Liverpool midfielder James Milner has been criticised for his one-v-one showing against Chelsea forward Mykhalo Mudryk.
The Lowdown: All square at Anfield...
The Reds are still arguably in contention to qualify for either the Europa League or Europa Conference League this year but currently sit nine points adrift of a Champions League place. Jurgen Klopp's side need a steady winning run to salvage anything from this 2022/23 Premier League season, but with precisely half of the campaign remaining, there is still hope.
That being said, today's result will be frustrating, having been held to a 0-0 draw at home to mid-table rivals Chelsea. Liverpool fought hard to try and claim victory but ultimately it was a match of dubious quality.
The two sides locked swords but no obvious winner could be drawn as both teams had chances of their own which they ultimately failed to convert.
The Latest: Milner criticised...
Chelsea's recent signing Mudryk threated to change that, giving Liverpool captain Milner a tough time at right-back when introduced 10 minutes into the second half.
The Ukrainian's blistering pace spelt trouble for the Reds veteran, who hacked down the 22-year-old soon after the attacker was brought on to provide a cutting edge for the visitors.
It didn't take long for Klopp to haul off the 37-year-old for Trent Alexander-Arnold, with reporter Richard Buxton criticising Milner after an afternoon to forget against the Blues' marquee January signing.
The reporter tweeted: "Milner really struggling up against Mudryk, who's beating him for pace every time".
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The Verdict: Off-day for Milner...
In terms of the 37-year-old's all-round game, SofaScore figures suggest that it may have been an afternoon to forget for Milner overall.
In his 72 minutes on the pitch, the Englishman lost possession a worrying 28 times whilst winning just one out of six ground duels. He also ranked as Liverpool's worst starter and completed just one successful dribble out of four.
Going by the numbers, Alexander-Arnold possibly should have been introduced sooner to provide more of a threat on the right-hand side with his deadly distribution, having completed three long passes in his relatively brief appearance.
After today's events, don't be surprised if Milner is restored to the bench for the FA Cup trip to Brighton next weekend.