Leeds United fringe players make their case at Liverpool and please unsurprised Daniel Farke
While their typical New Year's Day game with Liverpool will not be remembered as a spectacle Leeds United got plenty out of their visit to Anfield with another valuable point and valuable game time for several of their fringe players who earned praise from manager Daniel Farke.
With the prospect of two more games in the next seven games Farke decided to rotate and brought in James Justin at right wing-back, Sebastiaan Bornauw into the back three and Ilia Gruev in midfield.
He also rested in-former striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Noah Okafor with Lukas Nmecha and Brenden Aaronson used as the forwards.
The switch up front did not work although they both worked hard on scraps of possession and when Calvert-Lewin came on as a substitute 20 minutes from time he came within a whisker of snatching all three points when putting the ball in the net for the seventh game running only to be correctly flagged for a close offside.
But the decision to bring the others in was certainly rewarded with Justin winning the TV man of the match award and coming up with two crucial interceptions to ensure the Whites kept their first clean sheet in an away game this season in the goalless draw.
It was largely a backs to the wall effort with Leeds carving out precious few chances, but keeper Lucas Perri was never seriously tested and manager Farke was pleased with his players' efforts.
He said: “It was always clear that we, as a newly promoted side, would need a special performance to travel away with points.
“Especially on New Year’s Day, it is always a special atmosphere and then to travel also without several key players and to show such a performance, also such a resilience and well organised structure against the ball.
“It was always clear that there would be many periods during the game where we had to suffer and have to defend really, really well and Liverpool would have more possession.
“But we didn’t allow them really clear-cut chances, more or less in errors and they couldn’t hurt us that much. We had also our periods in the game especially the beginning of the game.
“I think in the end for us also well deserved clean sheet is not just good for the table but also good for the mood in the dressing room, good for the confidence.
“Also many fringe players involved. Delighted for them because I was not surprised about their performance.
“I work with these lads each and every day and I see what they are doing in training. Sebastiaan and JJ - I was convinced that they have a chance to show such a good performance, but you never have a guarantee.
“Sebastiaan's debut at Anfield, to show such a performance is impressive. We have a period now without several key players. It was hard fought.
“Four Premier League fixtures in 10 days, I back my whole squad. It proved we need each and every player, every teammate to chip in to show this unity and togetherness. Definitely impressive performances under the circumstances.”
The hard fought draw came at a cost with captain and key player Ethan Ampadu yellow carded for handball, which means he will be suspended for the next game against Manchester United.
It was a harsh decision as replays showed that although he appeared to throw his arm out to control the ball it hit him high up close to the shoulder. Farke was not happy with the booking that resulted – and several other decisions made by referee Chris Kavanagh who ironically has just been promoted to the “elite” list of UEFA referees.
He added: “I have to calm myself down, I'm still struggling to accept this.
“When I see in the first half foul situations against Anton Stach are not given and there was a clear foul against Ethan, we lose the ball and the instinctive free-kick he gave was never a yellow card.
“To give a yellow for this situation is, I have to be a bit careful, hard to accept. Jaka (Bijol) also got a yellow in this scene. Lots of adversity at the minute.
“Several situations I'm really struggling to accept today. But of course Ethan is a key player and we will miss him a lot in the upcoming fixture but we have to find a solution."
Ampadu had United's best chance to score in the first half when he latched onto a poor clearance by Alisson Becker, but although he shot instantly his effort was saved by the frantically chasing back into position goalkeeper.
Liverpool's best chance also came in the opening half when Hugo Ekitike's close range header with the goal gaping was more like a clearing header. Had he put it in the net he made have been offside any way.
He also had an early angled shot that Perri could only push away while the Leeds keeper’s only other save of note was to parry a long strike by Dominik Szoboszlai.
The Reds did much more of the attacking with a possession count of more than 60 per cent, but were largely restricted to shots from outside the box and the occasional threat from the eight corners they forced.
They were nowhere near as sharp as they had been in the classic 3-3 draw at Elland Road just a month earlier and although it was a battling point for the Whites this was not a good advert for New Year's Day football.
Liverpool 0
Thursday, January 1, 2026
Premier League
Attendance: 60,343
Liverpool: Alisson (GK); Bradley (Chiesa 79), van Dijk, Konaté, Robertson (Kerkez 66); Szoboszlai, Gravenberch; Jones (MacAllister 66), Frimpong (Ngumoha 84), Wirtz (Gakpo 66); Ekitike.
Leeds: Perri (GK); Bornauw (Bogle 83), Bijol, Struijk; Justin, Ampadu, Gruev (Tanaka 90), Stach, Gudmundsson; Aaronson (Okafor 70), Nmecha (Calvert-Lewin 70).
Referee: Chris Kavanagh