Liverpool’s flawless home record this season was ended and their hopes of a record Premier League points total dented as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Burnley.
The Reds looked all set for their 18th Anfield league win of the campaign when Andy Robertson gave them the lead during a first half they utterly dominated.
However, Sean Dyche’s side held firm, and levelled things up in the second half when Jay Rodriguez latched onto a knockdown in the box to finish.
With captain Jordan Henderson ruled out for the remainder of the season and Trent Alexander-Arnold in need of a rest, Jurgen Klopp elected to put his faith in youth.
Neco Williams started in his more natural right-back position despite his half-time withdrawal at Brighton on Wednesday, while Curtis Jones took on the skipper’s role in the middle.
Burnley, meanwhile, made one change, with Chris Wood coming in for Matej Vydra up top.
One of the interesting subplots of the Clarets’ visit to Anfield was the ongoing battle between the goalkeepers for the Premier League Golden Glove award.
Unsurprisingly, it was Nick Pope who was forced into action earliest, producing a beauty of a save from Mohamed Salah’s top-corner-bound effort shortly after denying Jones from close range.
But, having somehow kept hold of his clean sheet during an opening half an hour dominated by the hosts, the Englishman’s net was finally breached.
In Pope’s defence, he may well have been caught by surprise as Robertson produced an uncharacteristically brilliant headed finish from Fabinho’s clipped ball having somehow found himself on the right-hand side of the box.
Either way, he quickly reiterated his value to the Clarets by brilliantly clawing away a goal-bound Sadio Mane effort from close range shortly before the break.
Liverpool started the second half where they left off, and came close to consigning a bizarre quirk of their remarkable season to history four minutes in.
However, Roberto Firmino failed to end his wait for a Premier League goal at Anfield this term, hitting the post when he should perhaps have done better after being fed by Salah.
Salah himself was guilty of wastefulness on the hour mark, blazing over when he somewhat fortuitously received the ball in the box following a deflection.
And shortly after the second drinks break of the match, the Reds were made to pay as Phil Bardsley’s long ball from a free-kick in Burnley’s right-back area was nodded down and back across goal, where Rodriguez provided a fine finish to level things up.
Knowing that their winning streak was at risk, Liverpool opened up, but it was in fact the visitors who came closest to pinching three points next.
A corner delivery from the left-hand side caused chaos in the Reds box before dropping to Johann Berg Gudmundsson, whose powerful effort cracked the top of the bar and left Sean Dyche with his head in his hands.
Still, Klopp’s men could have come away with the win had Salah dispatched on his right foot at the death, rather than stroking the ball into the hands of Pope.
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