Liverpool Player Ratings vs. Burnley: Reds Punished for Profligacy in Fourth Straight Slip-Up

Liverpool stumbled to a fourth successive Premier League draw as they were frustratingly held 1–1 by struggling Burnley at Anfield.

Florian Wirtz’s venomous opener just before the break helped relieve pressure on Dominik Szoboszlai after he had missed from the penalty spot earlier in the half, but the Hungarian’s skewed spot kick ended up proving costly for the Reds.

Despite Liverpool being on top throughout the second half, a lapse in concentration allowed Marcus Edwards to provide Burnley with an equaliser and Liverpool were unable to muster a response despite a flurry of efforts on goal.

The draw moves Liverpool back above Manchester United and into fourth place but it’s another wasted opportunity for Arne Slot’s side as they await a first Premier League win of the new year.

Liverpool Player Ratings vs. Burnley (4-2-3-1)

Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool — Another frustrating day for the Reds. | Oli SCARFF/AFP/Getty Images

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: Alisson—5.8: Produced a smart save to prevent an own goal from Ibrahima Konaté but should have done much better with Edwards’s low drive.

RB: Jeremie Frimpong—7.6: Wirtz frequently vacated the right wing, allowing Frimpong the freedom to burst down the flank, and he often found himself on the end of crosses in the area.

CB: Ibrahima Konaté—7.4: Almost scored an own goal as he cut out a dangerous Burnley attack and was thankful for the quick reflexes of Alisson. Gave Edwards too much room for the equaliser, too.

CB: Virgil van Dijk—7.5: Rarely tested by Burnley’s forwards and will be frustrated by another missed clean sheet opportunity.

LB: Milos Kerkez—8.2: An indefatigable performance from the flying full back, who was regularly found in and around the Burnley box. Still needs to work on his delivery but another encouraging outing.

DM: Ryan Gravenberch—7.8: Kept things ticking in midfield and impressed with 11 defensive contributions. Spurned a few promising shooting chances.

DM: Dominik Szoboszlai—7.6: After an evening of mixed emotions against Barnsley, Szoboszlai was the villain of the first half after fluffing his lines from the penalty spot. Unable to redeem himself after the break.

RW: Florian Wirtz—8.2: Rifled home the opener with a pinpoint finish and once again provided some much-needed creativity against a low block. At the heart of Liverpool’s best moments and regularly showcased his technical class.

AM: Curtis Jones—7.3: Sloppy in the early exchanges but steadied himself as the match wore on, popping up in some dangerous areas and grabbing an assist.

LW: Cody Gakpo—7.9: Awarded the penalty after being felled in the box and did create issues for Kyle Walker and Co. down Burnley’s right. Still too predictable, however, always desperate to cut inside and take aim at goal.

ST: Hugo Ekitiké—6.8: Jones clinched the assist for Wirtz’s opener but the goal came about through Ekitiké’s persistence on the left-hand side. A moment typical of another energetic display that just lacked the final touch in front of goal.

Substitute	Rating
Andy Robertson (78’ for Kerkez)	6.6
Rio Ngumoha (78’ for Gakpo)	6.0
Alexis Mac Allister (78’ for Gravenberch)	6.3
Federico Chiesa (87’ for Jones)	N/A

Subs not used: Giorgi Mamardashvili (GK),Calvin Ramsay, Joe Gomez, Trey Nyoni, Wataru Endo.

Burnley (3-4-3)

Starting XI: Martin Dúbravka; Axel Tuanzebe, Maxime Estève, Bashir Humphreys; Kyle Walker, Lesley Ugochukwu, Florentino Luís, Lucas Pires; Marcus Edwards, Armando Broja, Jaidon Anthony.

Subs used: Lyle Foster, Hjalmar Ekdal, Josh Laurent, Loum Tchaouna, Hannibal Mejbri.

Player of the Match: Florian Wirtz (Liverpool)

Liverpool 1–1 Burnley: How It Unfolded at Anfield

Liverpool set about stamping their authority on proceedings from the first whistle and while they dominated early possession, quality chances were not forthcoming. A last-ditch interception from Bashir Humphreys and Hugo Ekitiké’s driven effort from range were their best moments by the midpoint of the first half.

The Reds were handed the perfect opportunity to take the lead just after the half-hour mark, though, as Florentino Luís’s clumsy challenge on Cody Gakpo gifted the home side a penalty. Without resident taker Mohamed Salah, Szoboszlai stepped up to the spot but rattled his effort off the crossbar—only his second career miss from 12 yards outside of shootouts.

Szoboszlai’s blushes were spared on the cusp of halt time, however, Wirtz continuing his scoring streak with a fine finish to fire Liverpool ahead. Ekitiké’s saved shot was kept alive by Curtis Jones, who prodded the ball into the path of the German playmaker, and he emphatically rattled beyond Martin Dúbravka from inside the area.

😮‍💨📸 pic.twitter.com/85wzYigCmE
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 17, 2026

Liverpool’s dominance resumed after the restart as Wirtz became increasingly instrumental for the hosts. The 22-year-old forced a critical save out of Dúbravka before turning provider for Cody Gakpo following some lovely footwork in the area, with the Dutchman’s strike cleared off the line by Humphreys.

But Liverpool were soon made to pay for their profligacy. The Reds have struggled protecting leads this season courtesy of their disorganised defence and they surrendered their advantage with 25 minutes remaining. Edwards found some space in the penalty area and was picked out by Luís, before lasering beyond Alisson and into the bottom corner.

Liverpool huffed and puffed for an equaliser as they bombarded the Burnley goal. Ekitiké saw an effort ruled out for offside and was inches away from converting a tap-in, Alexis Mac Allister fired high from close range and Dúbravka was forced into several saves from range, but Liverpool couldn’t quite clinch the winning goal as they stumbled to their third draw with promoted sides at Anfield this term.

Liverpool vs. Burnley Half-Time Stats

Statistic	Liverpool	Burnley
Possession	74%	26%
Expected Goals (xG)	1.44	0.09
Total Shots	15	3
Shots on Target	5	0
Big Chances	1	0
Pass Accuracy	88%	64%
Fouls Committed	5	4
Corners	4	0

Liverpool vs. Burnley Full Time Stats

Statistic	Liverpool	Burnley
Possession	73%	27%
Expected Goals (xG)	2.95	0.40
Total Shots	32	7
Shots on Target	11	1
Big Chances	3	0
Pass Accuracy	88%	70%
Fouls Committed	8	10
Corners	9	1