Yahoo Sport 
Salah draws a blank as Liverpool held at home by struggling Stoke
Liverpool missed a chance to reclaim second place in the Premier League when they were held to a 0-0 draw at Anfield by relegation-threatened Stoke City.
Jurgen Klopp’s Reds dominated possession but failed to recover from Mo Salah missing an early simple chance and dropped two vital points to stay third.
They are now nine points clear of fifth-placed Chelsea with a hugely superior goal difference while Stoke are three points clear of fourth-bottom Swansea but have played two games more.
Salah wasted a great opportunity after 14 minutes, running unchallenged on goal, drawing keeper Jack Butland but dinking the ball wide.
READ MORE: Henderson bemoans ‘blatant’ penalty denial for Liverpool
AS IT UNFOLDED: Liverpool v Stoke
READ MORE: Klopp accepts draw after penalty controversy
Fifteen minutes later Salah’s whipped free kick from the right rippled the side netting with Butland struggling to get across.
Butland also made a smart save from Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Just before half time a superb angled finish from Danny Ings looked to have given Liverpool the lead but the goal was ruled out for a marginal offside.
READ MORE: Klopp wants Gerrard to be a great boss except at Man Utd or Everton
Liverpool looked to have one eye on the second leg of their Champions League semi-final against Roma next week and failed to impress although Stoke lacked the fire power to capitalise.
Liverpool were just as lethargic after the break, Stoke playing deeper to protect their point, forcing the Reds back time and time again.
The Potters arrived with the worst defensive record in the final 30 minutes of any team in the Premier League – 32 goals conceded- and with just a single away win all season so it was inevitable they would slow the match down.
READ MORE: Ranked – the 20 WORST finishers in the Premier League this season
Three minutes from time Stoke were lucky not to concede a penalty when the ball struck Erik Pieters on the hand following a cross from Georginio Wijnaldum but within a minute Stoke skipper Ryan Shawcross missed from one yard out tight against the post after Mame Biram Diouf’s teasing centre.
Stoke must now win their final two matches – against fellow strugglers Swansea and Crystal Palace – and hope for teams above them to slip up if they are to stay in the Premier League.
For Liverpool, however, all roads now lead to Roma…
Key Opta stats
Liverpool failed to score at Anfield in the league for the first time in nine games (since a 0-0 v West Brom in December), after scoring 27 in total in the eight before that.
Stoke City are without a win in 12 Premier League games, their longest run without a victory in the top-flight since December 1984 (17).
It’s also the current longest winless run across the top four divisions of English football.
The Reds mustered 20 shots without finding the back of the net, their biggest haul without scoring at Anfield in the league since April 2014 (26 v Chelsea).
The Potters are without a win in 13 away league games (D6 L7), since a 1-0 win against Watford in October.
Paul Lambert has taken charge of more Premier League games at Anfield without ever losing than any other manager in the competition (5 – W2 D3).
Mohamed Salah mustered seven shots in the game (none on target), the most he has had without scoring in a single game for Liverpool in all competitions.
