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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
David Byrom

Liverpool's 'magnificent seven' put a different perspective on Burnley defeat

Liverpool's defeat to Burnley on Thursday may have been a disappointing continuation of the Reds' recent Premier League form, but it was also evidence of how far the club have come under Jurgen Klopp.

It was the Reds' first defeat at Anfield in the Premier League in almost four years as their 68-match home unbeaten run came to an end.

The unbeaten run represents the second-longest in English football's top-flight history, with just Chelsea's 86-match unbeaten run at Stamford Bridge between 2004 and 2008 beating it.

You have to go all the way back to April 2017 for the last time Liverpool tasted defeat in the Premier League at Anfield.

The Reds were coming to the end of their first full season under Jurgen Klopp in what was a tight race for the top four.

A 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace on April 23 was a result that effectively ended Liverpool's title hopes, with Christian Benteke's brace enough to secure the Eagles victory after Philippe Coutinho's opener.

Whilst it was not known at the time, that loss kicked off the Reds' remarkable home record for the last three-and-a-half years.

The team that day is scarcely recognisable to the one that took to the pitch against Burnley, with the likes of Nathaniel Clyne, Emre Can and Lucas Leiva all starting.

In fact, just three Liverpool players started both the game against Crystal Palace in 2017 and Thursday's match against Burnley.

Divock Origi, Joel Matip and Gini Wijnaldum all started in both defeats, whilst Roberto Firmino and Trent Alexander-Arnold both played a part in both games.

James Milner started the 2017 defeat but was an unused substitute against Burnley.

However, for nine players, Thursday night was a completely new experience as they suffered their first defeat at Anfield in the Premier League.

Alisson, Andy Robertson, Fabinho, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Xherdan Shariqi, Mo Salah, Sadio Mane, Thiago and Takumi Minamino were all on the losing end of a Premier League game at Anfield for the first time in their Liverpool careers.

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For Minamino and Thiago, that stat is not too remarkable, with both players having been at Anfield for 12 and five months respectively.

For the other seven, however, the stat is representative of just how impressive the Reds' form at Anfield has been since that defeat to Crystal Palace in 2017.

The big task now for those players is to go some way to rebuilding a similar unbeaten run.

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