Liverpool dropped points again at home to a promoted club as the defending Premier League champions were held to a 1-1 draw by Burnley at Anfield.
Marcus Edwards arrowed in a 65th-minute equaliser for the relegation-battling Clarets on Saturday, as Liverpool drew a fourth straight top-flight game.
Edwards’ goal came from Burnley’s only shot on target as Arne Slot’s team could not make their dominance count at the other end, beyond Florian Wirtz’s fine first-half opener.
Dominik Szoboszlai had thundered a penalty against the crossbar before Wirtz broke the deadlock, while Cody Gakpo had a shot cleared off the line by Bashir Humphreys. But after Burnley equalised, the closest Liverpool came was when Hugo Ekitike had a goal disallowed.
Burnley stay 19th and are without a win in 13 league games, but they have moved eight points from safety after 17th-placed Nottingham Forest drew 0-0 with Arsenal. Liverpool are fourth.
How the match unfolded
Liverpool were gifted the chance for an opener when Gakpo tripped over Florentino’s dangling leg in the penalty area, but Szoboszlai’s spot-kick clattered the crossbar.
However, Burnley’s relief was short-lived as, in the 42nd minute, Wirtz whipped an exquisite shot into the top-left corner.
Watch: Wirtz's goal v Burnley
Flo’s finish against Burnley ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/nPtptLQXns
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 17, 2026
Wirtz slalomed through the Burnley defence again early in the second half, but Martin Dubravka smothered his close-range prod. Soon after, the German playmaker danced into the penalty area and teed up Gakpo, whose effort was brilliantly cleared by Humphreys.
Yet Burnley fired a warning shot when Ibrahima Konate almost scored an own goal, forcing Alisson into an instinctive save.
Liverpool failed to heed the warning, though, and were punished when Burnley broke and Edwards’ fizzing low shot got the better of Alisson.
The Reds had the ball in the net in the 77th-minute through Ekitike, but his effort was disallowed for a combination of offside and handball, and Liverpool were fortunate not to be caught cold on the break again in stoppage time, with Alexis Mac Allister thwarting Jaidon Anthony.
Liverpool falter again
The pressure was on Slot’s side to win, following Manchester United’s win over Manchester City earlier on, but once again, Liverpool were frustrated as failings in both boxes came back to haunt them.
In the first half, Liverpool dominated possession and controlled the tempo, with Ekitike forcing a save from Dubravka and Jeremie Frimpong having a volley blocked, before Szoboszlai missed the penalty. Yet they kept up the pressure, and Wirtz’s finish seemed to have set them on course for victory.
But Burnley matched their intensity in the second half. Wirtz continued to be at the heart of all Liverpool’s most incisive attacks, having a one-on-one effort well saved by Dubravka before being denied an eye-catching assist by Humphreys’ heroics.
Konate’s clumsy poke back of a Burnley cross to Alisson set the tone for a wobble, and Burnley duly took advantage. From then on, it was all a bit desperate for Liverpool, with Ekitike’s offside goal and Mac Allister blazing over.
It is now 10 league games without defeat for the Reds, but after holding Arsenal to a draw last time out, Slot will have wanted a victory to start building some momentum. They are in UEFA Champions League action next, as they face Marseille.
Burnley show plenty of heart
Unsurprisingly, it was a classic away performance for a relegation-threatened side as Burnley sat deep in the first half, retaining a regimented defensive structure and soaking up pressure. The penalty miss afforded the visitors a lifeline, but Wirtz broke their stubborn resistance just before half-time.
But Scott Parker’s team showed more adventure after half-time. Anthony and Edwards were their main threats, and Konate’s mistake saw some anxiousness set into the home crowd.
That being said, Burnley were only still in the contest thanks to Humphrey’s fantastic clearance. The Clarets, though, made their defender’s work count, and Edwards’ goal was superbly taken.
Another point on the board, especially one at Anfield, cannot be knocked, but if Burnley are to stay up, they need to start winning games. West Ham United’s 2-1 win at Tottenham Hotspur means the Hammers are now three points ahead of Parker’s team.
Burnley play Spurs next, and Parker should at least be confident that his team can push his former club to the limit.
Club reports
Liverpool report | Burnley report
What the managers said
Arne Slot: "I agree that we should have won this game. There was not a lot I could ask for more in terms of chance creation. We have a lot of ball possession but I would love us to create more. If we play a bit more open you always wonder if the other team can counter attack you more, which you couldn't. I don't know how many moments we had but we could only score one.
"I wouldn't say we switched off but we failed to bring the ball out from the back, that is part of football. It sums up a large part of our season and today was another example of that."
Scott Parker: "The discipline we showed today, the commitment and the bravery and courage. We caused Liverpool problems. Overall we were superb. It's fair to say over the course of this season we have been competitive in the majority of games we have played. The points don't represent that but today is a massive point for us.
"In the first half certain things needed to change. One of those things was our positioning and the element of being braver and more courageous. The first half was tough for us. In the second half we were brilliant, brave and created a couple of very good chances.
PL form and fixtures
Key facts
Liverpool have drawn six of their last nine Premier League games (winning three). This as many as in their previous 36 matches (W21 D6 L9). Indeed, it’s the first time they’ve drawn four successive matches in the competition since January 2008.
Burnley have only lost two of their last six Premier League games (D4), having lost each of their prior seven matches in the competition.
For the first time since the 1980/81 top-flight season (D1 L2), Liverpool have failed to win any of their three home league games against promoted sides, drawing all three matches in 2025/26.
Liverpool’s 32 shots were their most in a Premier League game since versus Brentford in January last season (37), while their 11 shots on target are their most since versus West Ham United in December 2024 (13) and most in a home game since versus AFC Bournemouth in September 2024 (13).