Tottenham Hotspur wasted the chance to go into the top four with a frustrating 0-0 draw against Liverpool.

The visitors had their goalkeeper Simon Mignolet to thank for a string of fine saves towards the end of the first half.

The second half never really got going for Mauricio Pochettino’s men and, in the end, the result was a fair one.

With the in-form Eric Dier suspended, Mousa Dembele came into the heart of the midfield. Danny Rose was also preferred to Ben Davies.

The home side looked a shadow of the team that brushed aside title favourites Manchester City three weeks ago in the opening exchanges.

Divock Origi, on first start, should have scored when he flicked his header onto the underside of the bar.

It was a quiet start from Pochettino’s men but they were almost in front after Adam Lallana carelessly gave the ball to Harry Kane who slipped in substitute Clinton N’Jie.

The summer signing tried to curl the ball with the outside of his boot into the top corner but was brilliantly denied by the paw of Mignolet.

It was all one way traffic now, Mignolet denying Kane from just inside the box and Mamadou Sakho then cleared from Dele Alli’s rebound effort.

N’Jie looked very lively since coming on after just 15 minutes for Nacer Chadli and came close to scoring with a rasping shot that just flicked the top of the net.

Spurs had come back into the game since their opening ten minute jitters and should have gone in at half time in front.

In what was a dire second half with both teams struggling to get a foothold in the game.

Jurgen Klopp’s side thought they had a penalty when Lallana and Alli tussled in the box but referee Craig Pawson was having none of it.

The Spurs faithful were in uproar after James Milner clattered into Danny Rose with no foul given as Liverpool broke away but could not find the goal.

Then the home side had their best chance of the second half as Christian Eriksen weaved his way into the box before laying it off to Kane, but he found Mignolet in the way again.

In the end nothing could separate the two sides and both teams seemed content with a point a piece.

Spurs: Lloris, Walker, Rose, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Dembele, Alli, Chadli (N’Jie 15’), Eriksen, Lamela (Townsend 86’), Kane

Subs: Vorm, Trippier, Wimmer, Winks, Davies

Liverpool: Mignolet, Clyne, Sakho, Skrtel, Moreno, Can Milner, Leiva, Lallana (Allen 81’), Coutinho (Ibe 86’), Origi

Subs: Bogdan, Toure, Sinclair, Teixeira, Randall