LIVERPOOL, England — The game was barely 20 minutes old when Dominik Szoboszlai first felt the ire of the Anfield crowd. Liverpool were searching for the opener in their Premier League clash with Burnley, and with teammates surging forward ahead of him, the Hungary international paused to assess his options.
Within seconds, Burnley’s stubborn defense had mobilized, and the chance for a quick attack had been promptly snuffed out. Szoboszlai held up his hand in a gesture of apology that did little to quieten the groans inside the stadium at the sight of their No. 8 putting on the handbrake.
Perhaps, after a season which has lurched from the sublime to the ridiculous to the deeply uninspiring, the Liverpool fans knew what was coming. Less than two hours later, many of those same fans could be heard booing as coach Arne Slot and his players traipsed off the pitch, having dropped yet more precious points in a frustrating 1-1 draw with Scott Parker’s struggling side.
In defense of Szoboszlai and his teammates, this display was far more engaging than most of the outings in Liverpool’s recent 12-game unbeaten run. The hosts had 32 shots compared to their opponents’ seven, while Burnley scored with their only shot on target.
Not for the first time this season, Liverpool fell foul of the fine margins, with visiting goalkeeper Martin Dรบbravka making some fine saves and defender Bashir Humphreys clearing one effort off the line in the second half. The Reds posted an expected goals (xG) value of 2.95 — their highest total in a Premier League game this season — but the fact remains they failed to get the job done against a team of vastly inferior quality.
Liverpool have now been held to draws by all three newly promoted sides at Anfield. They’ve taken just seven points from a possible 15 against Sunderland, Leeds United and Burnley, having also played the latter two away from home. In the same such games last term, Liverpool collected the full complement of 18 points as they romped to the title.
It is just one of many areas where the fortunes of Slot’s side have dipped dramatically from the heady heights of last season’s triumphant campaign. Perhaps the biggest annoyance for Liverpool on Saturday is that, in spells, they looked almost back to their commanding best.
After a clumsy challenge from Florentino Luis on Cody Gakpo inside the box, Szoboszlai spurned a glorious chance to give the hosts an early advantage when he crashed his penalty against the crossbar. The failed attempt, only the second time in 22 career attempts that Szoboszlai had failed to convert a spot kick, should perhaps have been viewed as an omen for Liverpool, though they responded well to the setback and deservedly took the lead through Florian Wirtz in the 42nd minute.
After a fallow start to life on Merseyside, the Germany international is now beginning to live up to his ยฃ100 million transfer fee, with six goal involvements in his last seven games. He came close to adding to that tally early in the second half when he brilliantly shrugged off two Burnley defenders before squeezing the ball through to Gakpo, whose goal-bound effort was repelled off the line by the handily placed Humphreys.
However, Liverpool’s failure to kill the game off proved costly as Burnley sensed the chance to hurt their opponents, with center back Ibrahima Konatรฉ very nearly turning the ball into his own net amid a spell of sustained pressure from the visitors. It was a warning sign the Reds failed to heed, and shortly after the hour mark, Parker’s side were level thanks to a neat finish from Marcus Edwards.
Liverpool continued to huff and puff, with the crowd urging the team forward with increasing fervor, but the Reds’ ability to pull off a late rescue act — their superpower earlier in the season — has long since deserted them. Instead, the hosts were left to rue a barrage of missed opportunities, with some supporters voicing their disappointment after the match.
“Yeah, in my head it wasn’t booing, but in my head it was frustration as well,” Slot said when quizzed on the fan reaction. “So if we are Liverpool and we play against Burnley, who we have to give credit to for defending, clearing balls off the line, all the things you want to see if you are the Burnley manager, trying everything to prevent us scoring. But if you, as Liverpool, are not disappointed by having a draw at home to Burnley, then something is completely wrong.
“I completely understand the frustration. I have the same frustrations, and the players definitely have the same frustrations as the fans.”
For Slot, perhaps the biggest issue he now must contend with is the disillusionment of a growing minority inside the stadium. According to Opta, Liverpool have averaged just 1.24 points across their last 17 matches — less than the number managed by Roy Hodgson in his ill-fated spell as manager back in the 2010-11 season (1.25 ppg).
There are, of course, mitigating factors, and there is an acknowledgement inside Anfield that Slot has had to steady the ship after a disastrous November run in which Liverpool conceded 10 goals in just three games. However, with Chelsea, Manchester United and Sunderland all securing victories this weekend, the margin for error in the race for Champions League spots is dwindling.
The celebratory atmosphere at Old Trafford after United’s impressive Manchester derby win suggested that one of the Reds’ major rivals for European has been given a shot in the arm at a vital time after the appointment of Michael Carrick as interim boss.
The only celebrations at Anfield on Saturday evening were provided by the traveling Burnley fans as they lauded their team for a battling display on the road. It was another sign of just how far Liverpool have fallen.
