Liverpool Crashes to Historic 45-Year Low as Furious Fans Boo Burnley Defeat
Liverpool's disappointing 1–1 stalemate with Burnley at Anfield on Saturday afternoon meant that the title holders have been unable to defeat any of the three promoted sides at home in a single campaign for the first time since the 1980–81 season.
Arne Slot's team were restricted to a scoreless tie by Leeds United to begin 2026 while they managed only a 1–1 result against Sunderland's December visit thanks solely to Federico Chiesa's 50-yard dash to clear Wilson Isidor's injury-time attempt from the goal line.
This 45-year nadir arrives amid a concerning period of form. Liverpool remain without defeat in their past 12 fixtures across all competitions but six of those encounters have ended level. As The Athletic highlighted, Slot's tally of 21 points from his most recent 17 league games mirrors almost exactly the ratio (1.25 points per match) that Roy Hodgson achieved during his final 20 games as Liverpool boss before his dismissal in January 2011 (1.24 points per match).
Liverpool's Home Record Against Newly Promoted Teams
Liverpool's Home Record Against Newly Promoted Teams
Date | Opponent | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
Dec. 3, 2025 | Sunderland | 1–1 |
Jan. 1, 2026 | Leeds | 0–0 |
Jan. 17, 2026 | Burnley | 1–1 |
Anfield responded poorly to yet another draw against teams that had competed in England's second division last season, with supporters voicing their displeasure at the final whistle. This represents completely uncharted waters for those on Merseyside.
Before this season, Liverpool had triumphed in 26 of their last 28 Premier League home encounters against newly promoted teams, suffering defeat just once—against Fulham in March 2021 at an empty venue during the COVID-19 crisis. No recently promoted club has secured a league victory at Anfield with supporters present since Blackpool overcame Hodgson's Liverpool in October 2010.
Slot Accepts Liverpool Boos
Slot Accepts Liverpool Boos
Liverpool's unbeaten run stretches to 12 games - does the amount of draws take some of the shine away from the achievement? pic.twitter.com/q63dFwJRZL
Slot had little choice but to acknowledge the criticism directed his way following another unsuccessful encounter against recent Championship teams. Liverpool demolished last season's promoted clubs by a combined 10–3 scoreline at home, yet they have surrendered six points in similar fixtures this campaign.
"If you, as Liverpool, are not disappointed by having a draw at home to Burnley, then something is completely wrong," Slot admitted. "I completely understand the frustration. I have the same frustrations, and the players definitely have the same frustrations, as the fans."
The Dutch manager praised the visitors' resilient showing. "We have to give credit to [Burnley] for defending, clearing balls off the line, all the things you want to see if you are the Burnley manager, trying everything to prevent us scoring." However, he couldn't overlook his team's inefficient attacking display.
Liverpool registered 32 attempts on Saturday, their highest total in any fixture across all competitions this season. Dominik Szoboszlai struck a penalty against the woodwork before Florian Wirtz's sharp opener while Bashir Humphreys cleared two goal-bound shots off the line for Burnley. The Clarets, in contrast, found the net with their sole effort on target.
"I think these games we have played quite a lot—where we are the team creating more than the team we face—but then we were losing those games," Slot reflected. "Then we have started to become a team that was a bit more careful in conceding chances, and that led to the fact that it made it also more difficult to create a lot."
Considering the caliber and volume of opportunities created and allowed, Liverpool achieved the proper tactical equilibrium against Burnley. Regrettably, this fortune-dependent game provides limited certainties.