Liverpool started brightly yet rapidly burnt out with a lacklustre whimper as visiting Burnley, who had just 13 points to their name, managed to leave with something and crank the pressure upon Arne Slot.
Liverpool 1-1 Burnley
Premier League (22) | Anfield
January 17, 2025
Goals: Wirtz 42′; Edwards 65′
1. Possessional confidence is Liverpool’s undoing
The start to this fixture was everything anyone could have hoped for; quick, incisive passing with lively impetus and willingness to get beyond the lines.
Liverpool almost scored inside mere minutes at the opening, as Milos Kerkez‘s skimmed ball across the six-yard box was desperately poked behind. Any Liverpool touch and it was 1-0 before so much as a blink.
The Reds took a measure of confidence from this, but thereafter the problems set in. We’ve seen it time and time again this season, and it’s simply not going away.
The script is so painfully obvious, a set of bullet points followed every time. All involved know exactly what’s going to happen, yet they allow it to pan out repeatedly, regardless.
Liverpool start a match brightly; Liverpool press and create small openings; Liverpool go close but fail to convert; Liverpool retain possession and allow composed build-up to flow thereafter while scaling back on the urgency; the match gets away.
Usually, within this framework, Liverpool will have hit the back of the net. All went to plan with Florian Wirtz‘s sublime opener, but then Liverpool did what they do best this season – sat back and became somewhat lapse.
One chance and one converted attempt later and the Reds are desperately searching for a late response, with Slot prowling the touchline like a bear with a sore head.
It was made clear this season that Liverpool were going to use their new “weapons,” as the manager referred to them, to break down the lesser teams in the division and remain on top.
We can see it in practice; many times at Anfield did Wirtz, Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai sculpt delicate openings with nimble passes and footwork, but it’s not potent enough for Liverpool.
This game finished as a 1-1 stalemate, at home, against a vastly inferior opponent who recorded an official xG of 0.40. Simply not good enough.
2. Slot’s shotgun subs cause bewilderment again
As the panic set in, everyone knew what was coming. Like-for-like subs, queued up on the touchline like an ensemble of crisis troops, ready to be thrust into the chaos.
Andy Robertson on for Kerkez, Alexis Mac Allister on for Ryan Gravenberch and Rio Ngumoha on in place of Gakpo.
Each player essentially filling in the same role as the man he replaced, albeit with fresher legs. As expected, the Hail Mary Federico Chiesa swap soon followed, and that was a wrap.
It’s never really worked all season. It’s not even clear what the actual aim is, as such. But it happens repeatedly and no doubt it will happen again very soon.
Baffling and, at this point, just very mentally tiring.
3. Florian Wirtz as the new talisman is now clear
Wirtz has grown into a Liverpool shirt, something that was never in doubt. The German youngster is just outrageously gifted and it’s very easy to forget he’s still only 22.
Wirtz is beyond all shadow of a doubt the future of Liverpool Football Club, it’s already apparent and he’s probably not even yet reached 40 percent of his potential yet on Merseyside.
His confidence and craft need to be carefully treated now, and the imminent return of Mohamed Salah must be delicately managed so that it can help take this outrageous footballer to the next level.
Wirtz still has room for improvement, and from one main talisman to another, Salah can be the man to elevate his game to the next level and hand over the crown.
4. Milos Kerkez shows he has settled at Liverpool
Kerkez has come in for a lot of stick this season, but he deserves plaudits for his creativity, tenacity and determination against Burnley.
Another composed performance, offering a constant threat down the left flank and looking very much the player everyone marvelled at playing for Bournemouth last season.
It takes quite a lot to keep a player like Andy Robertson out of the starting XI so frequently. The Scotland captain has heaps of experience and plenty left in the tank, but Slot and his coaching staff have clearly identified the need for Kerkez to play himself into confidence, work in the groove and become a serious Liverpool player.
It looks like we’re getting there now. The Hungarian is a real asset going forward and both his timings and aggression in the tackle against Burnley were very impressive.
5. Arne Slot needs to own up
Unfortunately for the manager, it really won’t do to come out after this one and use his tried and tested PSG mantra. This game was far from PSG football Arne, and Burnley won’t care in the slightest.
Sure, there is a fine chance that Liverpool would have actually got more joy against a team like PSG in the first half given how they came out of the blocks, but it’s unfortunately irrelevant.
Another match day has come and gone, another Premier League struggler has turned up at Anfield and taxed points off Liverpool; boos after the full-time whistle would not have gone unnoticed, it was not just a minority.
We’re approaching the end of January and the excuses of not being able to dissect bus-parking teams simply cannot be heard.
Also, while we’re on the theme of January, one may consider getting a defender in through the door before another nail in the coffin is hammered.
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