their excellence, have only won the Premier League once. There are reasons for this and the main one is Manchester City. Nevertheless, it is an anomaly that will follow them into the post-Klopp years if they fail to extend the title they won in the Covid-decimated 2019/20 season.

This season, City seem intent on leaving the door open a little. Pep Guardiola's team have not been at their best and have flown to Saudi Arabia for the Club World Cup after a 2-2 draw at home to Crystal Palace. But Liverpool did not take advantage of the opportunity that presented itself here.

This was an afternoon just to cheer on Manchester United, as Erik ten Hag's players answered a number of questions beforehand

Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp and United's Erik ten Hag share the Premier League points after a goalless draw

With a league match at Anfield against Arsenal next weekend, Klopp's players had the chance to head into the new year with a significant gap between themselves and the defending champions.

However, Liverpool were not good enough here. They didn't have much fortune with them. Nothing really fell into the penalty area. They also did not show enough quality on the ball. They didn't make enough good decisions and ultimately didn't really look like a championship team. Not here, not today.

United had a number of standout players in their squad given the currently limited circumstances. Centre-backs Rafael Varane and Jonny Evans were two of them. Varane has only just recovered from Ten Hag's mischievous move to find a place back in the team while Evans last played here for United over eleven years ago, but you wouldn't have known that.

That team was led by Sir Alex Ferguson in September 2012, won 2-1, had Robin van Persie, Ryan Giggs, Rio Ferdinand and Patric Evra in it and eventually won the Premier League.

Things have changed for United but certain things in football remain the same and one of them says if you get through the first fifteen or twenty minutes at Anfield you can go on to become a match.

United's defensive resolve, with Jonny Evans and Diogo Dalot, held off Liverpool's attacks

Raphael Varane (R) impressed as his return to the United squad continued from the cold

Liverpool missed the chance to surpass Arsenal at the top of the Premier League

In Sky commentary, Gary Neville said this was the worst Anfield atmosphere he could remember. That seemed like a strange statement. It's been better, but it's also been a lot worse.

The home fans are slowly falling in love with this latest version of Klopp's Liverpool and what they expected here was another rush of power from a United team short on bodies, belief and self-confidence.

Instead, Liverpool malfunctioned when their early energy failed to bring them any reward. They were particularly poor in midfield and it is in this area that Liverpool's evolution is taking longer.

With the likes of Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and James Milner gone and Thiago Alcantara on a long-term absence, the midfield here consisted of Ryan Gravenbach, Wataru Endo and Dominik Szoboszlai.

Of the three, only Szoboszlai is enthusiastic and it just so happens that this was one of his worst performances for the club he joined this summer. The Hungarian couldn't hold out.

It was all a shame for Liverpool as United kept giving them the ball. Ten Hag's side risk embarrassment if they try to play out from the back and lack the physicality to regularly win long passes into the channels.

So they had a problem from the start and even though it was a problem that persisted throughout the 95 minutes of this match, Liverpool were not calm enough or creative enough to make United pay.

Liverpool's midfield was struggling and this was one of Dominik Szoboszlai's worst performances

Marcus Rashford came on in the second half after recovering in time from the Noravirus

United will then limp further. It's West Ham way for them next Saturday afternoon. Honestly, anything can happen.

However, Liverpool cannot allow the momentum of the first half of the season to come to a halt. They hadn't been hugely impressive when they won at Crystal Palace or Sheffield United recently, but they had taken the points. Here they ran aground.

City returns to England in a week and immediately plays a match against Everton. They will be behind in the title race, but perhaps not by as many points as they feared when they boarded a plane to the Middle East on Saturday evening. Liverpool may regret that.