Liverpool's margin for error shrinks with Burnley draw - ESPN

LIVERPOOL, England — The game was barely 20 minutes old when Dominik Szoboszlai first felt the ire of the Anfield crowd. Liverpool were searching for the opener in their Premier League clash with Burnley, and with teammates surging forward ahead of him, the Hungary international paused to assess his options.

Within seconds, Burnley's stubborn defense had mobilized, and the chance for a quick attack had been promptly snuffed out. Szoboszlai held up his hand in a gesture of apology that did little to quieten the groans inside the stadium at the sight of their No. 8 putting on the handbrake.

Perhaps, after a season which has lurched from the sublime to the ridiculous to the deeply uninspiring, the Liverpool fans knew what was coming. Less than two hours later, many of those same fans could be heard booing as coach Arne Slot and his players traipsed off the pitch, having dropped yet more precious points in a frustrating 1-1 draw with Scott Parker's struggling side.

In defense of Szoboszlai and his teammates, this display was far more engaging than most of the outings in Liverpool's recent 12-game unbeaten run. The hosts had 32 shots compared to their opponents' seven, while Burnley scored with their only shot on target.

Not for the first time this season, Liverpool fell foul of the fine margins, with visiting goalkeeper Martin Dúbravka making some fine saves and defender Bashir Humphreys clearing one effort off the line in the second half. The Reds posted an expected goals (xG) value of 2.95 — their highest total in a Premier League game this season — but the fact remains they failed to get the job done against a team of vastly inferior quality.

Liverpool have now been held to draws by all three newly promoted sides at