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Liverpool's shock defeat to Burnley ends 68-game unbeaten run at Anfield
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Liverpool’s shock defeat to Burnley ends 68-game unbeaten run at Anfield

By Jason Diego / January 22, 2021

Ashley Barnes’ penalty six minutes from time secured a famous win — Burnley’s first at Anfield in 46 years — and piled yet more pressure on an out of sorts Liverpool side that has now failed to score a goal in the league for seven hours and 18 minutes.

It’s the first time in 21 years that Liverpool has failed to find the net in four consecutive Premier League games, with the Reds now in fourth place and six points adrift of league leader Manchester United.

The pressure also appears to be getting to Klopp, who was visibly furious during an exchange with Burnley manager Sean Dyche in the tunnel at the end of the first half.

“The game was impossible to lose, but we did,” Klopp told Sky Sports after the game. “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.
Liverpool suffered its first home defeat since April 2017.

“That obviously didn’t work out because we had the ball a lot, created some situations that were OK, but in the final moment our decision-making is not right at the moment, and that’s the problem.

“It’s always my fault, the things that don’t work are my fault, the things that do work are down to the players. Credit to the players because it’s what they make of it.”

Interestingly, Burnley was the only side to manage a single point at Anfield last season during Liverpool’s title-winning romp. However, Dyche’s side has struggled this season and has so far been mired in a relegation battle.

But in Thursday’s victory, Burnley was back to its gritty and defensive best, limiting Liverpool to not even a handful of chances over the course of the game. An early error from Ben Mee gifted Divock Origi with a glorious chance to give Liverpool the lead at the end of the first half, but the Belgian’s shot struck the underside of the crossbar.

There were few chances of note in the second half, with Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope confidently saving any effort that did squeeze through a resolute back line.

In the end, it was a clumsy challenge from goalkeeper Alisson on Barnes that gifted the English forward with the chance to earn all three points from the penalty spot and inflict Liverpool’s first home defeat since a loss to Crystal Palace in April 2017.

Ashley Barnes' late penalty secured three crucial points for Burnley.

The victory will have certainly eased those relegation fears, with Burnley climbing above Brighton into 16th and putting seven points between itself and the relegation zone.

“I think we did the basics very well,” Dyche told Sky Sports after the match. “The structure of the side, shape of the side, individual diligence. Players doing their jobs when they had to. We still needed a bit of luck; Nick Pope has made a good save to his left in the second half.

“You are never comfortable, but I have been in the game a long time and you can see the patterns of a game sometimes. The only worry was if a block landed to one of their players or something goes against you. It didn’t feel like that type of a game against a top side.

“It was the will and desire from the defenders and the goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet and the work rate of the two forwards as well. You cannot just defend from the back four, you have to defend from the whole side, and I think everyone did that well.”

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