Despite thoroughly dominating, ending with the game with 68% of the possession, Liverpool could only fire blanks in a 0-0 draw against Hull City at Anfield.
Going into the game against Steve Bruce's side, Liverpool were looking to get over a disappointing 0-3 loss against Real Madrid in the Champions League, but only endured more frustration as Mario Balotelli's search for a first league goal at his new club continued.
The visitors were defensively stubborn throughout the full 90 minutes, and the first-half was particularly dull as a result - with the Reds flat in the final third. Centre-back Dejan Lovren came closest, as he rose to head a corner towards goal saved by Eldin Jakupovic, before Mario Balotelli forced the third choice goalkeeper, deputising for Allan McGregor and Steve Harper, into a smart stop. Other than that, the game petered into the break a very boring affair.
It stayed the same for at least 15 minutes into the second half, until Brendan Rodgers' double substitution of Rickie Lambert and Philippe Coutinho changed the game. The Reds came alive with two up top, and were by far the better team in the final stages - but Hull clung on despite the hosts' 17 attempts on goal.
Balotelli almost profitted from Emre Can's flick on from a corner, but couldn't force the ball home from close range and the Italian should have done better from Raheem Sterling's cross, but was adjudged to have fouled a defender in the area.
Though the home side mounted pressure, it wasn't until the four minutes of stoppage time that Jakupovic was really tested again. Sterling, Coutinho and Balotelli all forced the Bosnian into successive saves, but the £16 million summer signing had the best chance of the game late on.
With minutes remaining, Balotelli had the perfect opportunity to crown himself the match-winner after a stunning solo run by Coutinho down the left flank. The Brazilian's low cross found the striker just three yards from goal, but he could only find the keeper and the three points evaded them.
The positives that though they failed to score, it was a rare clean sheet for Rodgers' side - only their second of the season, and their first that hasn't come against Tottenham in the last 21 league games. But, Liverpool dropped down to seventh as a result, which Manchester United could yet leapfrog with a victory at home to Chelsea. Here's five things we learned from the game:
1. The clean sheet is a positive.
Before Liverpool took on Hull, they had just one clean sheet from the last 18 games in all competitions. That, even though the opposition they took on were the likes of Swansea, Norwich and Crystal Palace - who scored eight goals in three games against the Reds. Yesterday may have been two points spurned, but the fact they didn't concede against the same Hull side that took a 2-2 draw at the Emirates the weekend before is certainly something positive to take from the game. The Tigers weren't completely threatening, but the likes of Abel Hernandez and Mohamed Diame have been in good form and represent quite a threat. They helped form a team that came to Anfield having scored twice in each of their last six games, failing to score in just one Premier League game all season. Having been tortured by Real Madrid in mid-week, Dejan Lovren and co. looked much more confident at home to Hull and the Croatian formed a solid partnership with Martin Skrtel at the back. Javier Manquillo and Alberto Moreno, in addition, were solid defensively. 810 minutes without a clean sheet, but one has finally arrived - now to build on it.
2. Balotelli needs confidence from somewhere.
It's not exactly something that's brand new to Liverpool, or just about anybody else, but Mario Balotelli is low on confidence. He's yet to get his first goal in the league for the Reds, despite missing a few glaring opportunities against QPR last week and now versus Hull. His work-rate could not be questioned as he put in one of his best shifts yet, Steve Bruce claiming he was the home side's "best player" but how he could do with an all-important goal. Balotelli walked off the pitch, head sunken into his shoulders in misery. He knows how important that miss was, and how much it could have helped him if he had have found the back of the net. “He is working hard and at the moment doing his best. Unfortunately that wee bit of confidence is lacking without a goal," his manager told cameras after the game. “Goalscorers will tell you that’s where they get their energy from, the ball hitting the net. You saw his reaction today. He was working and pressing and today was just a bit unlucky did not get it." Rodgers is right, and though the Italian has taken up more column inches for what he hasn't done for rather than what he has, Balotelli is trying. Liverpool need to persist with the Italian, not shun him and sell him by January - which many newspapers seem confident they will do. Once one goal goes in, you never know, the 24-year-old may just come alive.
3. Coutinho has to start.
After a rather dull start to the Premier League season, Philippe Coutinho has steadily risen to become one of the side's performers. After a trademark assist allowed Neymar to score for Brazil against Japan, the playmaker has since found his feet and put in a stellar performance against Queens Park Rangers, scoring a vital goal and changing the game in the Reds' favour. Against Real Madrid on Wednesday, he was Brendan Rodgers' main threat - hitting the post with a fierce effort from range. Against Hull, he was surprisingly benched in favour of Adam Lallana - but it wasn't until his introduction after the hour mark that the Reds really started to test the visitors defence. He should have capped a wonderful cameo with an assist, after he outwitted a number of defenders and set it up on a plate for Balotelli left on. It's become clear from the Brazilian's past few performances that he is one of the most naturally-gifted players in the side, capable of carving a defence open with a single pass, but whilst he's made an impressive impact from the bench this season - he needs to start to be given the chance as he looks by far the most likely route for Liverpool to create and score goals in the final third.
4. Rodgers needs to find the right system.
Liverpool's side should have been more clinical in front of goal but it was as much Rodgers' fault as anyone else's. It's been clear for at least six games that Balotelli works better in a front pairing, having shone alongside Daniel Sturridge away at Spurs and struggled to make an impact as a solo frontman. Unsurprisingly, the ineffectiveness of the Italian up front alone showed again and it took until the 63rd minute before he opted to pair him with Rickie Lambert. In the midfield, Liverpool were fairly dominant throughout and defensively, they dealt well - but Rodgers soon needs to find a system in which Sterling can be utilised centrally, as can Coutinho and Balotelli can have a strike partner. A 4-2-2-2 doesn't seem to work, with a two-man midfield of Jordan Henderson and Steven Gerrard being left overexposed and unless the Ulsterman decides to drop the skipper soon, that system looks unlikely. The diamond worked well, but it seems as though Rodgers will wait for Sturridge's return before reverting back to it. He should be applauded for changing the game with his substitutions, but had he started with two strikers and Coutinho - Liverpool might just have taken the three points. It is decisions like those which they will look back on with regret at the end of the season, and Rodgers needs to ensure he finds the set-up that sees the Reds return back to their best as soon as possible.
5. The Reds can't afford to feel sorry for themselves.
Rodgers' side are three games into a spell of seven games in 21 days, of which they have won one, drawn one and lost one. Though they are in a difficult rut, with huge fixtures such as Real Madrid away and Chelsea at home to come, Liverpool cannot afford to dwell on their underwhelming form. As disappointing as a 0-0 draw at home to Hull is, they must now put it behind them and look to improve upon it with games against Swansea in the Capital One Cup and Newcastle away within the next week. Neither are easy ties, especially given both side's recent upturns in form. The cup game may be less important to some, but with either Premier League or Champions League glory looking less and less likely, the league cup may be a good opportunity for Rodgers to get his first silverware, and build some much more momentum. They're four games unbeaten in the league, but two of those were draws on home turf - a ground in which they have dropped more points on this season, five games in, than the entire of 2013-14. Still, they can ill-afford to linger over their results, or they will only continue.