Liverpool fell to a shock 1-0 defeat at Anfield against Burnley on Thursday night, as they slip further from behind in the title race.
The reigning Premier League champions had failed to score in their previous three games, yet few expected them to struggle against Sean Dyche’s side.
Jurgen Klopp decided to leave Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino on the bench, such was his confidence, yet that drastically backfired.
Liverpool enjoyed most of the possession in the first half but didn’t create too much, although Divock Origi found himself one on one with Nick Pope, only to blast the ball at the crossbar from close range.
Salah and Firmino came on just before the hour mark to try to spark Liverpool into action, but Burnley held firm.
Then, the unthinkable happened. Ashley Barnes pipped Alisson to a loose ball in the box and the Brazilian clipped the striker, leading to a penalty.
Barnes dusted himself off and dispatched the resulting spot kick, and Burnley’s sturdy defence held on for a shock victory that will have been celebrated in nearby Manchester.
The defeat ends Liverpool’s 68 game unbeaten record at Anfield that spanned back to April 2017, when they lost to Crystal Palace.
