Liverpool drew 1-1 with newly-promoted Burnley at Anfield on Saturday afternoon, prompting loud boos from frustrated home fans as the champions extended their winless league run to four consecutive draws. The disappointing result against relegation-threatened opposition has intensified pressure on manager Arne Slot, who led the Reds to the Premier League title just six months ago.
Florian Wirtz opened the scoring for Liverpool in the 42nd minute with his fourth goal in seven games. But Burnley equalized through Marcus Edwards in the 65th minute, capitalizing on Liverpool's failure to manage the match.
The draw leaves Liverpool 17 points worse off than at this stage last season. The champions have dropped eight points from their last four league matches, putting their Champions League qualification hopes in jeopardy as they battle Manchester United, Chelsea and Newcastle for fourth place.
Penalty miss compounds frustration
Dominik Szoboszlai missed a crucial first-half penalty, blasting his effort against the crossbar from 12 yards. The midfielder's miss came after referee Andy Madley awarded the spot-kick when Florentino Luis brought down Cody Gakpo.
Liverpool dominated possession with 73 percent and fired 32 shots at goal, 11 on target. Burnley managed just one shot on target all match – Edwards' equalizing goal.
Officials disallowed Hugo Ekitike's goal for offside and he forced saves from Martin Dubravka, while Bashir Humphreys cleared two Gakpo shots off the line.
Slot faces growing criticism
The atmosphere at Anfield grew silent as Burnley gained confidence after their equalizer. Liverpool pressed for a winner but substitute Alexis Mac Allister blazed wide from a good position, while manager Slot looked stunned at full-time as fans voiced their displeasure.
Liverpool's struggles against defensively-minded teams have persisted throughout 2026. Burnley, who have taken just three points from their last 36 matches, deployed a 5-4-1 formation that successfully frustrated the hosts.
The result extends Burnley's winless Premier League streak to 13 matches but earns them their 14th point of the season. The champions remain 12 games unbeaten in all competitions, but that streak offers little consolation.
Liverpool failed to capitalize on second-placed Manchester City's derby defeat earlier on Saturday, missing the chance to move within five points of second-placed Manchester City.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
