BURNLEY players and staff have insisted all season that there is no pressure on them when they go to some of the Premier League’s most iconic grounds to play the division’s toughest teams.

But points are now becoming imperative in the battle to survive for a second season in the Premier League, and the spirit of adventure that this team usually displays on the big occasions was lacking at Anfield.

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Having not made the most of their home games against teams in the bottom half of the table, the Clarets now need to find a way of taking points from a tough run of fixtures, but that proved beyond them against the league’s in-form side.

For almost half an hour Burnley looked well organised as they got men behind the ball, but once Jordan Henderson had opened the scoring they struggled to impose themselves going forward.

The fight for points doesn’t get any easier, with Manchester City next at Turf Moor a week on Saturday as Burnley enter the final 10 games of the campaign knowing they probably need to find at least another 12 points to stand a chance of staying up.

That looks unlikely at the moment, but the run-in does give them a chance and if they can remain in touch until then they could yet find a way to secure a second season in the top flight.

Danny Ings has been heavily linked with a summer switch to Liverpool, with the Reds having a bid rejected for him in January, but the 22-year-old struggled to light up Anfield like he did Old Trafford back in February.

It was his opposite number Daniel Sturridge who ended the game with a goal, and the England international called Tom Heaton into action inside the first 30 seconds.

An intricate move involving Raheem Sterling, Sturridge and Adam Lallana ended with Sturridge’s 12-yard shot being turned round the post sharply by Burnley’s goalkeeper.

In the fourth minute Jason Shackell sliced a low Philippe Coutinho cross over his own bar, and Henderson headed the set-piece over.

After the early flurry of activity Burnley did well to settle the game down, with Ashley Barnes having a shot blocked by Emre Can at the other end.

Heaton was forced into a low save from Henderson’s 20-yard effort midway through the half, before the goalkeeper managed to beat Sturridge to Michael Keane’s header back.

It was Henderson who broke the deadlock just before the half hour. Coutinho’s run inside ended with his shot from the edge of the area being blocked by Shackell, but Henderson rifled home the rebound from 20 yards on the half-volley.

It was almost two a couple of minutes before the break with Coutinho’s through ball sending Sturridge in on goal, only for Heaton to save with his legs.

It took six second half minutes for the second to arrive, with Henderson’s cross to the back post headed home by Sturridge, who had found space in between Keane and Kieran Trippier.

It was clever moment from an international striker, but it was also a run that you expect at this level, and the Clarets’ failure to deal with it explains why they’ve now conceded 17 headed goals this season.

Burnley desperately searched for a way back into the game, and penalty appeals for a pull on Ings were waved away, before Barnes flashed a shot just wide of the near post from inside the area.

Liverpool were happy to try and hold on to what they had for the final half hour.

Chances were falling the Reds’ way less regularly, with Lallana seeing a shot blocked by Shackell, before Sterling fired save at Heaton after a run into the box.

Burnley tried to find a way through but Simon Mignolet remained relatively untroubled, and the Clarets’ blank in front of goal means the last time they scored a league goal against Liverpool was March 1975.

Over the course of the final 10 games we will see if they will get a chance to end that record next season.