Premier League: Liverpool 0 Stoke 0

Liverpool notched their seventh home league draw of the season, held to a frustrating 0-0 stalemate by Stoke City on Saturday.

The Reds dominated proceedings throughout the 90 minutes at Anfield, but could not find the required breakthrough against a resolute City outfit.

Forward Dirk Kuyt had the best chance for the hosts, as he nodded wide from close-range in the second half, but it was another paltry attacking performance from the Reds, which further damages their Champions League hopes.

The visitors were the first to register a threat on goal as former Newcastle full-back Jose Enrique unwisely allowed Stoke striker Jon Walters to win a header and was fortunate to see Matthew Etherington spoon the resulting chance wide from the edge of the box.

That bright start for Stoke seemed to wake their hosts up however and the sheer unpredictability of their formation allowed them to find space with increasing ease.

This was best illustrated by Steven Gerrard’s burst into space on the left which was well found by Charlie Adam but, unfortunately for the hosts, the Scot’s follow up cross was a wasteful one and easily repelled.

Adam almost atoned just moments later as he ran unmarked through the Stoke midfield to collect an Enrique pass in the box but he saw his shot brilliantly blocked by a sliding Palacios.

What followed was a period of frustration familiar to the Kop as the Reds dominated the possession statistics but could find no way through. Both sides had started the game with a lone striker and the game was worse for the fact that neither was receiving adequate support.

The hosts were the first to try and make up for this issue as defender Martin Skrtel charged forward only to see his slide-rule pass go past Adam and frustratingly beyond the far post.

They continued to push as Glen Johnson was the next stopper to find himself in the box only to be denied by a brilliantly timed Huth tackle.

The half continued in much the same vein from then on and left Kenny Dalglish with a familiar quandary at half-time.

A double penalty shout followed soon after as first substitute Andy Carroll and then Kuyt tumbled in the box within seconds of each other but referee Howard Webb waved both claims away, much to the chagrin of the home fans.

The Reds had another opportunity to take the lead though through their Dutch forward Kuyt in the moments following the appeals but, after a helpful deflection, the experienced attacker somehow failed to head home from six yards.

Dalglish’s men continued to push in the closing stages but it was to prove another of the days which have been all too familiar this season for a side chasing a place at Europe’s top table.