Arne Slot identifies 3 Liverpool players for praise after Burnley 'frustration'

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot was pleased with three of his players in the frustrating 1-1 draw against Burnley in the Premier League, with Florian Wirtz starring at Anfield

Florian Wirtz controls the ball during the Premier League game between Liverpool and Burnley.(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Arne Slot picked out three Liverpool players for praise after today's frustrating draw against Burnley, in which Florian Wirtz found the opening goal but the Reds couldn't kick on.

With only one goal in the game, there was always the possibility that Burnley could find an equalizer. Marcus Edwards was on hand to provide the finishing touch after a move that saw the Liverpool defense part in the second half.

Wirtz was one player that Slot was happy with. He also picked out a couple of others during his post-match press conference who he felt played well and were worthy of praise.

"I completely agree about Milos Kerkez — he had another good game," Slot said when questioned about the Hungary left-back's performance.

"I saw Florian Wirtz scoring another great goal and he was involved in a lot of other moments as well. Jeremie Frimpong, another good game of him — a big, big, big threat on that right side."

Kerkez was very good but was replaced by Andy Robertson when he was on a booking. Wirtz, meanwhile, needed a bit more help from those around him when it came to creating and finishing chances.

Arne Slot looks on during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Burnley at Anfield on January 17, 2026(Image: Dan Istitene/Getty Images)

"Not for the first time, frustrating," Slot said of the game as a whole. "They come in different fashions: sometimes it is that we are scoring a goal in extra-time, so you expect to win the game and then you concede another goal in extra-time.

"I think these games we've played quite a lot during the phase where we lost a few games where we were the team that created much more chances than the team we faced, but then we were losing those games.

"Then we started to become a team that was a bit more careful in conceding chances.

"That led to the fact that it made it also more difficult to create a lot and as a result of that we've been in a run of games where we haven’t lost.

"I think today was a game which I like to see, a team that even for our standards [had] more ball possession than we usually have, generating a lot of chances from that ball possession.

"Usually if you take a bit more risk that comes with the other team counter-attacking you a few times and we controlled that really well.

"But in football one team can have two chances — there was almost an own goal from us — and score one goal and the another team can have multiple chances and score one goal as well and you get the result we got today."