Liverpool and Manchester City remain unbeaten and tied with Chelsea on 20 points at the top of the Premier League after their goalless draw at Anfield on Sunday.
It was definitely not the Super Sunday clash as it was built up and expected to be between the two sides that shared 12 goals in their two league meetings last season and six goals in their Champions League matches.
MCFC 5-0 LFC (09/09/2017), LFC 4-3 MCFC (14/01/2018)
LFC 3-0 MCFC (04/04/2018), MCFC 1-2 LFC (10/04/2018)
It took 62 minutes to get the first shot on target, Riyad Mahrez testing Alisson from inside the box shortly before Mohamed Salah's curler from 20 yards was easily caught by Ederson.
Both keepers had nothing to do until then, after a frantic opening 15-20 minutes, the Sky Blues kept the Reds under control and vice versa.
The visitors had 51% possession, their lowest in a Premier League games under their Spanish boss, the home side weren't helped though by injury to their vice-skipper James Milner with under half an hour gone.
And November 2017 against Chelsea was the last time for Jürgen Klopp's side not to register an attempt on target in the first half of a Premier League game.
But it was not like they were not trying, Sadio Mané and Salah worked hard throughout, Roberto Firmino still seemed isolated and hardly got a touch or look into the game.
Man of the match Bernardo Silva was the key to that, keeping the Citizens locked, recording and completing more tackles than anyone else on the pitch.
Former Red Raheem Sterling and Argentinian fireman Sergio Agüero were both kept quiet, the latter was taken off after 66 minutes, his record against LFC looking dire with no goals in his ten appearances (700 minutes played, 0 wins, 11 shots, 3 on target).
The first genuine save came in the 74th minute, the home side's Brazilian stopper tipping away Mahrez's low shot.
Penalty to City it was, five minutes of normal time to go, all hard work looked to be undone for the Reds, until Mahrez took the kick off Gabriel Jesus and put it sky-high to the left and out, relief all round at Anfield.
The Algerian winger has missed five of his last eight spot kicks (four for Leicester, one for City), among players to have taken at least 10 penalties in the Premier League, only former Aston Villa man Juan Pablo Ángel (50%, 5/10) has a lower rate than Mahrez (58%, 7/12).
The champions have not won a league game at Anfield in 15 years, but as frustrating as that miss was, both bosses left happy with their sides' unbeaten records and clean sheets in tact.
Pep has won just one of his past eight managerial meetings with Klopp in all competitions (D3, L4), and is winless in the most recent four (D1, L3, see links above).
Liverpool's total of 20 points is their joint-most after eight games of a Premier League campaign, having also done so in 1996-97 and 2008-09.
The international break is coming at a perfect time for all three sides, to recharge, recap and restart their winning mentality and firing boots.
Liverpool Team: 13 Alisson; 26 Robertson, 4 van Dijk, 6 Lovren, 12 Gomez; 7 Milner (8 Keita 29'), 14 Henderson (c), 5 Wijnaldum (booked 90'); 10 Mané, 9 Firmino (15 Sturridge 72'), 11 Salah. 4-3-3
Subs not used: 3 Fabinho, 22 Mignolet, 23 Shaqiri, 32 Matip, 66 Alexander-Arnold.
Man City Team: 31 Ederson; 22 Mendy (booked 64'), 14 Laporte, 5 Stones, 2 Walker; 25 Fernandinho, B Silva (booked 21'); 7 Sterling (19 Sané 76'), 21 D Silva (c), 26 Mahrez; 10 Agüero (booked 56') (33 de Jesus 66'). 4-2-3-1
Subs not used: 3 Danilo, 4 Kompany, 30 Otamendi, 47 Foden, 49 Muric.
HT Stats: LFC 0-0 MCFC
Possession: 43%-57%
Shots: 2-1
On target: 0-0
Corners: 2-4
Fouls: 5-3
Bookings: 0-1
FT Stats: LFC 0-0 MCFC
Possession: 49%-51%
Shots: 7-6
On target: 2-2
Corners: 2-6
Fouls: 10-10
Bookings: 1-3
Referee: Martin Atkinson
Man of the match: Bernardo Silva
Ground: Anfield
Attendance: 52,117
Click here for my last LFC match report.
All pictures, facts and stats were taken from the BBC match report, Twitter, Sky Sports and RMC app and match coverage.
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