Arne Slot Made Dismal Premier League History for Liverpool After Turgid Burnley Draw at Anfield

In a frustrating 1-1 draw at Anfield on January 17, 2026, Liverpool under Arne Slot dropped points against relegation-threatened Burnley, marking a fourth consecutive Premier League draw and etching dismal history for the defending champions.[1][2][3]

Slot made six changes to the lineup from the midweek FA Cup win over Barnsley, bringing back Alisson Becker, Hugo Ekitike, Ryan Gravenberch, Milos Kerkez, Ibrahima Konate, and Florian Wirtz. Liverpool dominated possession against Burnley's stubborn 5-4-1 low block, but struggled to break through early. A penalty was awarded on the half-hour when Cody Gakpo was fouled by Florentino Luis, yet Dominik Szoboszlai blasted it off the crossbar.[1][2]

The breakthrough came in the 42nd minute: Ekitike chased down a long pass from Virgil van Dijk, won it back, shot from the byline, and Curtis Jones teed up Wirtz to smash home his fourth goal in seven games. Wirtz's virtuoso display lit up the match, but Liverpool's game management faltered.[1][2]

Burnley equalized in the 65th minute with their only shot on target—Marcus Edwards firing low into the far corner after a slip in the inside-left channel. Alisson had earlier saved a Konate own-goal deflection. Liverpool pushed late: Ekitike's 77th-minute goal ruled offside, and Alexis Mac Allister cleared the bar after a triple sub including himself, Rio Ngumoha, and Andy Robertson.[1][2]

This result extended Liverpool's unbeaten run to 12 league games but highlighted Slot's side drawing more (6) than winning (4) in their last 10. They regained fourth but slipped further from second-placed Manchester City, intensifying pressure on Slot amid fan calls for change.[2][3][4][5] Burnley, winless in 13, earned a vital point.

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