Burnley brought an abrupt end to Liverpool’s 68-game unbeaten run as they defeated the Reds 1-0, thanks to a late penalty converted by Ashley Barnes.
Liverpool’s appalling goalscoring form continued, as they failed to net despite manager Jurgen Klopp bringing on Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino shortly after half-time, following a lacklustre performance from Belgian forward Divock Origi.
Klopp was left stunned by the loss, saying: ‘The game was impossible to lose, but we did. That’s my fault because it’s my job to make sure the boys have the right feelings, the right amount of confidence and make the right decisions.’
As impossible it seemed for Burnley to best the Reds, and to hold the league’s highest-scoring side to yet another goalless performance, the signs were all there.
The game began as every match in recent memory has for Liverpool, as they dominated possession and delivered cross after cross into the box. The likes of Xherdan Shaqiri and Origi continued to ask questions, but a goalkeeping masterclass from Nick Pope denied them each time. Meanwhile, Burnley’s attacking duo of Chris Wood and Barnes proved to be trouble for Liverpool’s centre halves.
Origi went through on goal shortly before the half, thanks to a miskick from Burnley captain Ben Mee, but failed to keep his shot under the bar.
At half-time Klopp failed to show similar coolness as to that which he expressed post-match and his frustration at failing to breakthrough came to a boiling point, as the Liverpool boss exchanged verbal blows with Burnley counterpart Sean Dyche in the tunnel. The players similarly expressed their annoyance, as Fabinho picked up a yellow card following the whistle.
In the second half, despite Klopp reverting to his usual front three – Salah, Firmino and Sadio Mane – there was more of the same, as Pope’s quicks reflexes saw to Salah’s best effort.
The two sides remained tied late into the game until Barnes broke free from Fabinho and was brought down by Alisson Becker, before sealing a victory for the visitors and serving Liverpool their first loss at Anfield in the Premier League since April 2017.
As well as being a soul-crushing defeat which ended their unbeaten run, the match also marks a fourth game in which Liverpool have failed to score in, having not found the net since their 1-1 draw with West Brom in late December – their longest goalless streak since 2000.
Bigger things may be on the line than a home record however, as they find themselves falling out of the title race, now trailing league leaders Manchester United by six points, and sitting four behind Leicester and Manchester City.
Their upcoming fixture against fifth-place Tottenham could see them drop out of the top four entirely – that is, if it does not happen before. Liverpool could drop out of the final Champions League spot as soon as Wednesday in the event that their Merseyside rivals Everton can pick up three points against Leicester.
As for Burnley, their first win at Anfield in 46 years sees them leapfrog Brighton into 16th, joint on points with 15th-placed Newcastle United. However, they too will not be spared of any challenging fixtures as they face Aston Villa, Chelsea and Manchester City next.
By Kit McIntosh
