Manchester United 0-0 Liverpool: 5 Talking Points, Premier League 2018-19

#3 Both teams were abject in the final third

Daniel Sturridge didn't offer much after coming on to replace Roberto Firmino

At least Manchester United tried to get the ball in the final third, and create chances. Liverpool were pedestrian. They meandered along. Their midfield was too passive, the front three took too many touches on the ball, when they should've released it earlier to other players in better positions.

Liverpool's most available attacking outlet at all times during the game, was James Milner bombing forward from right-back, but the usually ever-so-reliable Englishman's touch just deserted him all game. He didn't get one good cross in from open play, and from the many corners that Liverpool had, he had only one good delivery of note, with Joel Matip putting his header well above David de Gea's net at the Stretford End.

For United, this was to be expected, given that there was so much in-game chopping and changing that went on mid-game. Their rhythm was bound to be affected.

The problem for them was not so much the quality of balls into the box, as it was the timing of their runs. In a quickfire string of second-half minutes, Ashley Young and Luke Shaw whipped in a string of delicious free-kicks, but on each occasion, a promising United position was cut short by the assistant referee's flag.

Joel Matip had even put through his own net, but to his joy, Chris Smalling was pulled up for straying just a fraction too early.