Liverpool moved high of the Premier League after Darwin Nunez ended his purpose drought in a 2-0 win at Burnley on Boxing Day.
The Uruguayan striker had gone over 600 minutes with out a purpose however scored early at Turf Moor, rifling an effort house from the sting of the field.
Regardless of registering eight photographs on course within the first half, Liverpool struggled in entrance of purpose with VAR coming to Burnley’s rescue simply after half-time when Harvey Elliott’s effort was dominated out for Mohamed Salah standing in an offside place.
The longer the sport progressed, the extra Burnley sensed an equaliser as Jurgen Klopp’s males grew to become sloppy however Johann Berg Gudmundsson squandered a wonderful probability when heading over from shut vary.
Liverpool wrapped up the factors in stoppage time when the returning Diogo Jota slotted house from a good angle.
Arsenal have an opportunity to leapfrog the Reds again to the summit on Thursday when internet hosting West Ham.
How Reds packed a Boxing Day punch…
Nunez, again into the beginning XI after lacking the Arsenal sport, fired Klopp’s males right into a sixth-minute lead at Turf Moor together with his first purpose in 13 matches in all competitions. It was a unbelievable strike from the sting of the realm and setting Liverpool on their option to a snug Boxing Day stroll.
Nonetheless, Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford was stored busy within the Burnley purpose, making seven saves all earlier than half-time as Liverpool grew to become the second staff this season to register eight photographs on course within the first half, following on from Newcastle of their 8-0 dismantling of Sheffield United. The decide of the saves got here when denying Salah with a fingertipped effort that took the ball across the publish.
Cody Gakpo thought he had doubled the lead when he fired house a rebound from a kind of Trafford saves however referee Paul Tierney dominated Nunez had fouled Charlie Taylor.
Liverpool continued to place Burnley below stress and Elliott and Ryan Gravenberch mixed brilliantly to permit Elliott to attain. Nonetheless, a VAR evaluation was known as as Salah was deemed to be in Trafford’s eye-line and Tierney dominated it out.
That was Burnley’s cue to consider they’d a comeback in them.
Gudmundsson wasted their finest probability when planting a far-post free header over a half-empty purpose, though fellow substitute Jacob Bruun Larsen additionally ought to have accomplished higher when Endo handed straight to him 30 yards out.
Liverpool lastly made the sport protected when Jota fired house an angled shot within the ninetieth minute – a outcome that leaves Burnley 5 factors adrift of security and Klopp’s males high of the pile, for now.
Klopp: Gamers can now have two days off
Jurgen Klopp chatting with Amazon Prime:
“We created a lot of chances recently and didn’t use an awful lot of them. But in the end it’s all about performing. It’s the fourth game in 10 days and whatever the body is doing, how you lose focus, you’re not as precise anymore, you just have to get through it. We got through it and now we have five days until the next game and it feels like we should go on holiday. The boys have two days off. I told them before the game if we win we have two days off – I saw my two days off slipping through my fingers!”
Opta stats: Klopp containers intelligent
- Underneath Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool have received all six of their Premier League video games on Boxing Day, the outright most by a supervisor with a 100% win charge on at the present time within the competitors’s historical past.
- Burnley are the primary facet in English top-flight historical past to lose as many as 9 of their opening 10 house matches of a season.
- Nunez scored his twenty third purpose for Liverpool in all competitions, however the first to return from outdoors the field. Certainly, earlier than immediately, every of his final 40 targets in membership soccer had been from contained in the penalty space, together with his earlier purpose from outdoors the field being for Benfica towards Sporting da Covilhã in December 2021.
What’s subsequent?
Burnley’s subsequent sport is at Aston Villa on Saturday; kick-off 3pm.
The Clarets then journey to Tottenham within the FA Cup third spherical on Friday January 5; kick-off 8pm.
Liverpool are subsequent in motion on New Yr’s Day once they host Newcastle, dwell on Monday Evening Soccer; kick-off 8pm.
Jurgen Klopp’s facet then head south to face Arsenal within the FA Cup third spherical on Sunday January 7; kick-off 4.30pm.