On the first day of 2025, the Premier League table showed that Liverpool were six points clear of Arsenal at the top. They were midway through a golden season. They had already scored 45 goals. Arne Slot, their new coach, was easing the pain felt by Liverpool fans at the departure of Jurgen Klopp.
On the first day of 2026, Liverpool laboured to a drab and desperately dull draw with Leeds United that left them 12 points adrift of Arsenal and vulnerable to being ejected from the top four. They are not great entertainers any more either. They have only scored 30 goals this season and Mo Salah, for so long their talisman, has fallen out of favour.
This was a match to sum up the creeping malaise that has afflicted them since their title victory. One of their statement signings, Alexander Isak, is a long-term injury absentee. The other, Florian Wirtz, was close to anonymous against Leeds. He was substituted midway through the second half.
It would also be wrong to ignore the impact of the tragic death of Diogo Jota before the start of this season has had on his teammates. Jota’s absence is keenly felt and some of Liverpool’s players have been open about how they are struggling to come to terms with it. It cannot simply be discounted as a factor in their loss of dominance.
Liverpool deserved a point but they lived on their nerves a little in the closing stages against an improving Leeds side who went unbeaten in December and drew 3-3 with Slot’s side at Elland Road last month. This result was not a fluke. It was an indication of the fact that the magic has left Anfield.
Liverpool are better than ordinary this season but not by much. As the title race starts to take shape and Arsenal and Manchester City threaten to move clear of the field, Liverpool are nowhere near it. Against Leeds, they looked stale, predictable and drained of all their former fluidity and certainty.
Liverpool were held to a desperately drab and dull 0-0 draw by Leeds at Anfield on Thursday
It was another frustrating night for Arne Slot’s side but the magic appears to have left Anfield
It was Leeds, in fact, who conjured the best of last few minutes. Their in-form striker, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, a former son of Everton who would have loved nothing more than to inflict defeat on Liverpool, had the ball in the net late on but it was ruled out for offside.
Leeds arrived at Anfield on the back of an impressive close to the year which saw them unbeaten in December, a run of five without defeat which included victories over Chelsea and Crystal Palace and a 3-3 draw with Liverpool at Elland Road.
Calvert-Lewin had been an integral part of that run, scoring seven goals in six matches, but Leeds boss Daniel Farke chose to leave him on the bench, trying to protect a player who has suffered grievously from injuries in recent years.
Liverpool were missing Mo Salah, who is away with Egypt at the African Cup of Nations. They were also missing their set-piece coach, who left the club suddenly last week after his particular department made a rather unsatisfactory start to the season.
No top-flight side has conceded more goals from set-pieces this season than Liverpool, who had leaked 12 before last night. Equally, only Manchester United had scored more goals from set-pieces than Leeds, who had scored 12 this season.
The game had begun quietly. It took 15 minutes before either side fashioned what might remotely be described as a chance. Ibrahima Konate floated a ball over the top of the Leeds defence to Hugo Ekitike, and Ekitike appeared to be held back by Jaja Bijol.
As Liverpool appealed for a penalty, Ekitike kept playing and laid the ball off to Wirtz 12 yards out. Wirtz tried to slot the ball into the net but was denied by a fine, saving block from James Justin. Liverpool persisted with their penalty appeals but Chris Kavanagh rejected them.
The action subsided again. The game was enlivened only when Alisson appeared to decide he wanted to give Leeds a chance. He played a ball out of his area with the outside of his right foot, as if he were Jairzinho or Carlos Alberto but it went straight to Ethan Ampadu 30 yards out. Ampadu tried to pass it back into the empty net but Alisson recovered his ground in the nick of time and dived on the ball in relief.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin had the ball in the net for Leeds but the goal was ruled out for offside
The visitors were good value for their point and looked the more threatening late on
Ampadu was probably the best player on the pitch in the first hour. He was the glue that held Leeds together and the fulcrum of all their play but just as that hour came to an end, he controlled the ball with his arm on the edge of the Leeds box and gave away a free kick and a rare opportunity to Liverpool.
Wirtz tried to clip it over the wall but in the spirit of the drab fare on offer up to that point, it was charged down easily and cleared. Liverpool tried to recycle the ball but could not. Anfield was all shouts and murmurs of disappointment.
Given that Leeds were the set-piece kings, there was a certain inevitability about the fact that it should be Liverpool who should come closest to scoring from a corner. Dominik Szoboszlai drilled his kick to the heart of the area where Virgil van Dijk met it but his powerful header bounced down and wide of Lucas Perri’s left-hand post.
Calvert-Lewin had been on the pitch for 11 minutes when he got his first sniff of a chance and, for an instance, it appeared he had scored. He was on a loose ball in the six-yard box in a flash and clipped a shot past Alisson but the linesman raised his flag for offside and replays showed it was an excellent decision.
The final whistle brought some relief. It was greeted with ecstatic cheers from the visiting fans and grumbles and muffled boos from the home fans. Liverpool are a team much changed.
