Anfield Anomaly: Liverpool Match Historic 45-Year Top-Flight Low

Last Updated:January 18, 2026, 23:17 IST

Liverpool failed to win any home league games against newly promoted sides for the first time since 1980-81, drawing with Sunderland, Leeds, and Burnley in the 2025-26 campaign.

(Credit: AP)

Liverpool’s Anfield frustrations have reached a level not seen in more than four decades.

For the first time since the 1980-81 top-flight season, Liverpool have failed to win any of their three home league games against newly promoted sides, drawing all three in the 2025-26 campaign — a stark statistic for a side chasing the top four.

The latest setback came in a 1-1 draw against relegation-threatened Burnley, who cancelled out Florian Wirtz’s opener through Marcus Edwards.

It followed similar dropped points at home to Leeds and Fulham, leaving Anfield far from the fortress it once was.

Arne Slot’s side dominated the numbers but not the scoreboard. Liverpool fired 32 shots, landing 11 on target, and racked up an expected goals tally of 3.18 — their highest shot count in a Premier League game since hitting 37 against Brentford in January last season.

Yet the breakthrough proved elusive. Wirtz’s goal came only after Dominik Szoboszlai smashed the crossbar from the penalty spot, and even sustained pressure failed to deliver a winner, drawing audible frustration from the home crowd at full-time.

Slot cut a frustrated figure after the match.

“We should have won this game,” he said. “There wasn’t much more I could ask in terms of chance creation. We had a lot of possession, but we need to create more and be more clinical.”

Liverpool are now unbeaten in 12 matches in all competitions, but the inability to kill games off — and the habit of conceding from limited chances — is proving costly.

Those missed opportunities have a tangible impact. Had Liverpool held on at Fulham and beaten Leeds and Burnley at home, they would be sitting on 42 points, just one behind second-placed Manchester City and comfortably clear of Manchester United.

Instead, they remain fourth, seven points off Aston Villa.

“The only ones to blame are ourselves,” Slot admitted.

Relief, however, may be close — with Mohamed Salah expected to return in the coming days, Liverpool will hope history doesn’t repeat itself again at Anfield.

Read More