Liverpool dropped points at home for the first time in a year against Burnley.
Andy Robertson opened the scoring when he met Fabinho’s floated cross with a looping header on the right-hand side of the penalty area to power home.
But Jay Rodriguez pulled the visitors level with just under 20 minutes remaining through a half-volley to deny Jurgen Klopp’s side maximum points.
The Premier League champions had not lost a domestic encounter since late January 2019 yet still remain on course for a 100-point haul this season.
Here were the key talking points from Anfield:
Fortress Anfield’s end puts records in doubt
Records were set to tumble in the wake of Liverpool’s Premier League triumph.
Jurgen Klopp’s side appeared well-placed to eclipse the 100-point target set by Manchester City during their own title win in the 2017/18 campaign.
But a belated end to Anfield’s flawless domestic run stretching back 24 matches and almost 18 months has thrown such predictions into fresh doubt.
Not since a 1-1 draw with Leicester City in late January last year had the newly crowned champions found themselves frustrated on home soil.
Burnley’s spirited second-half fightback, coupled with Nick Pope’s goalkeeping heroics, has left the Reds requiring a masterstroke to redefine standards.
A comfortable grip on proceedings before the break suggested Liverpool would finish the season by entering the history books at a relative canter.
Now they require eight in the last three games to surpass City’s ‘Centurions’. With Arsenal, Chelsea and Newcastle up ahead, it is by no means a certainty.
Rampant Robertson back on song
Were it not for the sharp reflexes of Burnley’s goalkeeper, Andy Robertson would have run unopposed as the Man of the Match in this stalemate.
Liverpool’s left-back returned to the fold following a brief cameo role against Brighton and highlighted exactly what his team had lacked just days earlier.
The visitors struggled to cope with Robertson’s rampancy down their right-hand side, dovetailing perfectly with Sadio Mane during the opening stages.
A well-taken header to break the deadlock came from an unfamiliar position as he powered the ball home from the opposite side of the penalty area.
In defence, too, the Scotland captain demonstrated his qualities with a lung-busting run that won back possession and engineered another strong attack.
His influence, much like Trent Alexander-Arnold, is often taken for granted due to the frequency with which it is utilised by the new league champions.
In Anfield’s muted surroundings, Robertson made himself heard again.
Golden Boot eats away at Salah
Jamie Vardy can rest a little easier this weekend about the Golden Boot race.
Leicester’s evergreen striker had just cause to worry after Mohamed Salah moved to within three goals of him with a brace at Brighton in midweek.
Yet the Liverpool forward’s hopes of a hat-trick of honours appears far less likely in light of a frustrating afternoon in front of goal against the Clarets.
Pope’s ability to repel the hosts’ attacking charges on all bar one occasion denied Salah a hatful of chances ether side of the half time interval.
The Egyptian’s finishing touch proved a greater factor during the game’s final minutes as he spurned several opportunities, most notably in stoppage time.
Alexander-Arnold’s cutback was tailor-made to strike a winner in front of The Kop but Salah’s execution left a lot to be desired as Pope saved comfortably.
His overall display exuded an air of eagerness as the battle for the Golden Boot heads into its final furlong. On this evidence, it is one Salah will not win.
Jones lights the way for Reds’ future
Klopp’s Utopian vision of a Liverpool team consisting solely of Scousers might be a lot closer than even he anticipated if Curtis Jones is the benchmark.
His first Premier League start came in lieu of an injured Jordan Henderson and at the expense of Naby Keita, arguably his side’s most in-form player.
Jones instantly repaid his manager’s faith by fashioning the first chance of the game with a left-footed shot which was tame enough for Pope to collect.
The homegrown teenager continued to demand the ball and excelled when executing Klopp’s trademark counter-pressing style with similar regularity.
A driving second-half run saw him take on all comers in a fashion not too dissimilar to Steven Gerrard in his pomp before drilling a shot wide of goal.
Jones is the most exciting midfield prospect to emerge from Liverpool’s youth ranks since Gerrard made his own first-team break through two decades ago.
Maintaining this level of performance has the potential to act as a beacon for the club’s growing production line to enjoy a genuine renaissance period.