NFLBy: Ty Reeves
Reigning Premier League Champions Liverpool continues to struggle as the Red’s lost at home for the first time in 68 league games to Burnley. Liverpool lost 1-0 at Anfield to Burnley after conceding a questionable penalty kick late in the second half. The loss sets back Liverpool in their title defense as they see themselves in 4th place in the league table.
Liverpool put out a team that left fans scratching their heads as forwards Roberto Firmino and Mohamad Salah started on the bench, with Divock Origi and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain starting in their place. Joel Matip also returned from injury and started next to Fabhino to complete the pairing at center defense.
Liverpool dominated the game, having 72% possession and 27 total shots throughout the game. However Burnley played the park the bus tactics, and it’s fair to say that it worked to perfection.
Burnley had the first chance of the game when they dumped a ball into the Liverpool box in the 13th minute. Reds goalkeeper Alisson Becker came to catch the ball at the top of the box but was met by Burnley forward Chris Wood who was also going for the ball. The two made contact in mid-air and Alisson mishandled the ball on the way down. Wood would retrieve the ball and pass it to fellow striker Ashley Barnes who turned and saw an open net. Alisson would then scramble and throw his body in front of the shot to make the save and keep the score level.
Liverpool would have multiple opportunities throughout the first half to level the score but they lacked the quality in the final third to do so. In the 43rd minute, Liverpool cleared the ball out of their half after a Burnley attack. Defender Fabinho then cleared the ball to the centerline in the general area of Origi. The ball was then misplayed by Burnley’s Ben Mee as the defender tried to play the ball back to goalkeeper Nick Pope. Origi picked up the ball and dribbled towards the goal one on one with Pope. Origi would then strike the ball past Pope, but the ball was met by the crossbar, keeping it out of the goal.
The whistle blew for halftime when a scuffle between Fabinho and Barnes broke out causing both teams to come together. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and Burnley manager Sean Dyche would exchange words as the two walked towards their respective dressing rooms. After a VAR (Virtual Assistant Referee) check, Fabiano was given a yellow card.
Liverpool started off the second half with a different energy that they lacked in the first 45 minutes of the match. They brought on Salah and Firmino relatively quickly and they made their presence felt. In the 60th minute midfielder, Gini Wijnaldum picked up the ball in his own half, made one defender miss, and drove down the field to the Burnley box. The Dutch International then played the ball out wide to Salah who took a one-time shot towards the near post. Pope acted quickly and used his strong hand to make the save.
The Reds would have another chance in the 71st minute when defender Andy Robertson dribbled down the left-hand side of the field. He then played a ball across the box to Firmino who put the shot wide of the post. Just minutes later, Liverpool had a possible handball opportunity when the ball struck Burnley defender Erik Pieters arm. Liverpool players appealed for the call, but it was waved off by the referee.
Burnley had a quiet second half attacking wise but in the 82nd minute, they were awarded a penalty. After a poor Burnley free-kick, the ball was only half-cleared away by Liverpool. Burnley then dumped the ball back into the Liverpool box. Barnes then spun off Fabinho making a run towards the ball. Barnes was able to get a touch on the ball past Alisson, which caused the Brazilian to touch his foot rather than the ball, giving away the penalty kick.
Burnley would need to bury the penalty in order to win the game, and who other than Barnes would step up to the challenge. Cool and calm, the forward placed the ball past the outstretched Alisson to give Burnley the 1-0 lead. 
The game would finish 1-0 with Liverpool losing their first Premier League home game in 1369 days. The Reds have struggled to create any sort of moment as they have not scored in four consecutive league matches. They have now slipped to fourth in the table as their title defense starts to slip away. The win puts Burnley at 19 points on the season, moving them up to 16th in the league.
