Liverpool kept their unbeaten home run but dropped points at Anfield for the first time this season after being held to a 1-1 draw by Europe-chasing Burnley.
Read: Liverpool vs Burnley – team news, match facts and probable lineups
The Reds were looking to pick up their second win on the trot after overcoming Brighton and Hove Albion 3-1 in their midweek clash, while the Clarets on the other hand were eager to cause an upset after narrowly defeating West Ham United 1-0 at the London Stadium in their last clash.
First half
The Reds got the match off to a flying start and had their best opening when Joe Gomez got Andy Robertson in behind, but the Scot’s cross, which was aimed at Mohamed Salah saw their threat been thwarted by Burnley.
Jurgen Klopp’s charges came close to breaking the deadlock in the 19th minute. Firmino poked a high ball into Salah’s path in the Burnley box but the Egyptian’s close-range strike was superbly saved by Nick Pope who got a strong hand behind it to keep the scores level at 0-0.
In the 33rd minute it was 1-0 to the hosts through Robertson who met Fabinho’s clip over the top to produce a bullet header past Pope and beautifully into the far corner.
The champions were utterly dominant and went into the break with the slender lead.
Second half
Liverpool started the second period exactly how they ended the first, and should have been 2-0 up in the 49th minute. Salah spotted Firmino’s run in behind before laying on a simple chance for the Brazilian, but he could only hit the post with an unconvincing left-footed effort.
The Clarets had a sniff at goal in the 54th minute when McNeil picked out Rodriguez at the edge of the Liverpool box but his shot wasn’t powerful enough to trouble Alisson.
Burnley kept on troubling Liverpool and got their reward in the 71st minute as Phil Bardsley’s long ball from a free-kick found Tarkowski, who headed down and back toward Rodriguez. The pony-tailed striker took a touch before firing a low shot past Alisson to level the scorers at 1-1.
Liverpool were kept at bay by a really well defensive organized Burnley, and had one more chance to try and take the lead when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain played a pass into the box into Salah’s path, but the Egyptian shot straight at Pope who made an easy catch.
Sean Dyche’s charges were very unlucky not to nick a win in the 87th minute when Liverpool failed to clear their lines from a corner kick. Alisson punched the ball which dropped to Gudmundsson, but his hammered effort goalward could only come back off the bar.
Salah was just not having a great afternoon, and was again in on the action in stoppage time when the ball was launched upfield towards Trent Alexander-Arnold, who supplied Salah but again the Egyptian just didn’t get enough power behind it which was comfortably taken by Pope, as the sides shared the spoils.
Klopp’s side now require just eight more points from their final three matches to break Manchester City’s 100-point mark set in 2017/18.
Starting XI:
Liverpool: Alisson, Williams, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson, Fabinho, Wijnaldum, Jones, Mane, Salah, Firmino.
Subs: Adrian, Lovren, Keita, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Minamino, Shaqiri, Origi, Alexander-Arnold, Elliott.
Burnley: Pope, Bardsley, Tarkowski, Long, Taylor, Pieters, Brownhill, Westwood, McNeil, Rodriguez, Wood.
Subs: Peacock-Farrell, Gudmundsson, Brady, Vydra, Thompson, Dunne, Benson, Goodridge, Driscoll-Glennon.