Liverpool 1-1 Burnley: A fourth straight Premier League draw for Arne Slot’s team
Arne Slot said Liverpool needed to convert their unbeaten run into winning runs, but that goal will be deferred another week after a deflating 1-1 draw against Burnley at Anfield. The Merseyside club have gone 12 games in all competitions without defeat, but draws against newly promoted sides, Burnley the latest of them, will surely have the Dutch coach sweating with Xabi Alonso now available and waiting in the wings.
Florian Wirtz opened the scoring in the first half with his fourth goal of the season for Liverpool, after Dominik Szoboszlai had earlier missed a penalty, but Marcus Edwards hit back for the Clarets and Hugo Ekitike’s apparent late winner was ruled out for offside in a thoroughly frustrating day for the champions.
Burnley set up to defend, as a newly promoted side might reasonably be expected to do at one of the high-profile grounds in the Premier League, but a low block is Liverpool’s new Kryptonite, with an attack shorn of the magic of their title-winning campaign last season or indeed the era of Jurgen Klopp.
Alexander Isak is injured and Mohamed Salah is yet to return from Africa Cup of Nations duties for Egypt, although the return of Ekitike has added some thrust that was not to be found in recent games. The Frenchman forced a save from Martin Dubravka in the first half in one of the home side’s clear chances to open the scoring.
It seemed Szoboszlai would do just that with 30 minutes played but the Hungarian could only hit the crossbar, in a continuation of his Jekyll and Hyde performance this week. But Wirtz then broke the deadlock when he smashed into the top corner after a cutback from Curtis Jones, and it seemed as though Liverpool were well on their way to victory.
The second half saw Burnley play with more desire and chances opened up at both ends. Wirtz ran through on goal but was denied by Dubravka, before Cody Gakpo saw his effort cleared off the line by Bashir Humphreys.
Then Marcus Edwards nearly forced Ibrahima Konate into an own goal, and then moments later Edwards was put through by Florentino to smash the ball past Alisson for the leveller.
