Liverpool have gone two points clear at the top of the Premier League table after beating Burnley 2-0 at Turf Moor on Boxing Day.
Jurgen Klopp’s title chasers needed just six minutes to open the scoring, as Darwin Nunez found the net. The visitors dominated most of the game after that but struggled to find a second goal until Diogo Jota came off the bench and made the difference.
The pressure is now on Arsenal, who can regain top spot by beating West Ham at the Emirates on Thursday. As for Vincent Kompany’s struggling Burnley, they remain five points from safety in 19th. Here are the main talking points from Turf Moor…
Nunez finally ends drought
Nunez joined Liverpool from Benfica in a huge £85million transfer 18 months ago. But after scoring just nine Premier League goals during his debut season on Merseyside, he’s under huge pressure to vindicate his price tag. It’s been another tough season for the Uruguay international, who had gone nearly two months without a league goal.
That run was ended on Boxing Day. Nunez finally scored after playing a nice one-two with Cody Gakpo down the left. The 24-year-old striker then took up a good position on the edge of the box before curling an effort into the bottom corner. A moment of real quality.
Liverpool show title credentials
Liverpool should’ve doubled their lead moments later when Nunez found Mohamed Salah in the middle of the box. Salah had to take the chance first time, but goalkeeper James Trafford was equally as instinctive – producing a superb save to tip the ball over.
Burnley had the odd chance, but the visitors dominated the first half. Gakpo skewed a golden effort just wide after being played through on goal by a trademark Trent Alexander-Arnold ball before finding the net with a classic poacher’s goal. The Dutchman’s effort was disallowed thanks to a foul by Nunez on Charlie Taylor in the build-up.
Salah was the next Liverpool player to have a brilliant chance, but he could only find Trafford’s bar with a thunderous strike. Liverpool had 17 touches in Burnley’s box during the first 32 minutes, with the hosts taking the same amount of time to record just one.
VAR delays Liverpool
Liverpool remained in control of the game after the break. Harvey Elliott found the net when Ryan Gravenberch squared the ball to him in the middle of the box, but Salah was blocking Trafford’s view from an offside position. VAR chalked off the goal.
That decision gave Burnley a bit of momentum. They went up the other end and almost scored from a corner. Dara O’Shea’s flick on deflected off Nunez and looped agonisingly over Alisson’s bar. Sander Berge pulled a low strike just wide moments later.
Klopp forced into action
Burnley’s best spell of the match encouraged Klopp to bring on Curtis Jones, Luis Diaz and Dominik Szoboszlai in a triple switch. Yet the hosts continued to push for an equaliser, with Johann Berg Gudmundsson heading a brilliant opportunity just over the bar.
Szoboszlai then missed a sitter. Jones headed Alexander-Arnold’s delivery back across the six-yard box, but the Hungary captain couldn’t adjust himself to score a tap in. Despite Szoboszlai’s miss, Klopp’s changes helped Liverpool regain control of the game.
Jota scores on return
A lot of Premier League fans wouldn’t have heard of Wilson Odobert before this game, but the French winger’s performance against Liverpool didn’t go unnoticed. Odobert, 19, caused plenty of problems and was undoubtedly Burnley’s biggest threat at Turf Moor.
Jacob Bruun Larsen had a great chance to equalise for the hosts when Wataru Endo’s sloppy pass was cut out, but it wasn’t taken. Liverpool needed a moment of quality to secure the points, as Jota scored from a narrow angle on his return from injury. The Portuguese forward will surely play a huge role in the title race… if he stays fit.
