Liverpool’s 68-game unbeaten run at home in the Premier League came to an end as they were beaten 1-0 by Burnley on Thursday night.
Ashley Barnes’ late penalty condemned the Reds to their first league defeat at Anfield since April 2017 and made it five straight games without a win in the Premier League this season.
Jurgen Klopp welcomed Joel Matip back at centre-half and made some bold selections in attacking areas as he left Roberto Firmino and Mo Salah on the bench, handing starts instead to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Divock Origi.
For much of the first-half, the hosts were reduced to shots from range, but it was Origi who wasted the best chance to open the scoring before the break, the Belgian sent clean through on goal by a horrendous Ben Mee error, only to see his finish come back off the crossbar.
Some half-time handbags between Fabinho and Ashley Barnes, as well as an exchange in the tunnel between the two managers, summed up the Reds’ frustrations and Klopp waited only ten minutes of the second half to send Salah and Firmino into the fray.
The Egyptian almost found the breakthrough immediately, denied by a super one-handed stop from Nick Pope after Georginio Wijnaldum’s surging run.
Firmino then wasted a decent opening, scuffing a first-time finish well wide from Andy Robertson’s cut-back.
Burnley had hardly threatened, with several apparent openings eventually pulled back for offside anyway, but they took the lead just seven minutes from time when Barnes converted from the spot after being brought down by Alisson.
Another blank means the champions have scored just once in the league since hammering Crystal Palace 7-0 last month and they now trail league leaders Manchester United by six points at the season’s halfway stage.
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