Oh, how the mighty ‘Reds’ have fallen.
It had been almost 16 years since Liverpool last failed to register a single shot on target in a Premier League match.
The previous occasion came in March 2010, during
the final, troubled months of Rafa Benitez’s reign, when a 1-0 defeat at Wigan Athletic symbolised a club drifting dangerously close to collapse.
Until last night.
Fast forward more than 600 league games, and the same unwanted statistic resurfaced — but under very different circumstances.
At the Emirates on Thursday night, Liverpool once again failed to test the opposition goalkeeper, yet this time the reaction was appreciation rather than anger.
Arne Slot’s side earned warm applause from the travelling support after a gritty 0-0 draw that stalled Arsenal’s title charge.
The hosts missed a golden opportunity to go eight points clear at the top of the Premier League, while Liverpool became just the second team to deny Mikel Arteta’s side victory this season.
Conor Bradley came closest to breaking the deadlock when his effort rattled the crossbar, as Arsenal failed to score at home for the first time all campaign.
For a club long associated with attacking flair, Liverpool’s blank in the shots-on-target column was startling. They had gone 600 top-flight matches without such an outcome. Despite eight attempts, none forced David Raya into action — making the goalless draw feel inevitable.
Yet context matters. Liverpool were without Mohamed Salah, away on Africa Cup of Nations duty, while injuries ruled out Alexander Isak and 11-goal top scorer Hugo Ekitike. Depleted and under pressure, Slot’s side still delivered a performance that felt like progress.
The draw extended Liverpool’s unbeaten run to 10 matches, though too many previous stalemates had dulled optimism. This one felt different. It felt motivating.
Slot echoed that sentiment afterwards, downplaying concerns over attacking depth.
“We’ve shown again, not for the first time, that we can compete with any big team,” he said. “We’ve had results against almost all of them.”
Liverpool may not have scored, or even tested the goalkeeper, but at the Emirates, they rediscovered something just as valuable — conviction.
