Liverpool 0-0 Hull City

• Liverpool eight points behind leaders Chelsea after draw
• Clean sheet for third-choice Hull keeper Eldin Jakupovic
• Balotelli started up front for Liverpool
• Reds have only won five of last 12 league games

Mario Balotelli suffered another frustrating day as his Liverpool team were held at home by Hull City.

Dejan Lovren had a header cleared off the line by Hull's Ahmed Elmohamady.

Jake Livermore wasted the Tigers' best chance, shooting at Simon Mignolet, but defeat would have been harsh on the hosts, who had 17 efforts at goal.

The best opportunity fell to Balotelli in the closing moments but, with only goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic to beat, the ex-Manchester City striker failed to connect with the ball from close range.

He had also seen an 11th-minute shot pushed wide by the third-choice Hull keeper as the Italian tried to repay Brendan Rodgers's faith in starting him.

But Balotelli, who had been criticised after swapping shirts with Real Madrid defender Pepe at half-time in the Reds' 3-0 Champions League defeat, failed to score for the eighth consecutive game.

The result means Liverpool, Premier League runners-up in 2013-14, are eight points behind leaders Chelsea, who have played a game fewer.

But for Steve Bruce's workmanlike Hull it was another hard-earned point, their fifth draw of the season, after holding Arsenal 2-2 at Emirates Stadium last week.

They also had chances to steal a win and Livermore should have done better than shoot at home keeper Mignolet when unmarked in the penalty area.

Mohamed Diame, who had scored four times in five games after joining from West Ham, also dragged a shot off target, before Huddlestone's effort bounced off Martin Skrtel and narrowly wide.

Liverpool - coming off the back of successive league wins, despite their patchy early-season form - had the majority of the possession and chances, and were unlucky not to take an eighth-minute lead, when Elmohamady was well placed to clear Lovren's header off the line from Steven Gerrard's corner.

The Reds captain curled an effort wide after a one-two with Raheem Sterling and the teenage England winger had a low 20-yard shot saved by Jakupovic.

The hosts brought on Rickie Lambert, Philippe Coutinho and Jordan Henderson as they searched for a winning goal to match their second-half dominance, but could not make the breakthrough.

Sterling's injury-time effort was scooped wide by Jakupovic, who then made a stunning save to tip Coutinho's 20-yard effort over as Bruce's side held on for the draw.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers: "Performance wise we were excellent, particularly in the second half where we were outstanding.

"After a tough game in midweek it was a great effort from the players and we deserved to win the game. I thought it was just a matter of time until we scored, we created some opportunities and had 19 shots at goal. I can't ask for any more from the players, they've given everything."

On Mario Balotelli's last-minute chance, Rodgers added: "He will be disappointed with that. The cross came in, it was a perfect ball, he just opened his foot up too far and the chance was gone."

Hull City manager Steve Bruce: "We have been away at the Emirates and come here and put on another terrific show.

"In the first half we had probably the best opportunity when Hatem Ben Arfa played the ball into Jake Livermore.

"Liverpool got frustrated in the second-half and we came away with a thoroughly deserved point.

"We had four or five players missing today from the team that played Arsenal and everyone that came in put in a terrific performance."