Scoring late goals had become a bit of a habit for Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool over the previous two seasons, giving them the edge in matches that were closely-fought.
Last season, the examples were plentiful, with the late winner away at Aston Villa perhaps one of the most memorable moments of the entire campaign.
But even the season before that they were netting late winners with regularity too, managing six even before the end of November 2019.
With those winners not only came the extra two points that are the difference between a draw and victory, but also the feeling among opponents that even if they were level, there was every chance Liverpool would find a way to get themselves over the line.
In 2020/21 so far, though, Leeds United, West Ham and Tottenham are the only real examples of late goals winning Liverpool matches, a feeling made only even more apparent after a Premier League run of three draws and a defeat.
Only Brighton with eight have drawn more league games than Liverpool’s seven this season; while the Reds have only lost twice, that is where their frustrations have come.
And so a solution is needed - and fast.
"I think Liverpool will be better served, at least on Thursday, taking one of Sadio Mane or Mohamed Salah out of the starting line-up and introducing them with a minimum of 55 gone," said Dan Morgan on the Liverpool.com podcast.
"This is a Liverpool team who, most probably because of the calendar, are putting a lot into the opening half an hour of their games.
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"Within this run that they have been having, teams feel if they can weather the storm for the first 30, they back themselves to take whatever they have at that point, be it a draw or, like Southampton, a win.
"So I think Liverpool could massively benefit from holding back Mane or Salah for that final half an hour to inject some energy and impetus and pace to win a game from late.
"Second half goals have felt hard to come by and if there is one thing Liverpool have to solve, it is how to get through the last 15 or 20 and find a win to win a game late on.
"For me, starting without one of those two might be the way to do it."
It would be a bold move from Klopp to employ such a tactic - and would raise inevitable questions about whether one of his star men had been ‘dropped’.
But against a Burnley side typically tough to break down, the element of surprise could be a useful tool to turn to.
Without options in midfield, caused by the injuries in defence, and in the absence of Diogo Jota with his knee problem, Liverpool have become slightly predictable.
Throwing in a change to the starting XI like this one would at least be an attempt to change things up, giving tired Burnley legs something to think about as the game wears on.
