Liverpool booed as Dominik Szoboszlai pays penalty in fourth league draw in a row

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Liverpool’s season continues to be a drawn out process as the beleaguered champions ended a Premier League game level for the fourth time in a row.

But unlike the hard earned recent point at Arsenal , the Reds left the Anfield pitch distraught and booed off by a section of home fans after a spirited but limited Burnley punished Dominik Szoboszlai’s first half missed penalty.

Liverpool have had trouble breaking down sides who come to Anfield intent on getting as many men behind the ball as possible, but the Reds had started looking like a team who wanted to set that record straight.

Szoboszlai got Milos Kerkez in behind Kyle Walker in the opening exchanges, but instead of shooting the full-back opted to look for Curtis Jones to no avail.

At the other end Florentino Luis soon registered Burnley’s first effort at goal, troubling the Kop more than Alisson Becker, before normal service was soon resumed as the traffic flowed the other way.

Martin Dubravka made the first of several impressive first half stops when he plunged to his left to keep out Hugo Ekitike’s fierce drive after a good link-up with Florian Wirtz, before Ryan Gravenberch saw his effort from distance deflect wide.

The lively Kerkez was proving to be a thorn in Burnley’s side down the Liverpool left, and after linking with Cody Gakpo his cross was volleyed goalwards by Jeremie Frimpong, only for Lucas Pires to block impressively.

There was already a sense that the Burnley dam would soon burst though, and that looked like it would be the case just after the half hour mark.

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Luis’ challenge on Gakpo was clumsy more than malicious, but after referee Andrew Madley pointed to the spot, Szoboszlai - fresh from his FA Cup night of the sublime and the ridiculous against Barnsley - blasted his spot kick against the crossbar.

If Burnley had hoped the Hungarian’s error would demoralise Liverpool though, they were wrong. Wirtz and Gakpo soon brought two more good saves from Dubravka, before the German grabbed the breakthrough.

Ekitike did brilliantly to wriggle clear of Axel Tuanzebe on the left, and when his centre fell for Jones the Reds midfielder laid the ball off to Wirtz to smash home his fourth goal in his last seven games.

It was a goal that Liverpool had deserved, but after a similarly dominant start to the second half the old demons which have blighted their season kicked in.

Slack Reds play had allowed Edwards in moments earlier, when his centre was sent towards his own goal by Ibrahima Konate and well saved by Alisson.

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But lessons weren’t learned, and Luis soon found Edwards again in a huge pocket of space, and the Burnley attacker was able to stride on and fire impressively into the bottom corner.

Arne Slot looked stunned, but he and his Reds side had been complicit in their own downfall.

Attempting to rally, Szoboszlai - perhaps now more aware of the damage done by his missed penalty - headed wide and drove straight at Dubravka before, with Slot now shuffling his pack, Alexis Mac Allister blazed a great chance over the bar within seconds of coming on.

Liverpool pressed for a winner that would have been merited in their dominance, but not their execution, but it would fail to arrive.

Burnley held out for just their 14th point of the season, leaving the Reds drawing the same old conclusions.

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