That’s it for today’s blog. I’ll leave you with Paul Wilson’s match report from Turf Moor. Bye!
And here’s Virgil van Dijk
“It’s a big achievement [winning 13 league games in a row], but we have nothing to show for it yet. All we can do is keep going. We know how tough it is. We knew it would be tough today; Burnley away is difficult for any team and I think we dealt with it professionally.
“We prepared very well. We trained in the week on exactly how they would play; luckily we have Divock Origi, who could help us prepare.”
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Trent Alexander-Arnold speaks
“We got a bit of luck with the deflection but a goal’s a goal so none of us will complain. I’m not fussed about it being an own goal rather than my goal; it’s all about the team. We got a clean sheet which is the most important thing for us barring the win. We defended the long balls unbelievably.”
Still want more? Bet you do.
“Comfortably the best Liverpool side of the last three decades,” says Paul Griffin. “I’m not even sure whether Torben Piechnik and Istvan Kozma would get in this team.”
Full time: Burnley 0-3 Liverpool
Peep peep! Liverpool go back to the top of the table - and set a new club record with their 13th consecutive league win. They are a truly great side, and if it wasn’t for Manchester City they would be champions already.
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90+1 min “Love Salah though I do, one day his selfishness is going to cost us,” says Tomo Barneby. “Firmino and Mane would have both got another goal if he’d passed rather than shooting when badly placed. Mane’s now sitting on the bench fuming. Appreciate strikers need to be selfish, but the other two aren’t at all. Long term it could well be a problem.”
He wasn’t always this selfish, was he? It seems, at least from afar, that he changed after that amazing first season, probably because he’s desperate to repeat it.
90 min In the first of three added minutes, Wijnaldum runs onto Salah’s through pass and tries to go round Pope, who dives to his right to claim the ball.
89 min Rodriguez almost dirties Liverpool’s sheet in the last couple of minutes. He moved into the area and went around Adrian, who did well to spread himself and block the eventual shot. He’ll be desperate for a first clean sheet as Liverpool goalkeeper.
87 min Last season Liverpool finished second with 97 points. It wouldn’t surprise me if somebody reaches 100 points without winning the league this season. They and Manchester City are a million miles ahead of the rest.
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85 min Crikey, Mane is absolutely fuming about something. He has just been subbed, along with Firmino, with Origi and Shaqiri replacing them. He’s ranting and raving on the bench, possibly about Salah’s non-pass a moment ago. For all his brilliance, Salah is one of the most selfish footballers I’ve ever seen. Of course, that selfishness often informs his brilliance as well.
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84 min “What gave me the idea,” says James Russell. “I’m sure you can read explain please.”
Please don’t be weird, James. It’s just a game of football.
83 min Salah is denied a goal by a brilliant tackle from Pieters. He should have given the goal to Mane but tried to go it alone, and he would have scored but for that pesky Dutchman.
82 min “You’re definitely right about that 30-year span,” says Hubert O’Hearn. “I think the real key game was the absolute destruction of Barcelona. That was the match that gave the squad the swagger and belief to match the talent. Certainly helped my poor old nerves. I haven’t worried about a match since, and I am NOT nostalgic for days of nail chewing!”
Roberto Firmino secures a record 13th consecutive league win for Liverpool with a fine finish. He curled a long pass to Salah, who wriggled away from two defenders on the edge of the box. He overran the ball slightly, but Firmino was backing up the play and he cracked an empathic, first-time shot into the bottom corner from 20 yards
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GOAL! Burnley 0-3 Liverpool (Firmino 80)
It’s there!
79 min Oxlade-Chamberlain’s rising shot is well held by Pope.
76 min Wood puts Rodriguez through on goal, but he’s miles offside and Adrian saves anyway.
75 min The game was quite tight until that freakish opening goal, but since then Liverpool have been cruising towards victory.
74 min “MBM earlier described Manchester City as boring,” says James Russell. “In a similar display of authority Liverpool are eulogised as the best Liverpool team in the last 30 years. I thought the Guardian was about independent unbiased coverage not an agenda?”
I don’t know what gave you that idea. The Manchester Guardian has always had an agenda against Manchester City.
73 min Ashley Barnes is replaced by Jay Rodriguez.
72 min Barnes is fouled on the left wing by Matip. McNeil’s cross is headed over from six yards by Tarkowski, who was put off by the presence of Van Dijk.
71 min Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain replaces Jordan Henderson.
69 min Westwood’s excellent through ball towards Wood is intercepted by ... Ashley Barnes. He’s had a bad night.
64 min Burnley are hanging on their 2-0 deficit. Firmino’s scissor kick bounces up and is headed behind by Mee. It feels like a third goal is imminent.
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63 min Liverpool have this game completely under control. The authority of their play, especially the way they have quietly disarmed Burnley, has been so impressive. They are, by some distance, the best Liverpool team of the last 30 years.
61 min Mo Salah’s selfishness costs Liverpool a third goal. He ran at the defence, dragging them all over the place before twisting back onto his right foot at the edge of the D. There was a simple, angled pass on, which would have given Firmino a simple chance. Instead Salah chose to Lingard a tame shot straight through to Pope. In his defence, he knew immediately and apologised to Firmino.
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60 min Alexander-Arnold instead guides the free-kick to the edge of the area, where Salah belts a first-time shot that is blocked.
60 min Fabinho is bumped to the ground by Tarkowski, just outside the area on the left wing. Alexander-Arnold might have a shot here.
58 min Salah’s low cross is intercepted by Tarkowski, who tries to run the ball out of the area and is robbed by Firmino. He has a shot blocked, and moments later Salah hits the side netting from a ludicrous angle.
56 min Van Dijk heads the free-kick away. Of course he does.
55 min McNeil twists Alexander-Arnold near the corner flag and is fouled. For all the genius of his crossing, Alexander-Arnold’s one-on-one defending is one of Liverpool’s few weak links.
54 min Barnes is penalised for kneeing Matip in the back while jumping for a high ball.
50 min Nothing much to report. Liverpool look very comfortable, and Mane in particular looks like making something happen every time he gets the ball. He’s such a good player, who doesn’t always get the credit he deserves.
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47 min “Listening to the match on the radio whilst following your MBM (it’s a very busy afternoon in work), and due to the vagaries of listening online you’re about three minutes ahead of Talksport,” says Alexander Lewis. “Thus I’ve read about both goals well before hearing them. Is it normal that on neither occasion did I believe that Liverpool had scored until the commentary caught up? How long do Liverpool have to be good before I lose the fear that you’re just having a laugh, and Burnley are really 3-0 up?”
It’s all a big Truman Show. Wait till you find out what really happened against Spurs in Madrid.
46 min Peep peep!
Half-time reading
Half time: Burnley 0-2 Liverpool
Peep peep! Liverpool are well on their way to setting a new club record of 13 consecutive league wins. Chris Wood’s freakish own goal was followed by a clinical second from Sadio Mane; and though Burnley have worked like beasts, Liverpool have kept them at arms length with the minimum of fuss. See you in 10 minutes for the second half.
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45 min Barnes drags a tame shot wide from 22 yards.
43 min Ashley Barnes is having a stinker. It doesn’t help that he’s up against van Dijk, but he has struggled to hold the ball up all night. Now he has a half chance after combining with Wood, but spanks it high over the bar from the edge of the area.
42 min “Scratch that,” says Seth Wheeler. “Still class though.”
41 min “Trent meant it,” says Seth Wheeler. “He shook his leg forward at the contact rather than wrapping it round. Pure class.”
Did he mean the deflection as well?
40 min That quick one-two has flattened Burnley, who would have been pretty happy with their defensive performance in the first half hour.
38 min “What history between Liverpool and Burnley?” says Callum Macauley. “All that springs to mind is Joe Gomez’s injury/Henderson’s red card.”
Exactly.
That was Liverpool at their most ruthless. Ben Mee played a dreadful pass straight to Firmino, just inside the Burnley half. He ran 25 yards, drawing defenders towards him all the while, and then eased the ball to his left to find the overlapping Mane. He opened his body to steer a precise low shot into the far corner with his right foot. Brilliant finish.
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GOAL! Burnley 0-2 Liverpool (Mane 37)
Lovely goal!
36 min Replays show that Alexander-Arnold’s cross took a deflection off Wood, so it will, to the disgust of Fantasy Football folk everywhere, go down as an own-goal.
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Alexander-Arnold played the ball down the right to Henderson and made himself available for the return. When it came he tried to whip a trademark first-time cross to the far post. But it didn’t curl as expected and, with Pope stranded, the ball dropped into the far side of the net.
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GOAL! Burnley 0-1 Liverpool (Alexander-Arnold 33)
Trent Alexander-Arnold scores with a mishit cross!
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30 min Barnes, not for the last time tonight, walks into Liverpool’s offside trap. They have dealt with Barnes and Wood very efficiently so far.
28 min “Yes, as you say, there is a little bit of history,” says Matt Dony. “But, frankly, Burnley should just be thankful for the chance to watch Officially The Best Footballer In Europe.”
27 min Lennon’s dangerous cross is put over his own bar by Alexander-Arnold, who was in the six-yard box and facing his own goal. Van Dijk heads the corner clear.
27 min Liverpool are turning the screw, literally.
26 min “Just for the record, Liverpool only need to win 34 of their remaining 35 fixtures,” says Phil Grey. “They can afford to lose one of the games against Man City. So plenty of room for error between now and May...”
25 min Alexander-Arnold waves a lovely pass across to Mane on the left side of the area. He moves back onto his right foot and hits a shot that deflects wide off a defender.
23 min Replays show that Pope got a slight but decisive touch when Salah hit the post early on. It was a brilliant save, especially as he was originally set for a curler towards the other corner.
21 min: Salah misses by a whisker! After a Burnley interception on the edge of the area, Henderson opened his body to steer an ingenious first-time pass over the defence and put Salah through on goal. His first touch was slightly heavy, which allowed Pope to charge from his line and try to smother a possible shot. In doing so he knocked the ball against Salah and it ricocheted a fraction wide of the far post.
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19 min Jurgen Klopp is unhappy with a couple of Burnley fans. He complains to the fourth official and then gives a sarcastic thumbs up in their direction. I’ve no idea what that’s about.
18 min Burnley have already wasted a few set-pieces, which will irritate Sean Dyche.
17 min Not much happening at the moment. It’s a frantic game, even by Premier League standards.
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14 min Henderson’s driven, angled cross is just too high for Mane in the centre; Lowton heads it clear.
11 min McNeil’s inswinger is punched away unconvincingly by Adrian and headed further away by Fabinho.
10 min McNeil swerves around Alexander-Arnold, charges down the left and wins a corner off the recovering Alexander-Arnold. Van Dijk heads behind for another corner, this time on the right...
8 min That was a lovely effort from Salah, because he shaped to go across goal - as he usually does from that position - and then whipped a shot towards the near post that took Pope by surprise.
7 min Apart from that chance for Wood, this has been a very impressive start from Liverpool. There is so much speed and authority in their play.
5 min: Salah hits the post! This has been a cracking start. Mane played a short pass to the right of the area for Salah, who sidefooted a rising, first-time shot that beat Pope and clattered off the near post.
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2 min: Good save from Adrian! Burnley almost stunned Liverpool after 80 seconds. Wood ran onto a long, straight pass from Tarkowski, turned inside van Dijk and tried to place the ball into the far corner with his left foot. Adrian plunged to his right to push it away.
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1 min A flying start from Liverpool. Robertson’s cross is cleared as Fabinho, who thrashes over the bar from 30 yards.
1 min Peep peep! Liverpool, in their black change strip, get the match under way. Burnley are in claret and blue.
The players are ready for action. There’s a bit of history between these sides, and I’m not just talking about the 0-0 draw in December 1920, so this could be lively.
Sheffield United have come from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 against Chelsea. That must feel especially sweet for the supporters who were at Stamford Bridge when United were dramatically relegated from the Premier League 25 years ago.
Pre-match business
Team news
Burnley (4-4-2) Pope; Lowton, Tarkowski, Mee, Pieters; Lennon, Cork, Westwood, McNeil; Barnes, Wood.
Substitutes: Hart, Taylor, Long, Drinkwater, Hendrick, Rodriguez, Vydra.
Liverpool (4-3-3) Adrian; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Fabinho, Wijnaldum; Salah, Firmino, Mane.
Substitutes: Kelleher, Gomez, Milner, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Lallana, Shaqiri, Origi.
Referee Chris Kavanagh.
Preamble
Hello. It really is very simple: if Liverpool win their remaining 35 league games, they will be champions for the first time since 1990. Seriously, though, if they want to finish above Manchester City they will probably need to win at least 30 matches, so games like this become close to a must-win - even at the end of August.
Winning has become a happy habit for Liverpool. This is probably the most joyous time to be a Liverpool supporter since April 1988, and victory tonight would set a new club record of 13 consecutive league wins.
With the scorching form of their front three, few would bet against them. Jurgen Klopp would quite like a first clean sheet of the season. But the main thing is that his team get three points.
Kick off is at 5.30pm.
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