Former Premier League defender points to one Liverpool issue that keeps appearing

Liverpool’s ability to dominate matches without fully controlling outcomes has become a familiar theme, and the latest Anfield draw offered another example of how fine margins continue to hurt us.

Despite 32 shots, an xG of 2.95 and 76 touches in the opposition box, we were held to a frustrating 1–1 draw by Burnley, with a single defensive lapse again proving costly.

Speaking on Premier League Productions, former England defender Joleon Lescott focused his post-match analysis on our centre-back pairing, with Ibou Konate central to the discussion.

The Frenchman, now in his fifth season at Anfield, was involved in the phase of play that led to Marcus Edwards’ equaliser, even if the broader issue went beyond one moment.

Lescott said: “Looking at that goal then I think Konate could move across, make it more difficult to get a shot off initially, but there’s just no luck and it looks low on confidence.”

The former Manchester City title-winner was careful not to isolate blame, instead widening the lens to the partnership as a whole with Virgil van Dijk.

He added: “It’s not just Konate… they’re playing as a partnership and they don’t seem to be in sync as much.”

Konate and Liverpool’s defensive partnership under scrutiny

That lack of synchronicity feels particularly frustrating given how little we actually concede in open play.

Burnley managed only a handful of meaningful attacks, yet punished us with one of them, reinforcing why defensive concentration remains so critical at the top end of the table.

As Lescott explained, confidence plays a subtle but decisive role, saying defenders can become “more tentative in your positioning” and choose safety over assertiveness.

This ties into wider frustration voiced elsewhere, with Lewis Steele noting after the game that Liverpool are “17 points worse off than this time last season,” while describing our football as “hard to watch for months now.”

Those remarks sit alongside Steven Gerrard’s assessment that home draws against teams like Burnley are “not acceptable,” even during an unbeaten run.

Why Konate moments keep deciding tight Liverpool games

The concern is not volume of chances conceded but timing and decisiveness.

The BBC’s match report highlighted how Burnley scored against the run of play, just minutes after warning signs had already appeared.

That pattern is why individual moments involving Konate or Van Dijk feel magnified, even when overall performances remain dominant.

Lescott’s comments add another layer, suggesting the issue is less about effort and more about cohesion.

With Champions League fixtures and a demanding league run ahead, tightening those small defensive details could be the difference between pressure building and momentum returning.

For now, Konate finds himself at the centre of a conversation that reflects a broader Liverpool problem rather than a single mistake.

You can watch Lescott’s comments courtesy of Premier League Productions (via Talks Football on YouTube):

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The post Former Premier League defender points to one Liverpool issue that keeps appearing appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.