Burnley’s survival fight intensifies as they face daunting trip to Anfield

Liverpool welcomes relegation-threatened Burnley to Anfield for round 22 of the Premier League 2025/26 campaign on Saturday afternoon.

Liverpool secured a 4-1 victory over Barnsley in the FA Cup third round last weekend, but the reigning champions were held to a goalless draw by Arsenal in their last Premier League outing.

Burnley triumphed 5-1 over lower-league outfit Millwall in the FA Cup, and Scott Parker’s side battled to a 2-2 draw with Manchester United in their last Premier League game.

Match preview

Liverpool have lost just one of their nine Premier League home games against Burnley (W6 D2), though that defeat did come in January in the only previous season they faced them as reigning champions (0-1 in 2020/21).

Burnley have lost their last six Premier League games against Liverpool by an aggregate score of 12-1 since a 1-0 win at Anfield in January 2021.

The Clarets have scored just 11 goals in 19 Premier League games against Liverpool (0.6 per game), only averaging fewer against Arsenal among sides they’ve faced more than twice (0.5, 9 goals in 19 games).

The Reds have drawn 1-1 with Sunderland and 0-0 with Leeds at Anfield this season but haven’t failed to win three successive home league games against promoted sides since January 2002.

Burnley remain winless in their last 12 league matches (D3 L9), last going longer without a league victory from December 2006 to March 2007 in the Championship (18), and last doing so in the top flight from August to October 1970 (14) – the 13th game of which was a 2-0 defeat away to Liverpool.

The Clarets have scored the fixture’s opening goal on four of their last seven visits to Anfield.

Virgil van Dijk made more line-breaking passes than any other player in the Reds’ last Premier League game, against Arsenal (16). Overall in this campaign, only Marcos Senesi (110) has made more line-breaking passes into the final third than the Dutchman’s 98.

Scott Parker’s side have lost eight of their 10 away Premier League games this season (won one, drawn one), with their only win on the road coming at Wolves in October (3-2).

Burnley have lost 11 of their last 12 Premier League games against reigning champions, including each of the last six in a row.

Team news

Liverpool

Conor Bradley, Alexander Isak and Giovanni Leoni are sidelined with injuries.

Mohamed Salah is still away on international duty with Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Burnley

Mike Tresor, Ziam Flemming, Zeki Amdouni, Connor Roberts, Jordan Beyer, Joe Worrall and Josh Cullen are unavailable for the visitors with injuries.

Predicted line-ups

Liverpool: Alisson, Frimpong, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Jones, Wirtz, Ekitike.

Burnley: Dubravka, Laurent, Esteve, Humphreys, Walker, Ugochukwu, Florentino, Pires, Bruun Larsen, Anthony, Broja.