Gary Lineker and Premier League legend slam Liverpool's performance against Man Utd

Former England striking duo Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer have both spoken out on Liverpool's disappointing goalless draw with Manchester United over the weekend.

With expectation high for the home side at Anfield, many believed it would be a similar heavy scoreline to the 7-0 Jurgen Klopp's team inflicted on Erik Ten Hag back in March - but this time it was different. The away side sat deep and welcomed pressure and battled extremely hard from the first minute to the last but it was a game which did not spark excitement.

It also saw them relinquish top spot in the Premier League as Arsenal's 2-0 win over Brighton was enough to see them wrestle back their position in first by a point. Fans were incensed by their side's struggles, as they recorded 34 shots; in fact, their total shots are the most in a Premier League game by a team that failed to score since United’s 38 against Burnley in October 2016 and the fifth most in the competition’s history (since 2003-04 when Opta have the data).

The duo slammed the lack of quality on show during their The Rest is Football podcast, with both ex-players claiming it was a dull affair all round. Lineker said: "That was a damp squib, wasn’t it? There was hardly a proper chance in the game. The only bit I enjoyed about the match was watching Trent’s (Trent Alexander-Arnold) passing.

"I got a text from a Manchester United-supporting friend of mine he said, ‘it's come to this, the highlight of the game is watching Johnny Evans punt the ball down the touchline in the hope, the dream that Antony could maybe get on the end of it and win a throw in. We're talking about Manchester United like they’re a League Two team going to Anfield and hanging on for a draw."

Shearer was far from complimentary about the proceedings at Anfield either, describing it as 'rotten.': "I can't believe I had to watch it live and then sit and watch it again for Match of the Day," he said. "It was an awful game, the standard was poor. Liverpool were the better team and had more chances, more possession, but the standard of forward play from both teams was terrible.

"Both teams actually got into some good positions. Hojlund should have scored, missed it, but it was a really poor game. Man United had to defend, defend, defend. Liverpool just had nothing in attack. It was one of those days for them that they just couldn't find the back with the net.

"That’s what it felt like and that's what it looked like (a League Two team). We said that in the office, this looks like a League Two team in the FA Cup that’s hanging on for dear life to try and get a replay, a point or whatever."