Liverpool Article 13 Feb 2024
Liverpool v Burnley
Putting aside the result, though that is the important thing after all, there is a lot to be disappointed about in this match from a Liverpool point of view. For starters, the Anfield crowd was incredibly subdued, despite this being the Klopp farewell tour. Klopp deserves a better send off than that! This is a team fighting on all fronts still, with four trophies still up for grabs and yet the fans did nothing to roar them on. This is a big piece of history taking place in front of their eyes, they can be the difference when the team is struggling.
And, make no bones about it, at points in this game Liverpool really were struggling. It seems to be a common theme this season, start slowly with a lack of intensity and it becomes a real struggle to get the right result. How much of that was down to the flu bug that had swept through the camp and forced Klopp to make a lot more changes to the team than I am sure he would have liked to make, is difficult to judge. It certainly seemed like a lot of the players seemed a bit listless and struggling for energy at times, though that could have just been down to the lack of intensity in the team play. For me, that was not helped by the centre-back pairing, who are very similar, very laidback, almost lackadaisical at times. They set the tone for the slow, laboured play by rolling the ball about at the back at times, allowing Burnley to apply the press. This is when Henderson is missed, to give them a rollicking and wake them up. It is good, most of the time, having that calmness at the back, and both defenders are certainly good enough, singly and as a pairing, but when the opposition is pressing them, they need to look to move the ball more quickly.
That was the biggest problem, Liverpool created all their own problems, again, by allowing the opposition to press them, playing the ball around far too slowly and inviting more pressure on. The performance did improve in the second half and the team did enough to win the game without having to play well, which is hopefully a good sign. They will need to be better if the season is to be the success Klopp deserves to enjoy in his final season with the Reds. As Arsenal showed, a lack of intensity will be punished by the better teams in the Premier League. Burnley are not one of those though, so this performance was more than enough to beat them.
Burnley look a much better team going forward than they were earlier in the season, the addition of Fofana, in particular, has given them some threat up top at last. That is a relative term as they are still not that good. However, they are still causing their own problems at the back and, in Trafford, have a very poor goalkeeper who folds under pressure of any sort. Any time there is the slightest pressure on him when the ball is at his feet Trafford shanks the ball into touch and concedes possession. For a team that wants to play possession football and build from the back, having a goalkeeper that is unable to handle being pressed is unforgivable. He is a massively weak link, despite his ridiculously arrogant proclamations about himself and what a big, important player he is.
Burnley, and Kompany, are just out of their depth right now in the Premier League. It is not just the way they play, nor just a lack of quality, they also lack experience and there is no tactical knowhow on the bench to change things mid-game. I was going to say when needed, but they always need to make changes, so it seemed superflous! Their hopes of staying up are fading fast, and they were almost non-existent to begin with.
Quick notes on the players:
Kelleher - a good game for the Irish keeper, quick to come out when needed, but he was aided by Burnley's inability to hit the target regularly to really test him. His calmness on the ball was important to the performance though.
Alexander-Arnold - once again he looked to be playing before he was ready. Looked so far off full fitness, but he still managed to provide an assist to set a new all-time Premier League assist record for defenders. Even half-fit he can be a real problem for the opposition to deal with, though it did mean he struggled on the defensive end himself. He was taken off at half-time as an injury precaution after feeling an issue with his previously injured knee.
Quansah - needed to be a bit more lively on the ball early on, but overall he had a good game. Showed good reading of the game at times to mop up before danger could truly threaten.
van Dijk - like Quansah he was a bit slow at moving the ball in the early stages and invited pressure on the team. Needs to start the game at a higher tempo to draw the sting out of the opposition press.
Robertson - did alright in the first half, but was a bit subdued holding himself back from making his usual charges forward so that Alexander-Arnold could invert. His game picked up massively in the second half as he had more freedom to bomb down the wings. He was a constant threat in the second half and gave the Burnley team no end of problems.
Endo - improved as the game went on, initially seemed to struggle to get to grips with the pace of the game after his time away with his national team. In the second half he was one of the key players for Liverpool.
Jones - he was probably the best of the trio in midfield in the first half, though that is not a particularly high bar to compare against. Moving to right-back for the second half and it is telling that Burnley barely troubled him.
Mac Allister - struggled, despite playing in the position that is probably his best. Though he did improve as the second half went on. I might be wrong, but I cannot recall him playing this role during the season itself, so it is little surprise he was unable to be as effective as he had been playing in the deeper role. I am sure that, just like he did in the deeper role, he will come onto a game as he keeps playing there.
Diaz - was Liverpool's standout in the first half but faded a little in the second. Though it is probably more that the rest raised their games up to a similar level to him, rather than him fading. He was very much a threat throughout and fully deserved a goal.
Nunez - good finish for his goal and once again he was causing the opposition so many headaches throughout the game, but particularly in the second half. It is not so much about him getting or taking chances, it is his workrate, his movement, his constant pressure on the defence not allowing them a moment to rest. It is little wonder Liverpool score so many late goals when opposing defences are worn out by the chasing he gives them. Like Firmino before him, Nunez is more than just a focal point for the attack, and it is no coincidence that the team looks much more threatening when he plays.
Jota - he could have done with more service, plus he does need to stop going down too easily, but overall he had a good game. He worked hard and caused a lot of issues for Burnley, even when they had the ball he was not allowing them time and space.
Elliott - replaced Alexander-Arnold at half-time. He was given MOTM by the Liverpool official site and it is difficult to argue with that. Once again he stepped up and was the catalyst for a much improved second half performance. Gave Jones at right-back a lot of protection as well.
Gakpo - came on for Diaz in the 82nd minute. Arrived too late to really make a mark.
McConnell - took the place of Endo in the 90+6th minute.
Clark - also brought on in the 90+6th minute to replace Mac Allister.
Tsimikas - the third member of the triple substitution in the 90+6th minute, taking the place of Robertson.
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26 Jan 2024 11:37:57
Pep Guardiola to Liverpool? City will likely be getting relegated and Pep will be on the market. He has massive respect for Liverpool and it would rock worldwide football.
30 Jan 2024 20:57:17
Will never happen. 1) man city will buy their way out of any severe punishment, and 2) Pep wouldn't come to Liverpool as he won't have 2 billion quid to spend each window.
08 Jan 2024 12:06:07
The mbappe thing doesn't seem believable but I would absolutely love to see him in a liverpool shirt. If! an only if! he picked us to play for that would be a humongous statement. We had a 100 million to pay for caiceido that could go towards mbappe. Apparently he has turned down Madrid an is interested in the Premier league.
13 Jan 2024 10:29:51
Can’t see it myself . His agent using Liverpool has a bargaining tool . Thommo ( Phil) reckons he’s a bad egg from what he’s heard.
08 Jan 2024 12:06:07
The mbappe thing doesn't seem believable but I would absolutely love to see him in a liverpool shirt. If! an only if! he picked us to play for that would be a humongous statement. We had a 100 million to pay for caiceido that could go towards mbappe. Apparently he has turned down Madrid an is interested in the Premier league.
07 Jan 2024 18:53:17
Whao! What a game! We were absolutely battered in the first half but hung in there and really stole it in the end!
Somehow, when I saw Ramsdale with a big smile after saving against Diaz, I knew he was going to concede. Don't have anything against the man but I think he lacks the elite mindset of Alisson to be a great keeper, being too eager to congratulate himself. But it's not wrong to smile at his own good work, just glad that we have a much superior GK.
Alisson - what a leader. Saved what he needed to but commanded the area in the absence of VVD. Took full responsibility for the crosses coming in.
TAA - took on the role of captain and did what he needed to. Hell of a ball to cause absolute havoc for the first goal.
Quansah - dealt with all the pressure well. Massive leap I believe to play in an atmosphere like that.
Konate - won all his duels and covered well when the wingers broke through. Thought he defended really well today.
Gomez - defended really well. Just waiting for his first goal from one of those cutting inside after an under or overlapping run.
Mac - thought he was poor actually. Caught on the ball a few times and just didn't look comfortable in the 6 again.
Jones - loved his energy and on the ball quality and thought he did fine when covering 6.
Elliot - full of industry as always and love that he's ever willing to get stuck in.
Nunez - just hope he gets a goal. His all round play creates so many opportunities and his defensive work in the last 10 mins was amazing. Think Klopp got it right by having him and not Jota on the left given his desire and ability to defend.
Gakpo - didn't quite remember much of his involvement except a good run. But I may be dizzying writing this right after the match.
Diaz - what a goal! Prime Mane like. Thought he could have made better runs when 2 v 1 from the ball from Nunez but since he scored such a beauty, that isn't as critical now.
Conor Bradly - how amazing that he came in to strengthen defensively and was able to deal with all the pressure so much. Even found time to play RW in their box for a moment.
Bobby Clark - I don't know much about him but appreciate that he dealt with all that pressure well too.
Gravenberch - wish he can be even more stuck in but at least he didn't wilt. Hope he sees how others are playing and gets more fired up. Was worried when he came on but guess he did ok.
Jota - always a good option to come on. His quick feet, close ball control in and around the box and aerial threat. For him to win the header against their CB was quite a sight, too bad it rattled the crossbar.
The story might have been very different if Arsenal were more clinical. But so proud of the team for dealing with all the pressure and coming out tops at the end. The subs were a little concerning for me in the moment, especially when the teens were coming on but they proved me wrong and dealt with the pressure so well.
Long way to go but Quadruple anyone?
Liverpool Article 04 Jan 2024
Liverpool v Newcastle United
Once again an excellent team performance as Liverpool's return to the high intensity pressing style that Klopp brought with him is showing its value. The laboured build ups and willingness to play slow, patient football has gone. The fast-paced, in-your-face, all-out attack is back and Liverpool look so much better for it. The aftermath left me with one main question, how did Liverpool only score 4? That could have been a cricket score. It was an incredibly dominating, destructive performance that fully deserved a bigger scoreline. In fact a much bigger scoreline, as it was a completely one-sided contest that must have increased the question marks surrounding Eddie Howe's future as Newcastle's head coach. To give an idea of how many more Liverpool should have scored, they had reached 28 shots by the 70th minute, 11 of those hitting the target.
It is disappointing that this win has somehow become controversial, because of the award of a couple of penalties, particularly the second one. The first is one that is a penalty according to the laws of the game, though often referees will not give a decision. The second one is harder to call. Jota took an age to go down. What is odd is that he had gone round the keeper so had an empty net, pretty much, to slot the ball into but went down anyway. If Jota had been English, I have no doubt the controversy being stoked in the media would be non-existent, while the pundits would have been talking about how 'clever' Jota was to go down. For me, I am just not sure if he simply dived or if he had been given enough contact that he was knocked off his stride and so would not have got to the ball. Either way, for me, I just wish he had tried to stay on his feet and put the issue beyond doubt by slotting the ball home. If he was unbalanced and failed to score, so be it, but at least try and stay on your feet please. It is frustrating to have this overshadow what was such a good performance, when it was such a needless moment. It is especially frustrating when the keeper came out in his post-match interview and admitted that he did catch Jota and decision to give a penalty was correct, which seems to be being ignored by the media.
What I also struggle to understand is why the controversy seems to surround how lucky Liverpool were and how they were given a helping hand. How is that the story when Newcastle had Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton hauling people down, kicking legs out from under Liverpool players breaking on the Toon with impunity? It is astonishing that at the end of the game Liverpool ended up with more yellows than Newcastle when those two alone deserved more yellows than the entire Liverpool team in the last 3 matches they have played! I have no idea how either of them stayed on the pitch when they were repeatedly guilty of yellow card offences right in front of the referee. The officials were certainly not intent on giving Liverpool a helping hand or both of those players would have taken an early bath in the first half. Actually, even if the referee had been fair and even handed, the pair of them should not have finished the half.
The refereeing was very poor, he did book Bruno in the first half hour, but then preceded to let him get away with numerous worse fouls after it. He also let Joelinton away with two blatant bookable offences in quick succession, only to then book Diaz for being shoved to the ground. By that point the referee, Anthony Taylor, had completely lost control of the game and was under enormous pressure, mostly as a result of the choice to put him in charge, once more, of a Liverpool game when he is a Mancunian. The PGMOL really should not put him under so much pressure, he is a dreadful referee anyway, but putting him in charge of a Liverpool game is just stupidity. If you had a Pierluigi Collina, that commands respect from everyone due to how good a referee he is, then you can ignore where he comes from. But when you have incompetents like Taylor, it just creates problems for him on top of trying to referee the game. The worrying thing is that such a terrible referee is seen as one of the better ones in the English game, it just makes you wonder about how bad the standard has got.
Eddie Howe has gone big on the penalties, understandable to deflect from what was such a terrible performance, with his team reduced to just kicking anything that moved like a desperate relegation battler trying to even up a clear disparity in quality. Howe would be better served looking at himself and how badly wrong he got his tactics and team selection for the game. There are far too many times you watch his teams play, both with Newcastle and his prior jobs, where his teams seem to be simply a case of putting eleven players on the pitch and hoping they can figure it out for themselves. There seems no plan to deal with opponents, no tactical thought on how to use players to get the most from their abilities. Anthony Gordon is a prime example. He has only two real qualities - pace and the ability to hit a good, hard shot. His passing, crossing and link up play are at best poor, usually they are borderline woeful. But he is being used as a build up player, when it was shown in the summer that he is at his best running in behind and hitting a shot. He was shown to be better in the centre, running in behind, but you can get a similar use out of him in wide areas, putting the ball into spaces behind the defence for him to cut inside using his pace to run onto a ball and shoot. Instead he is used by Howe to stay out wide and usually ends up just gifting the ball back to the opposition.
Instead of complaining about things, while conveniently ignoring how lenient the referee was towards your midfield hackers, Howe would be better served thanking his goalkeeper for keeping the score respectable and figuring out how to do better next time. It must be nearing time for him to be replaced, as right now all the old inadequacies Howe showed at Bournemouth are beginning to rear their ugly head all over again. The defence has become about individuals reacting to situations, rather than an organised defensive unit working together to see out the danger. With Newcastle's recent, comparative, success being built on a solid defensive set up, it is little wonder that cracks are beginning to appear now that the defence is disorganised. Added to that, there are clear disciplinary issues, with a complete collapse in their team discipline in the last ten minutes. There are big problems there that are not going to be fixed by just buying players.
And I really have to wonder how he can not adjust his team to cut out the through ball down the middle, which was played at least three times in the last few minutes, by Mac Allister, Grvenberch and Alexander-Arnold, each time finding their target and creating a good opportunity to score. The first one to Jota ended in the second penalty. You have to question what is going on with the coaches on the sidelines when they are not acting to cut out that easy route to their goal.
Quick notes on the players:
Alisson - I hate to say this, this man singlehandedly saved (literally I guess!) Liverpool's season last season and has been excellent again this season, but I do think he could have done better on Newcastle's first goal. His positioning did look a little off. He has so little work to do these days in games that there is almost no opportunity for him to make up for a mistake.
Alexander-Arnold - had a really good game, defended well, played some lovely passes but it was stopped from being great by his new found tendency to smash the ball over the bar when faced with an open goal! Oh and hitting the bar when trying to put a cross in has to go against him, even if it could have been a great goal. He is getting better in the role he is playing, being more choosy about when to invert and it is helping a lot.
Konate - had a really good game, even managing to frustrate Joelinton into hacking him down to get the booking he had deserved for at least an hour. Admittedly he was not under a lot of pressure most of the game, but what he did have to deal with he did well.
van Dijk - had a sloppy few minutes, should have done much better on Newcastle's first goal and then quickly afterwards his touch was sloppy and it led to him giving away a needless foul. That kept Newcastle in a game they were looking near to capitulating in. He has been having a fantastic season, this just showed he is only human.
Gomez - I just want to see him cut in, shoot and finally score his first goal in professional football. Maybe it is just me but I am finding it is distracting me from watching what he is actually doing as I am looking in hope of there being a gap for him to run in and hit it.
Szoboszlai - started off really well but faded before going off with a hamstring problem in the second half. The amount of ground he has covered this season, a rest will do him good.
Jones - his contribution has been key when he has played this season. He was the one that dropped in to help out alongside Mac Allister after Endo was subbed off. This despite being on the high he must had had after scoring to put Liverpool back into the lead. He is doing the job that Thiago was bought to play, but he is much more suited to playing it in the Premier League. Unfortunately, like Thiago, he has been fragile and that has held him back. Man of the match? Could well have an argument that he was.
Endo - another excellent performance from the Japanese before he heads off to play for his country in the Asian Nations Cup, which was postponed from the summer.
Salah - had a dodgy first half, struggling with his touch and failing to convert a penalty. He changed his boots at half time and came out a different player, and scored two, including the controversial penalty after Jota did what he did. Once again though, he should have scored more.
Diaz - had an exceptional game, roaming around causing havoc and running with the ball, as well as working back and helping to win the ball back. Arguably man of the match.
Nunez - he just needs goals to complete his performances. So much good stuff, but it is being overshadowed by his inability to put the ball in the back of the net right now. I am sure it will come good for him, but it does get more difficult the longer this run goes on.
Gakpo - replaced Diaz in the 64th minute. Really starting to settle in again, scoring and looking really good once more. He is unlucky not be starting more regularly right now, but Salah's break for the AFCON could let him in.
Gravenberch - with Szoboszlai limping off holding his hamstring, Gravenberch was the replacement in the 64th minute. Played one glorious pass through to Salah, but other than that I think the best I could call him was anonymous. And that is being extremely kind. He was almost like playing a man down.
Jota - took Nunez's place, also in the 64th minute. I just do not understand this lad. Moments of brilliance, but also lots of misplaced simple passes and slow to react defensively. But I just cannot get my head around why he went down for the second penalty. There was just no reason to do it with the goal gaping. I do wonder how much his lifestyle affects his performances on the pitch and, most of all, his injury problems. While he is not out on the lash when he should be resting, he does sit up late every night playing FIFA (or should I say EA FC as it is now called?). It is not just that he will be up at 2am playing it that worries me, though it is a worry playing that many hours, it is more that he will be sat down for so many hours doing nothing but playing. Give him his due, he is one of the better players on the game, maybe even good enough to make a go of eSports as a career, but it does need monitoring by the club.
Mac Allister - brought on in the stead of Endo in the 75th minute. Looked really good alongside Jones there, much more confident and comfortable than he was at the beginning of the season, even after the spell out injured. In fact, I would say there seems a real hunger about him to get back playing.
Liverpool Article 29 Dec 2023
Burnley v Liverpool
A good performance just lacking a few more goals, which it fully deserved. Liverpool dominated Burnley from start to finish, in almost certainly the most one-sided game so far this season in the Premier League. Once again match officials took the lustre off the game with their ridiculous decisions. Gakpo's goal should never have been disallowed for a non-existent foul, even after watching multiple replays I have no idea where the foul was. It was quite frankly the wrong decision. In fact, I tried to find a picture of it to use as the display picture for this article, but no one else knew where the foul was either, so there is not one outside of Stockley Park! Elliott's goal, on the other hand, you would not normally complain about it being chalked off, if it was not for the excuses trotted out last time out for the abysmal call on the blatant Odegaard handball. The excuses given for that not being given were that you have to take into account other factors, such as Odegaard slipping, which meant the clear handball was not given. But this time out we are expected to ignore all the other factors, such as that the Burnley keeper was never saving the shot anyway as he was going the wrong way and that Salah was blatantly pushed into the offside position anyway. There is just no consistency or sense behind the decisions being taken.
Putting aside the officials and their bizarre decisions, the football itself was mostly excellent. Liverpool smothered Burnley, gave them no time and space, refusing to let them build up any good possession in a performance that was also notable for the intensity it was played at. It was more like the Klopp team that turned doubters into believers. At least for most of the game. There were times when it was being rolled slowly around the defence, however, for once, that was used as a deliberate ploy to tempt the Clarets to come out and close down higher up the pitch. When they did engage with the defence, it was pinged quickly forward, looking to exploit the gaps left.
What was also interesting about the tactics was how the set up was altered to counter Burnley's defensive system and to make it easier to keep them penned in. The backline was mostly played as a back three, but, surprisingly it was not Gomez who sat back deep. Instead it was Alexander-Arnold who played mainly like a right centre-back, though sometimes he did drift into the centre and Quansah would drift out to the right instead. Gomez was bombing down the left flank, while Gakpo was cutting inside to give him the space to get forward. It worked really well and Burnley had no answer to the questions posed. The one issue from that game was the amount of good chances passed up (admittedly the officials helped on that front), Liverpool should have put that game completely to bed by half-time.
Burnley were very flat in every department, even the atmosphere, with very little coming from them until Elliott's goal was ruled out. At that point you could feel the belief in the crowd and players rise, as they must have thought every was conspiring together to give them a chance to rescue something from an awful performance. Even then, despite them stepping it up a bit and the crowd getting behind them, they really offered very little. It must be said they did not help themselves at all, they were terrible in possession, constantly playing themselves into trouble and turning the ball over. Their goalkeeper, for all the plaudits he was given, is dodgy, one of those spectacular types that makes easy saves look like world beaters when they were almost straight at him. Also he is extremely susceptible to giving the ball away when put under pressure. He is often lauded as being good on the ball, but his passing range is poor, unless he is rolling it 5 yards to a centre-back alongside him, it often goes out of play, particularly if he is being hurried. I am not convinced by him at all and can see why Man City were happy to offload him. His arrogance is astonishing as well, referring to himself as a big name player whole playing in the lower leagues on loan. It is little wonder they are in trouble with him as the bedrock of their team - he is not learning from his mistakes and his positioning is extremely inconsistent.
The biggest problem they have is their head coach, Vincent Kompany. It is hard to understand how they strolled through the Championship last season. He has absolutely no idea how to tweak his tactics to get at opponent's weaknesses, if he even bothers to look for them or figure out what they are. They just play the same way for 90 minutes, and hope it will click if they just keep going. At no point in the game did he make any kind of change aimed at exploiting gaps in Liverpool's backline or look to alter the play to break the press. It was just so passive from him and disappointing. I really expected so much more of an intelligent guy like Kompany. I expected him to be constantly looking at ways to get at opponents, but he has settled on one way of playing and that is it.
Quick notes on the players:
Alisson - not quite at the races in this game, with his kicking being a bit off. That could have been pure boredom though as he never had a save to make all game.
Alexander-Arnold - had a very good game, solid defensively and pinged the ball about well in the "quarterback" role he was playing in. The freedom he was given suited him as well, he could raid down the flank or drift into the centre when he wanted. Admittedly it was 'only' Burnley, but he did well and you can only beat what is in front of you.
Quansah - it was a decent enough game for Quansah, though his passing was poor, with a number of attempted long-range balls failing to hit the mark.
van Dijk - once again excellent, using the crossfield pass really well to beat Burnley's attempts to press. Also, he is beginning to drive out from the back once more, when the opportunity presents. That is something he has not done enough of since returning from injury. It is good to see it return to his armoury, as it can make a real difference as he rarely loses the ball when he brings it out from the back.
Gomez - had a surprisingly effective game, driving down the flank like Robertson would. What helped him out is his willingness, and ability, to deliver with his left foot, as the Burnley defence were set to stop him cutting inside on his right. That left him able to easily just go outside and cross. When they reacted to stop that, he just cut inside and drove into the box. He has the confidence and quality that made him so important in the title-winning season a few years ago, though he still has that potential for a loose pass at the wrong moment. However, overall he is playing some excellent football right now and just needs to stay fit now.
Elliott - was exceptional, the kind of performance we normally see from him when he comes off the bench. So unlucky to have his goal ruled out as well, as that would probably have seen him pick up the man of the match award. He was everywhere, full of energy, but also quality.
Gravenberch - he was the one major disappointment in this game, as he was poor. Early on he even pulled out of a tackle, allowing the Burnley player to win the ball when he was favourite for it. He did go in for challenges later in the game, I have no doubt he would have got an earful over that moment of cowardice. However, it is not just that which let him down. His first touch was poor, except for one moment which ended up with Berge getting booked for fouling him. When he runs with the ball he reminds me of Jack Wilshere, the ball is always just a bit too far away from his body for full control. That worries me as it contributed to Wilshere's string of injuries as he was always stretching slightly when running with the ball to keep it under control. That left him always at risk of hyperextending ligaments when tackled. That should be not as much of a problem for Gravenberch, due to his better lifestyle choices, which means he will be fitter and stronger. It is still something he needs to look at, it is much easier to manipulate the ball if you have it slightly closer to you and it would improve his control when striking the ball for a shot or pass. His passing has been a real letdown at Liverpool, just keeping the ball in a better position to strike it from would help with that immensely.
Endo - another in a string of impressive performances from the Japanese midfielder. He may not be the quickest player across the ground, but he is clever and gets himself positioned well to interfere with the opposition when they try and attack. He is like that really annoying fly that constantly buzzes round you whenever you try and relax. Even when he is not actually stopping you, he is putting you off and taking your focus away by being there niggling away.
Salah - hit the bar with a shot and really should have scored but his game will probably most be remembered for being shoved bodily into an offside position to give the officials an excuse/reason to rule out Elliott's goal. Not that he had a bad game, in fact he looked a bit more like himself in this game than he has done recently, it was a step in the right direction towards him returning to form.
Gakpo - he was the other player that could have arguably got the man of the match award if all had been equal. He worked hard, played a good pass for Nunez to score, and had a goal ruled out for a foul that nobody but the VAR booth people could see. It was possibly his best game in a Liverpool shirt.
Nunez - the actual winner of the man of the match award and he was excellent. His early goal was an excellent first time finish from a lovely weighted pass from Gakpo. That has been the only thing missing from his recent performances. Now he just needs to build on it by scoring consistently.
Szoboszlai - replaced Elliott in the 66th minute. He came on as part of a triple substitution just as Burnley raised their game and played a big part in just shutting the Clarets down and snuffing out their threat.
Diaz - took Gakpo's place in the 66th minute. Looked a little more at the races after coming on, than he has of late. There were a few good signs, though it must be borne in mind, like with all the good performances, that Burnley did pretty much play into Liverpool's hands.
Jones - was brought on as Gravenberch's replacement, also in the 66th minute. He is growing into such a good player right now. Where Gravenberch was offering nothing, he came in and immediately closes down, tracks back, as well as getting forward and being heavily involved in the build up play.
Jota - came on for Nunez in the 84th minute. He does what Jota usually does when coming off the bench, he scored. You cannot ask for any more than that of a man entering the pitch in the 84th minute!