At Anfield, Liverpool and Chelsea have a long history of dramatic moments and classic matches. This was not among them.
The near-silence at Anfield when referee Michael Oliver blew his final whistle was a brutal reflection of the fact that this match was nowhere near as entertaining as the 0-0 scoreline might suggest.
Indeed, Anfield was subdued throughout as two Premier League titans – currently going through mutual struggle – delivered graphic evidence of why their respective campaigns have been underachieved.
In their defense, Liverpool and Chelsea can point to injuries and, in the case of the visitors, a remarkable transfer spree that has seen a near-coachload of new arrivals arrive at Stamford Bridge and require integration.
Liverpool and Chelsea are locked in a goalless draw.
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There was still enough quality on the pitch to produce better than the mediocrity monument erected by Liverpool and Chelsea over the course of 90 minutes.
The Premier League table shows how far the two teams have fallen from their former heights after years of relentless pursuit of big prizes.
After a drab encounter in which only five shots were on target, Liverpool finished eighth, with Chelsea two points behind them, nine points off the top four and those coveted Champions League spots.
It was certainly not the way Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp wanted to commemorate his 1,000th game in charge.
Apart from the grim anticlimax, the overarching feeling after this game was that if you offered both Klopp and Chelsea counterpart Graham Potter a place in the top four at the end of the season, they would vigorously shake your hand.