Liverpool extended their unbeaten run despite drawing with Burnley.
Arne Slot’s side spurned a chance to break the deadlock when Dominik Szoboszlai missed a penalty for Florentino Luis’s foul on Cody Gakpo.
Florian Wirtz opened the scoring shortly before half-time by firing into the top lefthand corner after Martin Dubravka parried Hugo Ekitike’s initial strike.
But the visitors struck back during the second half courtesy of Marcus Edwards’ low sweeping effort from the left-hand side of the penalty area.
The Reds still racked up a 12th game without defeat in all competitions which maintained their fourth-place standing in the Premier League table.
Here were the key talking points from Anfield:
No masking Kopites’ frustration
Arne Slot has made a habit of history-setting feats as Liverpool manager.
Winning a title in your debut season does count for something, as does becoming the club’s best-performing manager in his first 50 league games.
Yet those achievements will only take the Dutchman so far in the face of a 12th game unbeaten against Burnley which felt more like a defeat than a draw.
His side amassed 32 attempts on goal with 11 of them on target while their visitors equalised from their solitary effort across 97 minutes.
The boos which greeted the final whistle were not from a vocal minority but a sign of the growing dissatisfaction that supporters are again feeling.
Slot attempted to downplay the full-time outburst as frustration at the result rather than open signs of dissent does both himself and Kopites a disservice.
Not only does his record from the last 17 games read worse than Roy Hodgson’s brief tenure but his side have failed to beat any of the promoted teams at home.
To put that in context, Burnley’s hard-fought point means the champions are yet to taste victory over the league’s newest teams for a first time since 1980/81.
Granted, the Reds went on to win the European Cup that season but the continent can probably rest easy based on the current evidence.
Szoboszlai’s worst week continues
Dominik Szoboszlai probably thought that he was already over the worst.
Liverpool’s imperious midfielder had endured a moment to forget during Monday’s FA Cup win over Barnsley by gifting the visitors a rare lifeline.
He at least was able to atone for that dummied backheel to Giorgi Mamardashvili with an otherwise flawless display for Slot’s side after the interval.
When Andy Madley awarded a penalty for Florentino Luis’ clumsy foul on Cody Gakpo, Szoboszlai stepped up in hopes of giving the hosts the lead.
But the Hungary international inexplicably chose to go high and hard rather than low and blasted his spot kick against Martin Dubravka’s crossbar.
In fairness to Szoboszlai, he is not normally Liverpool’s designated spot-kick taker; a responsibility that usually falls on sparring partner Mohamed Salah.
With the Egyptian indisposed at the Africa Cup of Nations, however, a player who previously only missed one of 21 penalties appeared to be a good bet.
In any week other than this one, it probably would still be.
Perfect timing for Salah’s return
The return of Liverpool’s latest prodigal son is only a matter of days away.
Subject to his AFCON exertions, Salah is set to be back in the fold for Wednesday’s all-important Champions League encounter with Marseille.
The ‘Egyptian King’ tossed a grenade over his shoulder prior to heading out to the tournament in Tunisia shortly before the festive period.
Few were convinced there was a way back for him, even with all parties seeking to draw a line under his incendiary post-match interview at Leeds.
Admittedly the forward was not his usual, effervescent self for large parts of the campaign prior to sounding off in the Elland Road mixed zone last month.
But few players at Anfield remain capable of unlocking defences in the way that Salah has consistently during his eight-and-a-half years with the club.
A lack of potent threat coming off the flank in this stalemate with the Clarets merely confirmed Liverpool desperately need of the 33-year-old’s guile again.
He may not hit the ground running, or even at all in Marseille on Wednesday, but there is no denying that Slot is poorer for not having Salah at his disposal.