For a long time now, every game has felt like Liverpool’s biggest game in 29 years — and this is no different.
Manchester City’s win against Watford yesterday wasn’t without its moments of controversy but the end result was the same: Pep Guardiola’s side turned the screw in this back-and-forth Premier League title race and moved four points clear at the top, asking the question of Liverpool: what have you got?
Jurgen Klopp instructed Reds fans to be early to bed last night because it’s a lunchtime kick-off at Anfield today for the visit of Burnley.
We’ll have the team news now in a moment.
TEAM NEWS: Two changes for Liverpool following’s last weekend’s Merseyside derby draw; Adam Lallana and Roberto Firmino start in place of Jordan Henderson and Divock Origi.
Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Matip, van Dijk, Robertson, Wijnaldum, Fabinho, Lallana, Salah, Firmino, Mane.
TEAM NEWS: Sean Dyche leaves things as they were — an unchanged Burnley side from that which lost to Crystal Palace last Saturday.
Burnley: Heaton, Bardsley, Tarkowski, Mee, Taylor, Hendrick, Cork, Westwood, McNeil, Barnes, Wood.
You’ll Never Walk Along rings out around Anfield as kick-off approaches. Andre Marriner will be the man in the middle when it all gets underway.
KICK OFF: We’re underway with Liverpool playing into the Anfield Road end in this first half.
Burnley are going to set up in a traditional 4-4-2 with Wood and Barnes up top, so it could be another one of those days where Liverpool need to be patient — and need their front three to be at their incisive best.
There were strong winds swirling around Anfield earlier today but on the pitch, it appears to be relatively calm for now at least — much to Jurgen Klopp’s delight, no doubt.
Firmino tries to hook the ball through to Wijnaldum, who was ready to nip in behind the Burnley defence, but Mee steps across and intercepts.
Lallana gets involved down the left and puts over a cross, but Heaton is able to come and claim easily inside his six-yard box.
GOAL FOR BURNLEY! Liverpool 0-1 Burnley (Westwood, 6′)
Burnley score straight from a corner! Incredible start at Anfield as Ashley Westwood curls a perfectly-flighted corner that evades absolutely everyone and ends up in the back of the net.
Should it have stood though? The penalty area was packed and Alisson couldn’t get near it — and the replays show that James Tarkowski clearly impeded the goalkeeper with an arm across his back.
The Liverpool keeper appeals furiously for the foul, and is booked in the process, but the officials are having none of it. The goal stands! Burnley lead!
Further replays of Burnley’s opener confirm that Liverpool have a right to feel aggrieved — but there’s no VAR here, and no avenue to appeal it. They’ll have to right the wrong on the pitch themselves.
CHANCE! Roberto Firmino turns back inside on the edge of the box and fires a shot through Tarkowski’s legs. It clips the Burnley defender’s legs and skews up and over Heaton’s bar for a corner. The deflection took a bit of the sting out out it.
Shout for handball in the Burnley area — nothing given.
Another half-chance for Liverpool as Mane heads Alexander-Arnold’s cross harmlessly over.
GOAL FOR LIVERPOOL! Liverpool 1-1 Burnley (Firmino, 19′)
Anfield erupts in what’s as much a massive sigh of relief as it is a roar of celebration — and Liverpool are back on level terms thanks to a combination of lovely play from Lallana and Salah, and equally, a howler from Tom Heaton.
Lallana rakes a lovely crossfield ball to Salah out on the right wing and he drills a low ball into the box. Heaton should deal with it comfortably as he goes down but flubs it, and it nicks off Tarkowski before rolling to Firmino two yards out in front of an open goal to do the necessary.
As a sleety snow starts to fall across Anfield, Alexander-Arnold chances his arm from 25 yards out but he can’t hit the target.
GOAL FOR LIVERPOOL! Liverpool 2-1 Burnley (Mané, 29′)
Liverpool lead – Mané with an instinctive, first-touch finish that left Heaton with no chance!
Burnley dawdle instead of clearing their lines and they’re punished. Full credit to Adam Lallana who puts in a strong tackle on the edge of the box to regain possession. It falls to Salah but before he can pull the trigger, Charlie Taylor slides in with a fine tackle — but, unfortunately, it falls to Mané who curls it past the helpless Heaton.
Jeff Hendrick takes a touch and sizes up an effort from about 20 yards out but it hits Chris Wood and goes behind for a Liverpool goal kick.
Alexander-Arnold has plenty of red shirts in the box to pick out, and all day to do it, but overhits his cross badly and it drifts harmlessly wide.
Brilliant hassling from Firmino who refuses to give up and eventually wins back possession for Liverpool, which leads to a free when Alexander-Arnold is fouled. Chance to whip a cross into the box here.
Another poor delivery from Alexander-Arnold but, in his defence, the wind has picked up something fierce in the last three or four minutes.
Nice link play between Lallana and Wijnaldum, and the latter crosses into the six-yard box. Robertson is in a good position but it’s a couple of inches too high and he can’t make any contact.
Chance for Burnley to work Alisson as we approach half time but both Wood and Barnes go early as Westwood delivers a free-kick, and both are about half a yard offside.
Three additional minutes here to end the first half.
HALF TIME: Liverpool 2-1 Burnley
SECOND HALF: The sun is back out again at Anfield – for now – as the second half gets underway.
Burnley finished the first half on the front foot, and have started the second in a similar vein — playing a bit of football in Liverpool’s third of the pitch but not finding a way to carve out any real opportunities.
Space opens up for Ashley Barnes in front of the Liverpool back four and he strides forward before trying to play in Chris Wood. Virgil van Dijk stretches out a toe to nullify the danger.
Barnes and van Dijk both involved again and this time, the Dutch defender gets his body position spot on and just leans across Barnes to stop him from getting a shot in on goal. Barnes goes down in the box but there’s nothing worth considering for Andre Marriner.
SALAH! One of those trademark efforts where he comes off the right wing onto his left foot and curls it towards the top corner. Just too high though.
CHANCE! Mane drives through the middle at Burnley and it’s great running by Firmino to get up on his shoulder and then pass him on the outside. He tries to pick out Salah in the middle but his low cross drifts in the wind and floats behind for a goal kick.
Great close control from Salah as he jinks his way into the box, but eventually runs out of space and Charlie Taylor gets in the way to block his cross behind for a corner.
Lallana sends Dwight McNeil down to the shops with a brilliant dummy but the Burnley area is crowded and Liverpool can’t make Heaton work.
Lovely hanging cross from McNeil after beating Alexander-Arnold down the win but it’s just out of reach for the Burnley cavalry as they arrive in the box.
Salah – Mané – Salah… but the final pass is just a touch heavy and Mané can’t get around Tarkowski to get on the end of it in the Burnley area.
Alisson hasn’t had a huge amount of meaningful chances to deal with, but that doesn’t mean that Burnley are out of this yet – not by a long shot. McNeil, in particular, is looking dangerous down the right and, in the last 10 minutes at least, is getting the better of his battle with Alexander-Arnold.
GOAL FOR LIVERPOOL! Liverpool 3-1 Burnley (Firmino, 67′)
Roberto Firmino is in the right place at the right time, and Liverpool have a bit of a cushion that they’ll hope will see them through these final 25 minutes.
It’s another tap-in finish for the Brazilian, and Mo Salah owes his team-mate a spin home from training this week to say thank you. It’s Salah who bears down on the Burnley goal but he hesitates for just a moment and, as he prepares to shoot, Charlie Taylor — who has been desperately unlucky today — pulls off another perfect tackle to nick it away from him.
Unfortunately for Taylor, and for Burnley, he also nicks it past Heaton and Firmino rolls in his second of the afternoon.
Liverpool makes the first change amid the celebrations as Henderson comes on to replace Wijnaldum.
A moment or two later, Fabinho is booked for a late tackle on Barnes.
Mané’s shot strikes Charlie Taylor on the arm and goes behind for a corner.
Seen ‘em given (by VAR).
Second change for Liverpool as Keita comes in place of Lallana. There were no shortage of rolled eyes when Lallana was named in the starting XI today but he’s been one of Liverpool’s better performers today — and instrumental in the second goal as well.
Double sub for Burnley and most notably, there’s a nice cheer that greets the introduction of Peter Crouch on his return to Anfield; he’s on for Wood. Gudmundsson for Hendrick is the other change.
WHAT A CHANCE! Should be 4-1 to Liverpool but Mané has somehow managed to put the ball over from a couple of yards out. It’s a brilliant low cross from Alexander-Arnold, and both Mané and Robertson are in the middle, but as Mané stretches to turn it in, the ball catches his studs and bobbles onto the bar. He was at full stretch but it still would have been easier to score.
Smashing diving block by Phil Bardsley who puts his body on the line to stop what was shaping up to be a Robertson thunderbolt.
Final Liverpool change as Daniel Sturridge comes on to replace Alexander-Arnold. Henderson will slot in at right full for the remainder.
Heaton turns Salah’s shot behind for a corner as Liverpool keep pressing in search of their fourth.
We’re into the first of three additional minutes here.
GOAL FOR BURNLEY! Liverpool 3-2 Burnley (Gudmundsson, 90+1′)
Hang on a second – this isn’t over yet. It’s the substitute, Gudmundsson, who has given Burnley late hope in a game that looked to be all wrapped up. Brilliant play on two separate occasions from Matej Vydra, who is only on the pitch a couple of minutes, and Gudmundsson sweeps the ball past Alisson.
There’s still time…
Still two minutes to play here. A nervy finale at Anfield.
Adam Lallana is the BT Sports man of the match, as chosen by Steve McManaman.
Burnley on the front foot again…
McNeil crosses… but Alisson comes and takes it. A bit of a stumble but he takes it.
GOAL FOR LIVERPOOL! Liverpool 4-2 Burnley (Mané, 90+3′)
And Anfield can breathe again! It’s a second for Sadio Mané, three points for Liverpool, and the gap to Manchester City will be cut to the bare minimum again.
Daniel Sturridge plays the ball through, Mané rounds Heaton on the edge of the box, steadies himself, and rolls the ball into the empty net.
FULL TIME: Liverpool 4-2 Burnley
And so after Manchester City upped the ante yesterday, Liverpool respond in kind, and stay hot on their rivals’ heels.
It wasn’t a perfect performance — the unpredictable conditions didn’t really allow for that, for either side — but with 23 shots on goal, Liverpool made more than enough chances, and took enough of them, to make sure of all three points.
Now all eyes turn to Wednesday night with their Champions League tie against Bayern Munich balanced on a knife edge.
They’re coming thick and fast.
That’s all from us for now but thanks for reading.
