Marooned inside the bottom three of the Premier League, Burnley could ill afford to start slowly at Anfield, but they came within a whisker of doing just that.
A sweeping Reds move freed Milos Kerkez inside the area, and while it seemed for all the world like he would sweep home the opener, he unselfishly decided to square for Curtis Jones instead, but a last-ditch Lucas Pires block turned the ball away to safety.
It was one-way traffic towards the Burnley goal for most of the first half, with Arne Slot’s men finally forcing Martin Dubravka into action midway through the opening 45 when he had to beat away Hugo Ekitike’s powerful drive from distance.
Liverpool couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity to take the lead than the one they were given when Florentino felled Gakpo inside the area.
Dominik Szoboszlai assumed responsibility from the spot, but his rocket from 12 yards cannoned back off the crossbar as Liverpool were left to rue their poor luck.
Both Gakpo and Florian Wirtz tested Dubravka shortly after, and the latter of that duo was the man who finally broke the Clarets’ resistance when he thundered into the roof of the net three minutes before half-time.
The Reds’ onslaught continued after half-time, and with confidence coursing through the veins for Wirtz, only the legs of Dubravka denied him a second of the afternoon.
His teammate Gakpo came even closer just moments later when he did beat the Burnley stopper but was left despairing when Bashir Humphreys cleared his effort off the line.
Liverpool paid the ultimate price for those missed opportunities too, when with what was almost the first time they got into the box, Marcus Edwards arrived an effort across Alisson and into the far corner.
Ekitike did have the ball in the net 15 minutes from time when he slammed home a loose ball inside the area, but he had strayed offside when Virgil van Dijk had headed down the initial cross.
Pressure was incessant on the Burnley goal in the closing stages, but Slot’s men simply couldn’t breach their dogged back line and were forced to settle for a point which harmed their top-four challenge.
A point at Anfield was certainly credible for Burnley, although it did little to boost their survival hopes.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Bashir Humphreys (Burnley)
